Explainer | Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train – all you need to know before watching the Japanese animated film that’s rewriting box office records
- Demon Slayer is the story of an orphan boy, Tanjiro Kamado, on a quest to find a cure for the demon curse afflicting his younger sister
- He learns of the existence of the Demon Slayer Corps and enlists after intensive training and a trial by fire
In a year where cinema revenues everywhere have been decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Japanese animated film Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train has stood out by breaking box office records both at home and abroad.
In the 10 days following its release domestically on October 16, the film made 10 billion yen (US$95 million), and after 31 days in cinemas had doubled that figure. It could soon surpass Studio Ghibli’s classic Spirited Away as the highest grossing film in history at the Japanese box office.
From Japan to Taiwan, where Mugen Train is the highest-earning animated film in history, there is Demon Slayer fever. In Hong Kong, where it opened on November 12, the film has proved similarly popular, having already beaten Peninsula and Tenet to become the box office champion of the year.
The film’s popularity harks back to 2016, when the manga Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotoge, was first released. One of the best-selling titles in Japan, in 2019 the manga was adapted into a 26-episode anime television series produced by Ufotable. Where the series left off, Mugen Train kicks in, as we follow a few of the main characters on a new mission to fight a demon.
For the uninitiated who have yet to watch the anime series but can’t resist the hype, here’s what you need to know about the Demon Slayer universe before hitting the cinema.
