The new Demon Slayer film, Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Infinity Arc is off to a record-breaking start in Korea. In only three days, it has drawn over 1.64 million viewers, the fastest box office pace of any release this year.
According to the Korean Film Council on Monday, the movie, released on August 22, recorded 1,649,257 admissions by August 25. No other 2025 release in Korea reached the one-million mark as quickly.
Even before opening, demand was clear. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle logged the highest advance ticket rate of the year, selling the most pre-release tickets among all films. On August 25 at 10 a.m., it was still leading real-time sales with a 66% share. Audiences are still flocking to theaters, keeping Demon Slayer high on the box office charts.
Many are likening its performance to Mugen Train, the franchise’s first film that drew 2.22 million viewers when it opened in Korea in 2021. With its current momentum, Infinity Arc is expected to pass that number easily. Theater officials believe it may even beat Suzume, which drew 5.58 million admissions and remains the top-performing Japanese animated film in Korea.
In Japan, the movie has already made history. Within one month of release, it brought in 18 million viewers, setting new box office standards for anime films.
The story opens the final chapter of the battle between the Demon Slayer Corps and the most powerful demons. Much of the action unfolds inside Infinity Castle, a shifting fortress controlled by the upper demon Nakime. The movie is packed with large-scale fights, sword battles, and emotional drama, making it one of the most intense arcs in the series.
The overwhelming response highlights the long-standing popularity of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. The manga, created by Koyoharu Gotoge in 2016, has sold more than 220 million copies worldwide. Fans love its mix of human struggle, supernatural combat, and moving character arcs.
The TV anime, which first aired in 2019, expanded the franchise’s popularity even more. Its success led to the 2020 release of Mugen Train, which became a worldwide phenomenon. The film grossed 51.7 billion yen (about 486.7 billion KRW), setting the record as the highest-grossing Japanese animation of all time. In Korea, it sold 2.18 million tickets, the highest number for any Japanese TV anime-based film in the country.
Japan’s box office history also shows the scale of the franchise. When Mugen Train opened in 2020, it drew 3.84 million viewers in its first weekend. Within 17 days, attendance reached 12.55 million, with total earnings of 17.6 billion yen (around 165.9 billion KRW), and the movie entered Japan’s all-time top 10 box office list.
Now, Demon Slayer: Infinity Arc is building on that legacy. Korean theaters report sold-out seats and record-breaking weekend sales. With word of mouth spreading fast, the film could soon challenge the all-time records for Japanese animation in Korea.
