The movie Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is now the most successful Japanese film ever made, but it’s likely the next movie in the Infinity Castle Arc series will take that title. Demon Slayer has been incredibly popular since 2020, and all signs suggest it will remain a huge hit for the foreseeable future.
Even though Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle has earned around $800 million at the box office, it was made with a relatively small budget of about $20 million, according to The New York Times. The studio, Ufotable, is skilled at creating visually impressive animation without spending a fortune. This makes us wonder about other anime movies that cost more to produce but don’t achieve the same level of quality – or even look as good.
5. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
| Year | 2022 |
| Budget (USD) | $36,000,000 |
While Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is enjoyable, it doesn’t have the same visually stunning 2D animation as the previous film, Dragon Ball Super: Broly. Costing around $36 million to produce, it was significantly more expensive than Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, though it still earned a respectable $100 million – just not as much as Infinity Castle did.
The story is gentle, and while the 3D animation is well-made, it gives the movie the feel of an extended cutscene from a Dragon Ball game like FighterZ or Xenoverse. It was more expensive to produce but less impactful than Demon Slayer.
4. Steamboy
| Year | 2004 |
| Budget (USD) | $26,000,000 |
I remember when Steamboy came out – it was a huge deal because it cost around $26 million to make, which was a massive budget for an animated film, especially a Japanese one, back in 2004. Most of that money went directly into actually making the movie. It was directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, the creator of Akira, which made it highly anticipated, but even that couldn’t save it financially. It only earned around $18 million at the box office, meaning it wasn’t a profitable venture.
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The animation is remarkably well-done, especially considering when it was made, featuring over 180,000 individually drawn frames. While it does include some computer-generated imagery, the CGI technology of that era looks quite dated by today’s standards. The story is decent, but it doesn’t quite measure up to Infinity Castle, which likely cost less to produce, even without adjusting for inflation.
3. Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light
| Year | 2004 |
| Budget (USD) | $20,000,000 |
The 2004 film Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light reportedly cost $20 million to make, which is about the same as the current estimated budget for Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle when adjusted for inflation. That $20 million would be around $36 million today – nearly as much as Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero cost. Many fans consider it a major misstep for the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, although it did at least earn back its production costs. The movie was a collaboration between 4Kids Entertainment and TV Tokyo, but 4Kids took the biggest financial risk.
It’s surprising this movie had such a big budget, considering the animation looks low-quality and the story feels designed for people completely new to the series. It plays out more like a long TV episode than a feature film, and while it’s not the worst Yu-Gi-Oh! movie ever made, it’s disappointingly bland for its price tag.
2. Pokémon: The Movie 2000
| Year | 1999 |
| Budget (USD) | $30,000,000 (includes licensing) |
Even back in 1999, Pokémon: The Movie 2000 cost more to make and distribute than Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, considering all of Warner Bros.’ investment. Despite this, it didn’t earn nearly as much at the box office, even when adjusted for inflation, especially given its simple storyline. The animation is generally good, though the CGI scenes don’t quite measure up.
After all these years, Pokémon 2 is mostly remembered for nostalgic reasons, as it often feels overshadowed by the original movie and Pokémon 3. While it has a few stand-out moments – like Ash experiencing his first kiss and the surprising turn of events where Team Rocket actually saves the day – those are really the only things that make it memorable.
1. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time
| Year | 2021 |
| Budget (USD) | $29,700,000 |
Many consider Neon Genesis Evangelion to be one of the greatest anime series ever made, and that’s widely accepted. However, the Rebuild films significantly change the story. While some fans enjoy this new direction – especially because it provides a definite ending – others aren’t as thrilled, which is understandable. One thing everyone agrees on is that the films are visually impressive.
After so many years, the final installment really should have been more impressive. It felt a little too fast and simple – like they were trying to force a happy ending. Infinity Castle felt true to the spirit of Demon Slayer, but Thrice Upon a Time didn’t quite feel right for Evangelion, though Hideaki Anno might see things differently.
You can now watch Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle on Crunchyroll with subtitles and dubbing in English and various other languages.
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2026-05-05 15:35