TOKYO: The hit animated film “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” has grossed 30,289 million yen ($291,908) in cumulative box-office revenue in Japan, its distributors Toho Co. and Aniplex Inc. said Monday.

The movie from the “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” blockbuster manga series became the first film to reach the 30-billion-yen mark since 2001’s “Spirited Away,” an animated film by director Hayao Miyazaki.

The focus is now on when the Demon Slayer movie, currently ranking second in Japan’s box-office revenue list, will see its revenue exceed the record high in the country of 30.8 billion yen marked by Spirited Away.

The Demon Slayer manga series, created by Koyoharu Gotoge, drew even more popularity after the release of the movie version on Oct. 16. Long lines of fans were formed outside many bookstores on the morning of Dec. 4, when the 23rd and final volume of the series went on sale across the country.

Full-page advertisements featuring the characters from the Demon Slayer series were taken out in the Dec. 4 morning editions of five national newspapers. “Kimetsu no Yaiba” was selected as one of this year’s top 10 buzzwords in Japan. The top 10 list was announced by publisher Jiyu Kokuminsha Co. in partnership with education service provider U-Can Inc.

JIJI Press