Hook
Demon Slayer-Kimetsu no Yaiba- is one of the most popular manga in Japan right now. Also, the movie and products are making big profits. In this blog, I will consider why Japanese people are so attracted to the manga.
(Image from: Pamphlet for movie of “Kimetsu no Yaiba: Infinite Train Edition”)
1. What is demon slayer?
2. All the rage in Japan
3. The story
4. What attracts people?
5. Why it became so populur?
1. What is demon slayer?
Demon Slayer-Kimetsu no Yaiba- is a Japanese manga written by Koyoharu Gotouge that was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from February 2016 to May 2020. The story is set in Japan during the Taisho era[1], and depicts the main character fighting demons in order to find a way to return his sister who turned into a demon to humans. The genre is dark fantasy. In 2019, it was made into a TV animation by the production of the animation studio ufotable. The movie version [Infinite Train Edition] has been released since October 16, 2020. (As of January 2021)
[1] From July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926
2. All the rage in Japan
As of January 2021, the cumulative circulation of Kimetsu no Yaiba’s comics is expected to exceed 120 million. Also, In Japan, the cumulative number of spectators in the movie “Demon Slayer-Kimetsu no Yaiba- Infinite Train Edition” by January 3 was 25.48 million, and the box office revenue was the highest ever at 34.6 billion yen(About $ 331,722,304 USD)(https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/19510267/). In addition, many companies are making profits by collaborating with the comics one after another.
In the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be said that Japan is supported its economy by the mannga.
3. The story
Here is a brief introduction to the story. The story is set in Japan during the Taisho era. One day, the main character, “Tanjiro”, whose family was killed by a demon, decided to fight against the demon in order to return his younger sister, “Nezuko”, who survived but was turned into a demon. After make strenuous efforts, Tanjiro became a member of an organization that hunts demons. He meets many comrades there and fights against powerful demons.
4. What attracts people?
I think one of the reasons why Demon Slayer attracts people is that it sways people emotionally in a good way because the manga has a lot of bonds, compassion, kindness and rigor, correctness and love. Also, I think that the manga attracts people because there is a part that people can be sympathized with the enemy demon. The demons were originally humans, and each has a sad story. In the story, many dying demons suffer from the sins they committed, along with recalling their memories of when they were humans, and disappear with regret. In addition, the appearance of many characters living seriously with a purpose rectify our attitude of living and gives us vitality to live. Furthermore, the setting of the manga is also interesting. For example, demon motif. Some sites say that the demons are motived in this work are infectious diseases(https://anicomi.jp/comic/detail/641). The master of the demon, is said to represent cancer, and the number one subordinate “Kokusibo” represents “Kokusibyo”, It means the Black Death disease in Japanese. Indeed, from ancient times in Japan, illness was thought to be caused by invisible demons or Youkai[1]. In this way, this work contains various ideas and elements. That’s why I think the manga is attracting people.
[1] A kind of Japanese ghost
5. Why it became so populur?
I think one of the reasons why Demon Slayer became so popular in Japan is that the work was animated. The anime production company is Ufotable, which is known for its beautiful illustrations. The beauty and powerful animation that seems to be alive attracted many people. In fact, since the animation, the number of fans of Demon Slayer has increased significantly, leading to its current popularity. Another reason is that this company has a good business strategy. For example, in a movie currently being released, audience can get a limited number of goods. The goods are divided into multiple periods and is changed each time to increase the number of customers.
For these reasons, I think that Demon Slayer is attracting people with the wonderful quality of the work itself and the beautiful animation that further enhances the charm of the work also, their good business strategy.
<References>
『鬼滅の刃』｜集英社『週刊少年ジャンプ』公式サイト
https://www.shonenjump.com/j/rensai/kimetsu.html
鬼滅の刃 公式アニメサイト
https://kimetsu.com/anime/risshihen
劇場版「鬼滅の刃」 無限列車編公式サイト
https://kimetsu.com/anime/risshihen
鬼滅の刃 | Aniplex | アニプレックス オフィシャルサイト
https://www.aniplex.co.jp/lineup/anime/kimetsu_anime
映画「鬼滅の刃」一番儲かっているのは集英社ではなくソニーか
https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/19510267/
ダイドードリンコ株式会社 鬼滅缶
https://blend.dydo.co.jp/kimetsu/#modal-can-bitou
社会現象を起こす『鬼滅の刃』の魅力を徹底解説！「コロナ禍にこそ、働く女性に読んでほしい」とキャリア心理学者が推す理由
https://woman-type.jp/wt/feature/17559/
上弦の鬼の元ネタは「伝染病」の可能性あり？鬼ではなく病気と闘っていた説を考察
