Anime has conquered the US market in the last decade, and many series that are not as popular in Japan enjoy massive fan worship among Western audiences. But it’s not One Piece or Dragon Ball that is currently ruling the Western world; it’s Demon Slayer.
Tanjiro’s tale began with the greatest tragedy one can imagine, but he continuously strived to save his one last family member. Along his journey, he discovered dedicated people who also have similar goals. In short, Demon Slayer is everything that a Shonen anime needs to be, and the results are in the numbers.
Demon Slayer Distorts the US-Japan Anime Viewership Graph
This might be surprising to most, but the US is home to more anime watchers than Japan, largely owing to its massive size and population. The rate of viewership is also massive in Japan, but from a financial perspective, overseas sales have generated a lot of revenue for anime studios.
Thus, an examination of the viewership of anime was conducted between Japan, the home of anime, and the United States, the biggest market for anime outside Japan. However, that is an extremely difficult task due to the viewership differences between Japan and the US.
In Japan, only a handful of anime are locked to streaming platforms like Disney+ and Netflix. A majority of new airing anime are available for terrestrial television. Platforms like Abema T host these anime, and they provide TV ratings of different anime.
The USA, on the other hand, has streaming platforms as well as bootleg websites that still play a huge role in bringing anime to otakus. A comparison between the viewership metrics of these bootleg websites, official streaming platforms in the US, and the TV ratings of anime in Japan produced a graph that shows the popularity of anime in both territories.
In the above graph, you will notice that while Demon Slayer is an average performer in the Japanese market, it far exceeds expectations in the US market. Its US popularity is so vast that it stands out like a sore thumb in the graph.
Exploring Demon Slayer‘s Wild Popularity in the US
Now, let’s explore why Demon Slayer is so popular among the Western audience. How did the series manage to conquer the hearts of people who aren’t anime fans? Because one thing is for sure: Demon Slayer acted as a bridge to the anime world for a lot of Western audience members.
Demon Slayer has a compelling story with beautifully fleshed-out characters. It starts with a dosage of tragedy that helps the viewers bond with the protagonist and resonate with his values of protecting his family. Tanjiro needs to find a way to make his sister normal again, which becomes his motive to begin his journey.
The anime also has beautiful animation, and all the breathing styles of the characters are shown in explicit detail. Demon Slayer battles alone can generate enough revenue for studios. The fluidity of the animation has attracted a large number of people to the series.
Demon Slayer has complex themes, but they are served in a digestible manner. Deeper themes of family, sacrifice, and moral complexities of the human-demon enmity are well-crafted in the franchise. Of course, a suitable blend of the traditional Japanese folklore elements with modern sensibilities also helped the case.
Last but not least, Demon Slayer saw a strategic release and distribution in the Western market. Widespread marketing campaigns played a crucial role in bringing it to a broader audience.
You can read Demon Slayer on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
