Despite having a relatively short run, “Demon Slayer” manages to hold onto its position against legendary shounen like “Naruto” and “One Piece” in the fiercely competitive industry of manga and anime. Since the release of the first chapter of “Demon Slayer” in February 2016, the manga series has achieved remarkable success in sales and captivating audiences worldwide. With only 23 volumes, Koyoharu Gotouge’s “Demon Slayer” has become the best-selling manga of 2023, showcasing its short yet impactful journey. This stands in striking contrast to “One Piece” creator Eiichiro Oda’s remarkable 109 volumes or “Naruto” creator Masashi Kishimoto’s legendary 72 volumes.
The emotional journey of Tanjiro Kamado to heal his demon-turned-sister Nezuko and avenge his family along with the fierce fights and richly developed universe of the series has received a great deal of attention.
The Sales and Popularity of Demon Slayer
Sales numbers are one of the most important measures of Demon Slayer’s success. According to Natalie, the manga has sold over 150 million copies worldwide, a staggering achievement for a series with a relatively short run. Published by Shueisha, the manga began serialization in February 2016 and concluded in May 2020, and has left an indelible mark on the manga industry. Selling 6.52 million per volume on average, Demon Slayer ranked the best-selling manga of 2023 and top 10 best-selling mangas of all time.
The series has gained more recognition because of the anime adaptation produced by Ufotable. The 2019 anime season was widely acclaimed, especially for its realistic manga adaptation and high-quality animation. Following the anime’s popularity, the movie “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” was released, going on to become the highest-grossing movie in Japanese box office history, surpassing popular classic films.
Additionally, Demon Slayer has had a big cultural impact. A wide variety of products, spin-offs, and even theatrical productions have been influenced by it. Numerous awards have been given to the series, including the Japan Cartoonists Association Award and the Kodansha Manga Award. With an enormous worldwide fan following and broad awareness, its influence goes beyond Japan.
Demon Slayer Might Break Even More Record
Compared to One-Piece, which started in 1997 and is still ongoing, the rapid growth and sustained popularity of Demon Slayer in a short amount of time highlight its exceptional impact. The manga is still selling abruptly despite running for only 4 years. Despite having 86 volumes less than Eiichiro Oda’s masterpiece, it still has the upper hand in terms of relative comparison.
While “Naruto” and “One Piece” have achieved an enormous level of popularity on their own, “Demon Slayer” has a different kind of appeal. It has found relevance with a younger demographic that frequently prefers binge-worthy entertainment because of its concise storytelling and capacity to convey emotional depth and character development in a shorter amount of time. The series stands out in the shounen genre due to its visually breathtaking action scenes and capacity to draw in powerful emotional responses from viewers.
Even though “Naruto” and “One Piece” are still cherished pillars, Demon Slayer proves that even a shorter series can achieve tremendous success and continue to hold its own against long-running powerful competitors in an industry where longevity is often associated with success.
You can watch Demon Slayer on Crunchyroll.
