Demon Slayer changed the anime industry by being so “high quality”

Demon Slayer is now easily one of the biggest anime franchises ever, spawning the highest-grossing film ever in Japan alongside the show, and the production company reckons it revolutionized the industry.

Right now, we’re eagerly anticipating Demon Slayer Season 4. The anime show is about to return with the Hashira Training Arc, a calm before the storm as we enter the prolonged endgame for Tanjiro and the Demon Slayer Corps.

Michiyuki Honma, President and CEO of Pierrot, the company behind Naruto and Bleach, described how the shonen anime changed the landscape [via Natalie]: “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba was a big turning point for the anime industry,” he states. “It was a high-quality work that took a lot of time and a generous budget to make, and it became a big hit when it aired, attracting people from a wide range of age groups.”

He’s not kidding — sometimes it’s hard to remember that Demon Slayer only premiered in 2019. In just five short years, it’s become a dominant force in pop culture. “Before and after Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba was announced, I really felt that we had to change the way we create things,” he says. “Furthermore, other studios were releasing high-quality works on a similar scale. Japan has an environment where it can be watched on commercial television.”

Given the runaway success Demon Slayer enjoyed, it’s not surprising to hear that other executives felt a call to action to match Ufotable’s standard. Ufotable had a long list of productions under its belt by that point, but nothing on the scale of ambition for Demon Slayer, making the explosion even more noteworthy.

What heights will the series reach next? We can’t wait to find out! In the meantime, keep our upcoming anime list handy to see what other budding stars are on the way, and our guides to My Hero Academia Season 7 and Solo Leveling Season 2 will tell you all you need to know about their returns.