The highly anticipated Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns has achieved a historic milestone, becoming the fastest film in Japan to surpass 10 billion yen (approximately $71.0 million USD) at the box office, according to reports from Kogyo Tsushin and Oricon. Released on July 18, 2025, by Aniplex and Toho, the film reached this unprecedented figure in just eight days, eclipsing the previous record set by its predecessor, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, which took 10 days to achieve the same feat.
The first installment of the Infinity Castle trilogy opened with a staggering ¥1.64 billion (approximately $11.11 million USD) on its debut day, drawing 1.15 million admissions and setting a new record for the highest opening day gross in Japanese box office history, as reported by Kogyo Tsushin. The momentum continued over the opening weekend, with the film earning ¥1.84 billion on its second day and ¥2.03 billion on its third day, the latter marking the highest single-day box office revenue ever recorded in Japan. By the end of its first three days, the film had grossed ¥5.52 billion (approximately $37.42 million USD) with 3.84 million tickets sold, securing the biggest opening weekend in Japanese cinema history. On its fourth day, a public holiday, the film added ¥1.79 billion from 1.32 million admissions, bringing its four-day total to ¥7.31 billion, as per Oricon. By July 28, just 10 days after its release, Kogyo Tsushin reported that the film had amassed over ¥12.8 billion, solidifying its position as the second-highest-grossing film of 2025 in Japan, trailing only Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback.
The official Demon Slayer X account announced the film’s record-breaking performance, highlighting its achievement as the fastest to reach 6 billion yen and its dominance in Japan’s box office records, including the highest opening weekend revenue and highest single-day revenue. The film’s success is attributed to its high production quality, courtesy of Ufotable, and the fervent anticipation for the adaptation of the Infinity Castle arc, a pivotal moment in Koyoharu Gotouge’s original manga series.
What is Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle about?
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle is a trilogy of animated dark fantasy action films that adapt the climactic Infinity Castle arc from Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga, serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 2016 to 2020. Directed by Haruo Sotozaki and produced by Ufotable, the first film, subtitled Akaza Returns, follows the Demon Slayer Corps as they are drawn into the dimensional stronghold of the demon king, Muzan Kibutsuji. After Muzan retreats into the Infinity Castle, Tanjiro Kamado and his fellow Demon Slayers are separated and face intense battles against powerful demons, including Upper Rank demons like Akaza and Doma.
A key storyline in the first film centers on Shinobu Kocho’s confrontation with Upper Rank Two Doma, who killed her sister Kanae, culminating in a tragic battle where Shinobu employs her poison techniques but is ultimately defeated and consumed by Doma. The film features music composed by Yuki Kajiura and Go Shiina, with theme songs Taiyō ga Noboranai Sekai (A World Where the Sun Never Rises) by Aimer and Zankoku no Yoru ni Kagayake (Shine in the Cruel Night) by LiSA, both of which were released globally on July 18, 2025.
Unlike previous Demon Slayer films such as To the Swordsmith Village and To the Hashira Training, which were compilation films, the Infinity Castle trilogy is a feature-length adaptation designed to capture the arc’s dramatic pacing and emotional depth. The narrative continues directly from the fourth season of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime, marking the series’ fifth, sixth, and seventh film adaptations.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns is set to premiere in the United States and Canada on September 12, 2025, distributed by Crunchyroll through Sony Pictures Releasing. The film will be available in both subtitled and dubbed formats, with screenings in standard theaters as well as IMAX and other premium large formats. Following its theatrical run, the film is expected to stream on Crunchyroll, though no specific streaming date has been confirmed. This unprecedented global distribution scale underscores the franchise’s massive international popularity and the high expectations for the trilogy’s cinematic conclusion.
Sources: Oricon, Kogkyo Tushin, and official X account of Demon Slayer
