Tokyo, Japan – The highly anticipated first film in the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle trilogy has stormed the Japanese box office, securing the No. 1 spot in its opening weekend. The movie, titled Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns, shattered multiple records, including the highest opening day and single-day gross in Japanese cinematic history. Meanwhile, the anime film Toi-san wa Seishun Shitai! (“Toi-san Wants to Enjoy Her Youth!”) debuted at No. 7.
“Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” Breaks Records
The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns opened on July 18, 2025, across 452 theaters in Japan, including 59 IMAX screens. Over its first three days (Friday-Sunday), the film earned an astounding 5.524 billion yen (approximately US$37.6 million) from 3.843 million admissions. This monumental opening surpassed the previous record held by the franchise’s own 2020 hit, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba—The Movie: Mugen Train, by 119.6%.
Including the Marine Day national holiday on Monday, July 21, the film’s four-day cumulative total reached 7.3 billion yen (US$49.7 million) on 5.16 million admissions. This makes Infinity Castle the second-highest-grossing film of 2025 in Japan in just four days, only behind Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback. The film also set new records for the best opening, first day, and single day performance in Japanese box office history. Its opening day alone, July 18, grossed 1.64 billion yen (US$11.11 million) from 1.15 million tickets, making it the highest opening day in Japan’s box office history. Sunday, July 20, recorded the highest single-day gross with 2.03 billion yen (US$13.76 million) from 1.42 million tickets.
IMAX screenings contributed significantly to the film’s success, generating $3 million over the standard Friday-Sunday weekend and $3.5 million over the four-day period, setting a new record for IMAX openings in Japan.
Plot of the “Infinity Castle” Arc
The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle movie adapts the climactic “Infinity Castle” arc from Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga. The storyline plunges the Demon Slayer Corps into Muzan Kibutsuji’s constantly shifting dimensional stronghold, where they are separated and forced into brutal battles against powerful Upper Rank demons. The film sets up emotional stakes and pushes the heroes to their limits, with tragic losses occurring as they desperately search for the injured Muzan to end the demon threat.
The film is directed by Haruo Sotozaki and produced by the acclaimed animation studio ufotable. It is the first original theatrical adaptation in the franchise since Mugen Train in 2020. The trilogy is set to cover the Infinity Castle Arc and potentially the Sunrise Countdown Arc, bringing the Demon Slayer story to a cinematic conclusion. International release for the film is scheduled to begin in August, with a North American release slated for September 12.
“Toi-san wa Seishun Shitai!” Enters Top 10
Debuting at the seventh spot was Toi-san wa Seishun Shitai! “Baka to Smartphone to Romance to” (“Toi-san Wants to Enjoy Her Youth! ‘Fools, Smartphones and Romance'”). This theatrical anime film is based on a short web anime series by Jel, a member of the VTuber boy band Strawberry Prince.
The film, which opened in 180 theaters on July 18, earned 120 million yen (US$817,000) during its first four-day weekend. The story follows Akane Toi, a high school girl who seeks an ordinary school experience but finds her life turned into a daily comedy after meeting the handsome, yet eccentric, Jel and her classmates. In the film, Toi-san joins the mysterious “Youth Romance Club” to uncover “youthful” and “romantic” things.
Jel himself plays multiple roles in the film, including original creator, scriptwriter, storyboarding, character designer, and providing character voices. His bandmate Nanamori serves as the planner and producer for the film. The movie is directed by Mankyu at studio Seven Arcs, with a script by Yoichi Kato.
