Japanese anime films are absolutely crushing it lately! Beyond "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Infinity Castle Arc Part 1: Akaza's Return" continuing its run as Japan's highest-grossing film globally, "Chainsaw Man Reze Arc," which premiered in September, is also racking up impressive box office numbers across Japan and other Asian regions, fueled by strong word-of-mouth.
In South Korea, Japanese anime has ignited a fierce storm, completely overshadowing local productions. On the 16th, Korean media outlet SPOTV NEWS ran with the headline, "Korean Films Completely Devoured by Japanese Anime… Even Box Office #1 Dethroned, Entering Emergency Situation," painting a grim picture of the current state of the Korean film industry.
SPOTV NEWS pointed out, "This summer, Japanese anime, with the back-to-back hits of 'Demon Slayer' and 'Chainsaw Man,' has virtually swept the Korean box office charts. In stark contrast, Korean films have performed dismally. New releases, once brimming with hope, not only lost to a phenomenon like 'Demon Slayer' but were also completely outmaneuvered by the subsequent 'Chainsaw Man Reze Arc'."
The report further stated, "Many Korean films that premiered during the Chuseok holiday, hoping to grab a piece of the box office pie, were all crushed by Japanese anime, failing to gain any momentum whatsoever."
According to data from the Korean Box Office Information System, released yesterday (10/15) by the Korean Film Council, "Chainsaw Man Reze Arc" still drew an impressive 32,532 viewers on October 14, its third week of release, firmly holding the top spot. To date, its cumulative audience has reached 1,904,436, just shy of breaking the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Infinity Castle Arc Part 1: Akaza's Return," which premiered locally on August 22, continues its phenomenal run, with cumulative viewership exceeding 5.41 million, demonstrating incredible staying power.
▼ Daily data from October 14 shows "Chainsaw Man Reze Arc" at number one, while "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Infinity Castle Arc" still holds a strong fifth place.
Of course, this one-two punch at the box office isn't just happening in Korea; similar trends are being observed in other regions. While "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Infinity Castle Arc" making a powerful return to theaters after "Mugen Train Arc" isn't entirely surprising, the dominant performance of "Chainsaw Man Reze Arc" – a theatrical release more than two and a half years after its TV anime – has certainly caught many off guard!
via： SPOTV NEWS