Dec 16, 2020
Japan’s film industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic this year, but it bounced back sooner and stronger than even Hollywood could.
The most visible sign of that strength is the stupendous box-office numbers racked up by “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie Mugen Train,” an animated film based on a hit manga and TV series. Released on Oct. 16, it zoomed past the ¥10 billion mark in just 10 days, a record in Japan. Following this rocketing start, the film soared ever higher into the box-office stratosphere. By Nov. 29, after 6 weeks on release, it had surpassed “Titanic” (which earned ¥26.2 billion in 1997) to take second place on the all-time earnings list with ¥27.5 billion. It’s next target: the ¥31.68 billion made by Miyazaki Hayao’s animation “Spirited Away” on its initial release in 2001 and after revival screenings this year, which added ¥880 million to its box office total.