Japanese anime is experiencing a box office boom The chainsaw man continuing the momentum imposed by Demon slayeralthough many Hollywood blockbusters have underperformed.
In just two months, the anime produced two huge theatrical hits. According to Box Office Mojo, October saw slow box office returns despite major Hollywood releases such as Tron: Ares AND One battle after another. In contrast, Japanese animated films have largely exceeded expectations. The Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc it has grossed $141 million as of November 7.
Adapted from the popular manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, The Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc follows the 2022 anime series. It tells the story of Denji, a devil hunter who repays his late father’s debts. After nearly dying during a mission, Denji is saved by his evil dog Pocota and becomes the unstoppable “Chainsaw Man”. The film introduces Reze, a mysterious girl who brings with her both love and tragedy, dragging Denji into the most brutal battle of his life.
In South Korea, The Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc dominated the box office for consecutive weeks. The Korean media nicknamed him “the counterattack of Japanese anime”, as it surpasses local productions released in the same period.
Previously, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle broke records with $670 million in global revenue, becoming the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time. What amazed experts is that audiences needed to watch all 63 episodes of the series (more than 24 hours of content) to fully understand the film’s plot.
Japanese anime has gained traction in cinemas in Ireland, across Europe and the United States. Forbes reports that this anime boom is no coincidence. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed people toward streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll, which quickly began licensing classic anime series and funding new productions.
Netflix revealed that 50% of its users watch Japanese anime. According to Yuji Yamano, the company’s head of content licensing in the region, anime audiences have tripled in the past five years. “Anime has always been loved, but the real momentum came after we brought it to Netflix,” he said.
With subtitles in over 33 languages, anime is now easily accessible around the world, especially in the United States, where fans previously had to rely on fan-subtitled VHS or DVDs.
Another key factor behind anime’s global popularity is its lower production cost than Hollywood. For example, F1 it cost about $250 million and earned $630 million, while Demon slayer it had an estimated budget of only $20 million and grossed $660 million.
The Japanese government now considers anime and related sectors – films, games, manga and music – to be core industries. The “Cool Japan” strategy aims to triple foreign revenue, targeting $131.4 billion by 2033.
Recently, the Japan Animation Association (AJA) reported 14.8% growth in anime industry revenues, reaching a record $25 billion in 2024, as presented at TIFFCOM, the Tokyo International Film Festival’s content market event.
The report shows that international markets now account for 56% of total anime revenue – $14.25 billion – while the domestic market lags behind at 44% or $10.97 billion. Lead author Masahiko Hasegawa noted: “Revenues from abroad now far exceed those from the domestic market and the gap is widening.” Revenue streams include theatrical distribution, streaming rights, merchandise and hosting of film-related events.
“Anime is no longer just a means of telling stories: it has become a global cultural economy,” concluded Hasegawa.
Sources: VNE
