Why Demon Slayer (귀멸의 칼날 / Kimetsu no Yaiba) Is Booming in Korea

Over the past few years, and especially in 2025, Demon Slayer has become more than just a popular anime/manga series in Korea. It’s reached a level of cultural phenomenon. Here are some of the key reasons:

Record-breaking box office & fast uptake

• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle crossed 2 million admissions in just 5 days after its release in Korea, the fastest for any film in 2025. 
• It later surpassed 4 million tickets sold, becoming the No. 3 Japanese animated film ever in Korea (by admissions), overtaking Your Name. 
• It maintained the #1 spot in the Korean box office for many consecutive days/weeks. 

Strong pre-sales & fan anticipation

• Advance ticket sales were extremely high (84% pre-sales at some points), showing strong demand before the film’s release. 
• Audiences are also rating it very highly (CGV’s Golden Egg Index etc.) which helps word-of-mouth. 

Cultural resonance and cross-media appeal

• The animation, storytelling, visuals are high quality. The emotional arcs (family, sacrifice, friendship) appeal broadly.
• Merchandise & fashion collaborations (e.g. with UFC Sports via Gwangju Shinsegae) show that Demon Slayer characters are being woven into everyday culture. 

Global anime boom & streaming / fan culture

• With increased accessibility via streaming, strong community building (fan art, cosplay, social media), anime in general has more mainstream acceptance.
• Demon Slayer already had momentum before “Infinity Castle” but this iteration catapulted its popularity even higher in Korea.