The Japanese animated film "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc" has effectively secured the No. 1 spot at this year's Korea box office, reshaping the theatrical landscape. With no clear hits among Korean films and Hollywood blockbusters this year, Demon Slayer has remained the axis of box-office momentum, steadily drawing audiences despite a long run. Since opening on Aug. 22, it has gone beyond its fandom to attract general moviegoers on the strength of dazzling animation, powerful direction and high craftsmanship, raising the possibility that it could top 6 million admissions by year-end.
According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) integrated computer network on the 20th, on the 19th Demon Slayer's cumulative admissions stood at 5,633,503, narrowing the gap with the previous No. 1, "My Daughter is a Zombie" (5,637,222), to just about 3,720. Given weekday audience growth trends, it is virtually certain to surpass My Daughter is a Zombie within this week and rise to No. 1 in annual box-office admissions. By cumulative gross, Demon Slayer is currently about 60.7 billion won, ahead of My Daughter is a Zombie (53.1 billion won). It has also overtaken "F1 The Movie" (54.9 billion won), which had long stayed in the upper ranks, effectively locking in the year's top theatrical gross. Distributor ANIPLUS plans to continue screenings through the year-end. With demand for viewing bonuses and steady turnout in regional markets, it also expects to reach 6 million admissions.
Demon Slayer clinching the annual No. 1 box office is an unusual feat for Korea's theatrical market. The last time a foreign animated film topped the annual box office was Disney's "Frozen 2" in 2019, six years ago. Frozen 2 then ranked No. 1 for the year, beating both Korean films and Hollywood, and if Demon Slayer finishes No. 1 this year, it will be only the second foreign animation to do so and the first ever for a Japanese animation. This is expected to be seen not merely as a box-office result but as a symbolic moment showing that the Japanese animation wave is no longer a "passing fad" but has transformed into a core genre driving Korea's mainstream theatrical market.
Demon Slayer's momentum is expanding beyond fandom-driven consumption to draw repeat viewers over an extended period. As time has passed since the release, the share of repeat viewings in premium formats such as IMAX and 4DX has increased, and theater reviews have continued with positive assessments like "the most dazzling animation" and "overwhelming battle direction." High satisfaction has directly translated into repeat viewing demand, powering a long run. According to Japanese media reports, Demon Slayer's worldwide box-office revenue has surpassed 106.3 billion yen (about 991.8 billion won), the first Japanese film ever to cross the global 100 billion yen mark. The worldwide cumulative audience is about 90 million.
This year's theatrical market has seen a chain of hits by Japanese animation. The feature "Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc" has drawn 3,203,237 admissions and 33.77150689 billion won, showing an unexpected long-run trajectory, and the Jujutsu Kaisen theatrical releases have ranked high in advance ticketing with each new title, pulling in new audiences beyond the existing fandom. With Korean films like "Opposition Party" (3,378,166), "Mission: Impossible" (3,392,542) and "Hitman 2" (2,547,598) struggling, and Hollywood tentpoles facing a supply gap, Japanese animation has effectively become the sole pillar sustaining the box office.
This trend is also evident in TV and OTT consumption data. As the ratings of the Japanese animation specialty channel ANIPLUS have surpassed Tooniverse, fandom built on TV and OTT is translating directly into theatrical spending. Netflix has said that more than half of its users watch animation, and anime viewing time has more than tripled in the past five years. ANIPLUS expects record results this year with a diversified revenue structure that includes goods, exhibitions and the OTT platform Laftel in addition to theatrical sales. Multiplexes are also actively encouraging repeat visits by offering new posters and viewing bonuses every week.
A content industry official said, "Japanese animated films are delivering craftsmanship on par with well-made commercial features in areas like world-building, animation and OST, and with OTT's new fandom combined with repeat theatrical viewing, they have secured long-term box-office momentum," adding, "Demon Slayer taking No. 1 at the box office this year will be recorded as a symbolic moment in which Japanese animation goes beyond a mere trend to lead the mainstream in Korea's theatrical market."