News Discussion

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle – Part One Roars into Theaters

On July 18, the first installment of the new Demon Slayer movie trilogy, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle – Part One: Akaza Returns, hit theaters across Japan. The film marks the beginning of the franchise's long-awaited final chapter. It depicts the ultimate showdown between the Demon Slayer Corps and the Upper Rank demons within the demons' stronghold, the Infinity Castle.

The release was met with explosive success. Distributor Aniplex announced that the film earned ¥5.52 billion JPY (approximately $34.5 million USD) in its first three days, with more than 3.84 million tickets sold. This surpasses the opening three-day revenue of the franchise's previous blockbuster, Mugen Train (2020), which earned ¥4.62 billion during the same timeframe. The new film now holds the record for the highest-grossing three-day opening in Japanese box office history.

According to Aniplex, Infinity Castle – Part One brought in ¥1.64 billion ($11.1 million) on its opening day, followed by ¥1.84 billion ($12.5 million) and ¥2.03 billion ($13.8 million) on the second and third days, respectively. It also broke domestic records for both highest single-day earnings and highest first-day earnings for a film released in Japan. As of July 21, four days after release, the total box office revenue had already exceeded ¥7.31 billion ($49.6 million).

A Long-Awaited Final Battle

The film adapts the opening arc of the Infinity Castle storyline, the beginning of a climactic three-part movie series. In this first chapter, Tanjiro Kamado and the Demon Slayer Corps descend into the Infinity Castle to confront the powerful Upper Rank demons, including fan-favorite antagonist Akaza and the eerie and flamboyant Doma.

Akaza's return (voiced by Akira Ishida) and the debut of the flamboyantly eerie Doma (voiced by Mamoru Miyano) sparked a wave of reactions online.

Fans praised the film's animation and voice acting, with one viewer writing, "The performances gave me chills!" Others were struck by the emotional weight of the story, saying, "I cried so much I was exhausted," and reflecting on the complexity of the characters: "I hate Doma, but I just can't bring myself to hate Akaza. Still, Rengoku's death hurts every time."

A Global Phenomenon

The Demon Slayer franchise, based on Koyoharu Gotouge's manga that ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2016 to 2020, continues to captivate fans worldwide.

As of July 17, publisher Shueisha announced that the manga's total global circulation, including digital editions, has surpassed 220 million copies. That places Demon Slayer alongside legendary Jump titles such as Naruto, One Piece, and Dragon Ball, all of which have exceeded 200 million copies in circulation.

1. 1. installment　（連載物などの）1回分；分割払い（の1回分）；複数の連続する構成要素の1回分
   This is the final installment of the popular drama series.
2. 2. franchise　（映画・テレビドラマなどの）シリーズ；選挙権、参政権； （営業販売権の）フランチャイズ；（スポーツ）フランチャイズ・チーム
   The "Harry Potter" franchise includes books, movies, and games.
3. 3. surpass　（現状や記録を）上回る、超える
   The new model surpasses the old one in speed and design.
4. 4. arc　（ストーリーの）一連の流れや区切り；弧、円弧
   Each arc in the series explores a different theme.
5. 5. antagonist　敵役、敵対者、対立者
   Every good story needs a strong antagonist.

1. 1. How did the film perform at the box office in its first three days, and how did it compare to “Mugen Train”?
2. 2. What is the main storyline of the Infinity Castle – Part One movie?
3. 3. According to the article, how successful is the Demon Slayer manga globally?
4. 4. Have you ever cried or felt very emotional while watching a movie or show? What made you feel that way?
5. 5. Demon Slayer has become a global hit. Why do you think some anime become popular all over the world?

7月18日に封切られた人気アニメ映画「劇場版『鬼滅の刃』無限城編　第一章　猗窩座再来」の公開3日間の興行収入が55億2000万円を記録したと、配給元のアニプレックスが22日発表した。観客動員数は384万人を超えた。劇場版の前作「無限列車編」（2020年）の46億2000万円を超え、公開3日間の日本歴代興収の最高記録を塗り替えた。

アニプレックスによると、公開初日の興収は16億4000万円、2日目は18億4000万円、3日目は20億3000万円に上り、国内で公開された映画の初日の興収、1日当たりの興収（20日）もそれぞれ歴代1位となった。21日までの4日間では興収73億1000万円を突破した。

「第一章　猗窩座再来」は、主人公の竈門炭治郎たちが所属する「鬼殺隊」と鬼との最終決戦を描く劇場版「無限城編」3部作の始まり。鬼の根城である無限城で、宿敵の猗窩座らに挑む。

原作は世界で2億部突破
集英社は7月17日、吾峠呼世晴さんの人気漫画「鬼滅の刃」の単行本全23巻の全世界累計発行部数（電子版を含む）が2億2000万部になったと発表した。

同作は漫画誌「週刊少年ジャンプ」で2016～20年に連載。コミックス累計発行部数が2億部を超えた週刊少年ジャンプの作品は他に「NARUTO―ナルト―」「ONE PIECE」「ドラゴンボール」がある。