“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie: Infinity Castle” has claimed the title of the highest-grossing Japanese film ever on the global stage. Its worldwide success is even more remarkable because it truly captures an international audience. While the 2020 film “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie: Mugen Train” still holds the record for the highest earnings in Japan, raking in $365.7 million (accounting for 75% of its global revenue of $486.5 million), the newest “Demon Slayer” film has earned over 60% of its total outside Japan.

In the U.S., “Infinity Castle” has dominated the box office for two consecutive weeks, generating more than twice as much as “Mugen Train” did in 2021—acknowledging the pandemic’s impact on its predecessor. This film has surpassed the 1999 hit “Pokémon: The First Movie — Mewtwo Strikes Back,” becoming the top-grossing anime and Japanese film in the U.S. As of now, it’s approaching $20 million away from beating the record set by 2000’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” for the highest-grossing foreign film in the U.S. not in English. Although the sharp drops typical for anime films after opening weekends make surpassing this milestone uncertain, the possibility remains.

What enabled “Infinity Castle” to shatter numerous records and vie for more? Fans of Koyoharu Gotouge’s shonen hit are well-versed in its appeal, but those unfamiliar with the intricacies of the series can find an explanation here.

Just ten years ago, the idea of a non-“Pokémon” anime film dominating the U.S. box office was unimaginable. During the 1990s and early 2000s, anime films were rarely screened in more than a couple of hundred theaters across America. Even Studio Ghibli’s Disney-associated releases never eclipsed the $20 million mark. The 2010s saw anime movies become a staple of limited “event” screenings, shown in more theaters but only briefly. These fleeting showings perhaps contribute to why today’s anime films achieve high box office numbers on their opening days and weekends.

In 2021, “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” heralded a new era by becoming the first anime to top the U.S. box office since “Pokémon: The First Movie.” The sparse landscape of COVID-era theaters allowed for such wide releases, coupled with the buzz generated by the film’s success in Japan. Additionally, this marked a growing acceptance of anime in mainstream culture. Those who grew up with “Pokémon” and Toonami have transitioned to adulthood, often introducing their own children to anime, while streaming platforms have expanded access, cultivating new enthusiasts. This evolution made it only a matter of time before an anime film reached blockbuster heights in the U.S. But why specifically “Infinity Castle”?

There were technically two theatrical releases between “Mugen Train” and “Infinity Castle”—2023’s “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba — To the Swordsmith Village” and 2024’s “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — To the Hasira Training.” However, labeling these as “movies” is an overstatement as they mainly featured the concluding episodes of previous TV seasons along with previews of new ones. In contrast, “Mugen Train” and “Infinity Castle” offer fresh, must-watch content from start to finish.

But it’s not just that “Mugen Train” and “Infinity Castle” are new material that makes them a big deal. They directly adapt major arcs from the manga, whereas most shonen anime movies tend towards side-stories that are entertaining but not required viewing to follow the plot. “One Piece” might be more popular than “Demon Slayer” in general, but not every “One Piece” fan felt they had to see “One Piece Film: Red” in theaters the same way every “Demon Slayer” fan lined up for “Infinity Castle.” This might be good news for the upcoming “Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc,” another direct manga adaptation.

One factor making “Infinity Castle” an even bigger deal than “Mugen Train” is that it’s the first part of a trilogy concluding the whole “Demon Slayer” story. Imagine if the final season of “Stranger Things” went to theaters rather than Netflix. It’s no wonder there’s such a rush to see it.

The “Demon Slayer” movies are rated R by the MPA for violence and terror, which might lead some to declare their success a victory for “adult animation.” But make no mistake: like all shonen anime, the series’ target audience is tween and teen boys. Interest not only from Gen Z but also from Gen Alpha is key to the film’s box office success — and no Gen Alpha viewers are old enough yet to buy a ticket for themselves. While more detailed demographic data hasn’t been reported, it’s plausible that this is one of the most kids-and-families-heavy R-rated releases in a long time.

While the violence of the “Demon Slayer” anime keeps it in a late-night timeslot, elementary school-age kids have caught up with it on streaming. The average Japanese grade schooler respects Tanjiro Kamado more than their mom and Shinobu Kocho more than their dad. As dark and disturbing as the series can get, kids understand that it’s fiction. The heroic characters, flashy fight scenes, and a story that doesn’t talk down to them keeps them coming back for more.

“Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” played theatrically in both a dubbed English-speaking version and the original Japanese-language version with English subtitles. Amazingly, the subbed showtimes outgrossed the dubbed ones. This might be in part due to more subbed showings playing on premium large format screens, but it’s still a striking indication of just how much more open American viewers have become to watching movies and TV shows in other languages.

A 2021 Morning Consult survey on the growing popularity of international TV shows like “Squid Game” found that, while the majority of American adults still prefer to watch foreign shows dubbed, a preponderance of Gen Zers and Netflix users actually favor watching programs in their original language. Bong Joon-Ho famously encouraged Americas to “overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles” in his Golden Globes victory speech for “Parasite” (via CNN). The success of “Infinity Castle” is evidence that younger generations have already broken through it.