Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Breaking Records: Why Demons are Winning Hearts in Animation

Demon Slayer Infinity Castle breaking records is a testament to the ever-growing global love that demons have been spreading over the planet. Audience’s appetite for evolving demons with darker and more complex story narratives is evident from the said fact.  

We’ll go beneath the surface how demons are becoming the new heroes of animation.  

The difference between an anime and an animated film

There is a difference between an anime and an animated feature film. An anime is a specific style and origin of animation from Japan, while an animated film entails different animation techniques. Anime cartoons use detailed backgrounds rather than relying more on constant movements. They inculcate mature themes and complex characters, too.

On the other hand, an animated film’s content style is clearly distinct from that of anime. In anime, you can see influences of Japanese art, history, and culture, whereas the animation movies are more Western-influenced.

Animation films rarely have controversial content, while anime is focused more on dark themes and controversial scenes. They might not be suitable for kids, but animated films are light-hearted, thus suitable for all ages.

Demon Slayer Infinity Castle breaking records- Comparison with Mugen Train film

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has surpassed the Mugen Train film. Mugen Train is considered the highest-grossing Japanese anime film of all time.

Recently, Infinity Castle has achieved significant box office records and is now compared with the franchise’s previous film, Mugen Train. The following comparison provides additional context.

	IMDb	Rotten Tomatoes	Global box office earnings
Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020)	8.2	98 percent	$512 million
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle (2025)	8.5	98 percent	$650 million

​Ne Zha 2 vs Infinity Castle global box office earnings

Ne Zha 2 (2025) is the Chinese anime blockbuster that broke box office records by earning nearly $2 billion worldwide. Since Infinity Castle has just been released in cinemas, it is too soon to say anything about its total global box office earnings after only one month.

At the time of writing, Infinity Castle has reached approximately $650 million in global box office earnings. Despite a short duration in cinemas, the film has demonstrated strong performance and continued popularity for the Demon Slayer franchise.

While it’s still premature to predict the final success verdict of Infinity Castle against Ne Zha 2, the strong early indicators of Infinity Castle’s momentum can help the franchise reach or surpass the earnings of Ne Zha 2.

This comparison is relevant because Ne Zha 2 significantly impacted global animation as a Chinese mainstream release, while Infinity Castle highlights Japanese anime’s global influence, generating considerable interest.

Both films feature supernatural elements and emotional storytelling with strong visuals that lean heavily into their respective cultures. The dark fantasy anime world of Infinity Castle digs deeper into human and demon narratives.  

Should K-pop Demon Hunters also have been released in theatres?

Had K-pop Demon Hunters been a theatrical release, it would also have been a great success in terms of financial numbers. Did the filmmakers make a mistake by releasing it on the online streaming platform Netflix? If the K-pop Demon Hunters sequel is in the talks between Netflix and Sony, then they might decide to release it in cinemas.

Now, with a strong global fanbase, a highly shareable fanbase, and a compelling story, fans have been wondering whether it deserved a theatrical release. With similar tones and themes of demons in Infinity Castle, Mugen Train, and K-pop Demon Hunters, it would be highly unreasonable to think that it could not have performed well in a theatrical setting.

Will K-pop Demon Hunters be added to the list of Oscar contenders in the category of Best Animated Feature?

The probabilities hint at K-pop Demon Hunters having its shot in the categories of Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, or if it gets luckier, then even Best Picture.

The film needs to get serious attention in the awards season conversation, which involves various other factors. Still, the film can do well based on these factors:

• Unique cultural fusion: The feature is a seamless blend of K-pop culture, supernatural action, and intelligent art direction. The Academy will be happy to embrace global and genre-defying stories, like Turning Red (2022) and Nimona (2023), in recent years.
• Visual and musical innovation: The film’s animation style is sleek and dynamic, giving a fresh feel. The stylized demons created a new wave in the animation category with the head-banging songs that added the much-needed spice for our generation today.  
• Netflix’s familiarity with the awards strategy: Netflix is no stranger to the Academy’s inclination towards original films that have recognition in the past, such as The Sea Beast (2022) and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022). K-pop Demon Hunters is a title that can position itself easily in animation and music categories.
• A growing space for non-Western stories: The Academy has shown interest in new and culturally relevant films that resonate with wider audiences. Japanese films like Mirai (2018) and The Boy and the Heron (2023) gained recognition too, why not K-pop Demon Hunters then?

Why can’t anime get enough of demons?

One thing is for sure- demons are no more just villains, they are the heart of the story. These dark, powerful, and usually tragic entities portray the antagonist. Stories of today now present them as flawed yet sympathetic beings who have deeply humanized feelings.

Infinity Castle is the first part of the trilogy, and the next two parts are expected to come out in 2027 and 2029. The intricate storyline dives deeper into the emotional and psychological layers of its demon characters.

 

 

 

 

 

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The layered storytelling is there for a reason. According to Polygon, Infinity Castle is based on the creator Koyoharu Gotoge’s narrative style and covers Manga chapters 140 to 156.  

To understand the most terrifying foes who were once victims of pain, abandonment, or loss, the narrative strategy is aimed at building suspense. It facilitated empathy with the demons, the villains.  

Demon Slayer Infinity Castle has flashbacks and backstories of the demons that give depth to the characters, especially those of the demons, which somewhat make the audience sympathize with the villains.

K-pop Demon Hunters follows the same emotional blueprint. Beneath the glossy music visuals and high-energy action sequences lies a story of inner struggles, identity, and redemption.

The demons aren’t only evil- they are beings tortured by their own pasts, relations, inner struggles, identities, and seek redemption. The suppressed desires are highlighted, which amazingly elevates storytelling.

Why does this formula work?

Audience likes the emotional duality that encourages them to think both ways: understanding vs judgment, compassion vs vengeance- which one of these should be supported more? This is left for the audience to figure out.

Moreover, complex antagonists make better stories. Flat villains are easy to defeat and forget. To fight against the enemies who have layers and have their backstories, protagonists need a strong heart and resolution.

Demons are also mirrors of human emotions. Infinity Castle and K-pop Demon Hunters both show that demons were once humans, and the hardships they had to go through are a reflection of the audience’s own journey. Viewers can connect more with them.

Half of the credit goes to the animation designers who blend beauty with horror, making demons visually unforgettable. The rich emotional storytelling gives the stunningly designed demons an aesthetic appeal.

We couldn’t stress enough on global resonance. Stories grow globally, either literal or metaphorical. They have an emotional weight with pain, regret, and redemption embedded deeply. The emotional gray zones of demons are therefore gaining critical and commercial success since surface-level action cannot do much.

Audience knows humans are erroneous, and when they see monsters and demons the same way, they crave for their nuance, moral conflict, and emotional truth. And demons — once feared, now understood — are the perfect vessels for that kind of storytelling.

Have you found yourself sympathizing with demons in anime lately? Why do you think that is?