The highly anticipated anime film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle Part 1: Akaza Returns is already creating massive hype in China even before its official release.
According to data from Maoyan, China’s leading movie ticketing platform, the movie has achieved the best first-day pre-sales ever for any international animation film in China, earning over ¥40 million (≈$5.5 million) in less than 24 hours so far!
This incredible performance was first reported via Maoyan’s official page for the film, confirming the record-breaking figure.
Aniplex, which holds the global distribution rights for the Demon Slayer franchise, directly negotiated with Chinese authorities to make this release possible. The movie will be distributed through Maoyan, marking a rare and significant collaboration for a major Japanese anime film in the Chinese market.
The official Weibo account for Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle was recently launched, confirming that the film will officially hit Chinese theatres on November 14, 2025.
This movie is currently the second-highest-grossing film in Japan as of November 6, having earned over ¥37.5 billion. The only film ahead of it is from the same franchise, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, which remains Japan’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
Globally, Infinity Castle Part 1 has already surpassed $79.33 Million in worldwide box office revenue.
Produced by ufotable, the film continues the studio’s legacy of breathtaking animation quality. It marks the first part of the trilogy that adapts the Infinity Castle Arc, the final and most intense storyline from Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga.
The theme songs featured in this movie— LiSA performs “Zankoku na Yoru ni Kagayake” (Shine in the Cruel Night), while Aimer delivers “Taiyou ga Noboranai Sekai” (A World Where the Sun Never Rises).
About Demon Slayer
Demon Slayer (Japanese Name: Kimetsu no Yaiba) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge. It was serialized in February 2016 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump. There is a total of 23 Volumes in this manga. This manga had over 150 million copies in circulation by February 2021, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time. Also, it was the best-selling manga in 2019 and 2020.
This manga received an anime adaptation by ufotable, which was released in April 2019. There are a total of 4 Seasons, 1 Sequel Movie, and 2 compilation movies of this anime series. After the completion of 4th season of this anime series, it was revealed that the final arc of its manga, “Infinity Castle Arc” will be adapted as a trilogy movie. Part 1 of this trilogy, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, will be released in Japanese Cinemas on July 18, 2025.
Crunchyroll describes the plot of this movie as:
“Tanjiro Kamado – a boy who joined an organization dedicated to hunting down demons called the Demon Slayer Corps after his younger sister Nezuko was turned into a demon.
While growing stronger and deepening his friendships and bonds with fellow corps members, Tanjiro has battled many demons with his comrades – Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira. Along the way, his journey has led him to fight alongside the Demon Slayer Corps’ highest-ranking swordsmen, the Hashira, including Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku aboard the Mugen Train, Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui within the Entertainment District, as well as Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito and Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji at the Swordsmith Village.
As the Demon Slayer Corps members and Hashira engaged in a group strength training program, the Hashira Training, in preparation for the forthcoming battle against the demons, Muzan Kibutsuji appears at the Ubuyashiki Mansion. With the head of the Demon Corps in danger, Tanjiro and the Hashira rush to the headquarters but are plunged into a deep descent to a mysterious space by the hands of Muzan Kibutsuji.
The destination of where Tanjiro and Demon Slayer Corps have fallen is the demons’ stronghold – the Infinity Castle. And so, the battleground is set as the final battle between the Demon Slayer Corps and the demons ignites.“
Source: Maoyan
