Demon Slayer Breaks Records as Chainsaw Man Hype Builds
The anime news landscape has really been buzzing this week. The more I try to hide under a rock, the more news seems to fall in my lap. A lot is happening. From the success of the latest Demon Slayer Movie to the hype surrounding the upcoming Chainsaw Man film, there is indeed hype. Some fans are calling this the start of a new anime golden age, and while I’m going to hold off on flipping that switch. I am intrigued by the upcoming series on the horizon, set to debut this fall and winter of 2026.
Popcorn Much?
That wonderful former pirate site (cough), Crunchyroll, has declared Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle the highest-grossing anime film of all time in North America, overtaking Pokémon: The First Movie's long-held record after earning $87.43 million domestically as of September 2025. I’ll take Crunchyroll’s word for it, as they are the North American distributor for the film. According to their article written on September 15, Sony reported that the film had grossed a projected $70 million USD on its opening weekend. Not a bad feat, if I do say so myself, but the news gets better. Twisted Voxel revealed on Saturday that Infinity Castle has surpassed the $500 million mark globally, making it just the second Japanese movie, after Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, to reach half a billion dollars. The film had a total revenue of $507 million, with estimated revenues of $225 million in Japan, $84.5 million in North America, and $197.5 million in 63 overseas markets as of Wednesday. The film is expected to surpass Mugen Train's $520.7 million record and become the highest-grossing anime film of all time; I am sure, by the time of publication, that will be the case.
Story Summary
Infinity Castle adapts the "Final Battle" arc, where Tanjiro Kamado and his allies confront the demon lord Muzan Kibutsuji in a sprawling, supernatural fortress—a climactic struggle filled with psychological and physical stakes for the heroes. I’m going to assume that if you are reading this, you are familiar with the series, but just in case, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a Japanese anime series set in Taishō-era Japan that follows Tanjiro Kamado, a kind-hearted teenager whose family is slaughtered by demons. His younger sister, Nezuko, survives but is transformed into a demon herself, retaining traces of her humanity.
Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps, an organization dedicated to hunting demons, with the dual goal of avenging his family and finding a cure for Nezuko. Together, the siblings embark on dangerous missions, confronting powerful demons, and seeking the origin of the evil—the demon lord Muzan Kibutsuji—responsible for their suffering. Throughout the series, themes of perseverance, compassion, and the struggle between humanity and monstrosity are emphasized.
I'm not sure if anyone expected this movie to perform as well at the box office. But I'll just say, 'Color Me Impressed.' The success of Demon Slayer opens up the door for other anime, looking at you, Chainsaw Man. I don’t say that in jest. Chainsaw Man, in my opinion, has taken a different approach to its release. Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc released in Japan on September 19, 2025. It will premiere in U.S. and Canadian theaters on October 24, 2025, distributed by Sony Pictures and Crunchyroll. In other territories, such as India, the film is scheduled to open on September 26, 2025. While I’m waiting for its release, the anime news cycle has ensured I won’t get caught up in all the upcoming fall series.
The good people at MAPPA have ensured that I do not need to watch anything by keeping me inundated with media. Everything from rewatching the original 12 episodes to brushing up on Chainsaw Days, a new special series of shorts debuting together with a new two-part compilation film titled Chainsaw Man – The Compilation Part I and Part II. Joke's on you, MAPPA. The good people over on the Chainsaw Man subreddit were friendly enough to drop the 'Chainsaw Days' - All Animated Volume Extras (With English Subtitles). That means I have time to rewatch seasons one and two of One Punch Man and get ready for season three.
But the Music
Before I could write these remarks, I guess you wanted to make sure demon slayers and bald superheroes didn’t upstage you, so you found your own way to make the news with Kenshi Yonezu’s “Kick Back,” the opening theme for Chainsaw Man, which has become the first Japanese-language song to be certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), surpassing one million units in the United States as of September 2025. Composed and written by Kenshi Yonezu, “Kick Back” was co-arranged by Daiki Tsuneta of King Gnu and samples Morning Musume’s “Sōda! We’re ALIVE.” The song’s aggressive rock production and inventive blend of J-pop and anime aesthetics pushed boundaries for mainstream anime themes.
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc will also feature an extended version of Season 1’s Episode 3 ending song “HAWATARI NIOKU CENTI” by Maximum the Hormone, billed as the “70% Unlocked Edit.” This version finally unveils the second verse, which references the character Reze, and brings fans material previously withheld from TV, enhancing the film’s musical and thematic resonance. Anime rarely withholds music for plot-based reasons. This precedent recalls exclusive song reveals in legendary franchises, such as Evangelion, where themes develop in tandem with character arcs.
I'm not sure if it will stand out among other series, given the stiff competition—by stiff, I mean songs that have become anthems or are synonymous with their IPs. Attack on Titan features songs like "Guren no Yumiya" and "My War." "Guren no Yumiya" by Linked Horizon became legendary at its debut, matching the show's epic scale and even being performed live at the Tokyo Olympics. That was a hit, but it wasn't my favorite. Yuko Ando's song "Shogeki," which was the closing theme for "Attack on Titan: The Final Season," truly deserves that distinction. Other memorable themes include Neon Genesis Evangelion’s "A Cruel Angel’s Thesis" and "Fly Me to the Moon." Both the opening and closing themes are iconic, with “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis” often cited as the most recognized anime song worldwide. Serial Experiments Lain’s "Duvet" and Tokyo Ghoul’s "Unravel," by TK from Ling Tosite Sigure, which served as the opening theme, have also become legendary, with their emotional impact often surpassing that of the anime itself.
Whether Chainsaw Man will smash numbers like Demon Slayer remains to be seen. What is a growing reality, though, is that it's poised to become, and this is, in my opinion, the non-idol, unless you count Makima, “dark shonen Bang Dream!” With the Reze Arc’s release, an anthology anime series based on Tatsuki Fujimoto’s short stories, titled Tatsuki Fujimoto 17-26, will premiere globally on Prime Video on November 7, 2025, adapting eight of his early works. Chainsaw Man’s evolution as a multimedia phenomenon with multiple licensing deals is set. Let’s hope they can keep that momentum going until the announcement of season two.
