Of all of the things 2020 has come to be known for, film releases breaking box office records wasn’t considered one of them. But one film defied the odds. Released in Japan on Oct. 16., the animated film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Film: Mugen Train ended a 19-12 months record held by the Studio Ghibli basic Spirited Away. Hitting $313 million in ticket sales in December, the film overtook director Hayao Miyazaki’s magnum opus to become the country’s highest-grossing film of all time.
Within the months since, the film—primarily based on the manga Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotouge—has broken one other record previously set by Spirited Away: Mugen Train is now the highest-grossing anime film in the world. It’s set for theatrical release within the U.S. and Canada on April 23, in each a subtitled version and an English dubbed version.
Before the film made headlines for shattering records, the Demon Slayer franchise was already amassing a dedicated global fanbase. Both the manga that was first revealed in 2016 and the television series adapted from the manga have recorded feats of their own. Ahead of the North American release of Mugen Train, right here’s everything to know about Demon Slayer, the author-illustrator behind it and the meteoric success of the manga, television series and film.
What’s Demon Slayer about?
In this fictional world set in early 20th century Taishō-period Japan, man-eating demons roam the land every night. 13-12 months-old Tanjiro Kamado’s world is turned upside down when he returns dwelling one morning to seek out his whole household murdered save for his sister Nezuko—who has turned into a demon. Decided to avenge their deaths and find a cure that may transform Nezuko back into a human, Tanjiro sets out on a journey to train for the Demon Slayer Corps. The story follows him as he joins this underground group of skilled fighters who dedicate their lives to protecting people from the vicious creatures.
Who’s Koyoharu Gotouge?
Koyoharu Gotouge (recently featured as a part of the 2021 TIME 100 Next) wrote and illustrated Demon Slayer. The mangaka, or manga creator, has not publicly revealed their identity, and instead makes use of the pen name Gotouge and seems as an avatar of an alligator in glasses when making announcements about the series. Despite not much about Demon Slayer’s writer being known to the public, those that collaborate carefully with Gotouge are familiar with their work ethic. «I have known Gotouge sensei [the honorific term for teacher in Japanese] for the reason that start of their career, and so they weren’t essentially without fault at first,» Kohei Ohnishi, an Editor-in-Chief of Weekly Shonen Jump who edits Demon Slayer, tells TIME. «However by hard work and perseverance, they have been able to develop considerably as a mangaka.»
Though Gotouge’s schedule has not been shared earlier than, the every day work routines of manga authors are reputed to be rigorous. As an illustration, Oda Eiichiro—the creator of One Piece—has shared about sleeping recurrently from 2 AM to 5 AM to work on his manuscript. Ohnishi cites Gotouge’s robust sense of integrity and dedication to their work, and says the mangaka is «very aware of how readers are responding to their work.» Asked about the most impactful element of Gotouge’s writing and artwork, Ohnishi references the robust characters and dialogue. «Their characters are all unique, yet still rooted in reality, and that’s a really troublesome balance to strike,» Ohnishi says. «In addition, there are a number of memorable lines filled with originality in Demon Slayer.»
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