Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba has been an international phenomenon. As of February this year, they had an estimated sales total of $2.6 billion in Japan alone, roughly 150 million units sold. This is a lot higher than current American comic book estimates, which is around 15 million units.
Many people are praising Koyoharu Gotouge‘s intense fight scenes and interesting story. The popularity of Japanese anime is not limited to comic books. Its popularity has also spilled over into the world of games. Online slots and other games featuring characters wearing kimono, such as the black and green checkered haori worn by the main character Tanjiro Kamado, are booming. (*They are familiarly known as ネットカジノ サイト in Japanese.)The fact that it’s kept people engaged is an amazing feat in itself. It’s also lead many to speculate why manga is now selling more than American comic books.
It’s true that comic books are very politics-heavy. They also seem to be pushing agendas and certain ways of thinking. When you compare “Demon Slayer” to the motivations of normal characters in manga, there is a stark difference.
It seems that the sense of right and wrong is on a very fundamental level. While some historical manga and anime do have some sense of political subjects they never present it to you in a way that says one side or the other is correct. You kind of just know by the actions of the characters what’s morally right. And as cheesy as it is to say you also know in your heart what is morally right which is why you root for them.
Now that the movie has finally come out in the United States, manga sales for the series have jumped yet again. We’re also waiting for season two of the anime, which took a short break after season one to make the “Mugen Train” movie.
It’s expected that once the second season is announced the manga sales will jump once again and comic books will have an even higher number to reach for.
Check out the “Demon Slayer” manga here!
