Demon Slayer: How The Series Changed The Anime Industry

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Summary

  • Demon Slayer‘s anime adaptation set a new standard in the industry with its exceptional animation quality and fight scenes.
  • The series has impacted the anime community by raising expectations for action anime, leading to pressure on other studios.
  • While the show brought an influx of new fans to the anime medium, it also sparked controversies regarding industry working conditions.

Ever since its debut in 2019, “Demon Slayer” has swept through the world of anime like a tempest, shattering audience records unheard-of in this medium and boasting one of the highest-grossing anime films ever made. The original manga by Koyoharu Gotouge had enjoyed substantial success, but with studio Ufotable adapting it into an anime, “Demon Slayer” has risen to become one of the top-selling mangas from Shōnen Jump.

The influential impact of “Demon Slayer” on the anime world is undeniable, with a significant positive resonance within the industry and audience. However, there’s also an often-overlooked negative ripple effect that has spread across numerous well-known anime productions. Here’s a look at the far-reaching influence of “Demon Slayer” on the anime community and broader industry. Many action anime series following it have been attempting to replicate its success by stepping into its footsteps.

Demon Slayer’s Monumental Anime Adaptation

Studio Ufotable’s Most Well-Known Hit

As a passionate anime enthusiast, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the extraordinary talents of Studio Ufotable long before Demon Slayer took the world by storm. This esteemed studio has graced us with captivating adaptations such as the iconic Fate Stay Night and Fate Zero series, as well as the mesmerizing The Garden of Sinners movies.

The studio’s success can largely be attributed to their exceptional work within the vast universe known as Nasuverse. Fate Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works, in particular, garnered immense acclaim for its compelling narrative and jaw-dropping animation. With their remarkable adaptations from Nasuverse, Studio Ufotable has undeniably secured a place among the elite animators in the industry.

In the Fate series, the battle sequences are exceptionally explosive and grandiose, a level of intensity rarely found in anime. Characters like Saber, Lancer, Archer, and many others who are servants in the Holy Grail War possess extraordinary abilities that make for thrilling, awe-inspiring fights. These scenes are masterfully animated by Studio Ufotable, which had already gained recognition among Fate series fans prior to the release of Demon Slayer. In fact, within the Fate community, it’s often debated that while Demon Slayer’s animation is exceptional, the fight scenes in the Fate series represent Ufotable’s greatest accomplishment yet.

In a remarkable turn of events, it wasn’t until episode 19 that the Demon Slayer anime truly soared to stardom, captivating both casual viewers and hardcore anime enthusiasts alike. The heart-stopping and emotional showdown between Tanjiro, Nezuko, and the spider demon Rui served as the catalyst, a pivotal moment that propelled the series into the limelight. This episode sparked an avalanche of excitement on social media platforms and within the anime community at large. The widespread sharing of reactions on YouTube further fueled the growing buzz, fostering a sense of camaraderie among viewers as they collectively marveled at this extraordinary spectacle.

Following the conclusion of season one, the Demon Slayer series made its cinema debut with the “Infinity Train” movie, which adapted a brief arc from the manga where a Demon Slayer Pillar faced off against an Upper Demon Moon for the first time in battle. This film garnered unprecedented box office success and positive critiques, as it showcased animation and combat sequences that set new standards within the anime industry. The fight between Rengoku and Akaza has since become one of the most iconic and cherished fight scenes in recent times. Since then, the broader anime community and market have experienced a significant influence from Demon Slayer due to its exceptional animation quality. However, it’s worth noting that not everyone views its impact as entirely positive.

Demon Slayer’s Impact on the Industry

A New Standard

Following the successful launch and acclaim of Demon Slayer’s first season and Infinity Train movie, the animation quality in these series has become a benchmark for Shōnen or action anime. As a result, fans now anticipate that future action anime will meet the same high-quality standard as Demon Slayer. This expectation has extended to other anime studios and the entire anime industry. The phrase often used about Demon Slayer is that it represents “The Future of Anime,” emphasizing that this level of animation and adaptation should serve as a model for the industry moving forward.

In the second season, Demon Slayer raised the bar significantly, surpassing its earlier performances in the anime world. The finale of the Red District arc astonished fans beyond their wildest expectations, outdoing even the grandiose fight scenes that the series had previously displayed. Now, Demon Slayer has set a new benchmark for Shōnen anime, which many other series are being compared to and sometimes criticized for falling short, especially when it comes to animation quality. This comparison may have had more of a detrimental effect than a positive one, as several shows have faced online criticism due to perceived lower-quality animation in contrast to Demon Slayer. Notably, Studio Mappa and the animation team behind Jujutsu Kaisen have also been part of this broader narrative.

Viewers no longer find exceptional animation alone satisfying for outstanding series; they constantly seek the same high-quality standard set by Demon Slayer. However, it’s unreasonable to expect such a level from every series, as Ufotable, a studio renowned for its excellence, has been embroiled in a tax evasion scandal. This might be due to their extensive use of resources for Demon Slayer that most anime studios can’t match. The third and fourth seasons of Demon Slayer have received mixed reviews, with fans commenting that the animation is still impressive, but it doesn’t meet the quality they’ve come to expect from the series. Some believe this dip in quality could be due to Ufotable facing penalties because of their tax evasion scandal.

Shows akin to “Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War” are under pressure due to audience expectations. Though the series maintains a high caliber of animation, it falls short compared to heavyweights like Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen. Conversely, this increased expectation has its downside for the anime industry, as numerous studios find themselves pushing their workers excessively to meet these heightened standards that fans now demand. Studio Mappa serves as a prime example of this issue, with the poor working conditions of their animators being a matter of public concern for years. The harrowing tales shared by animators, particularly during Jujutsu Kaisen’s production, have faced significant fan outrage. This is because Studio Mappa is keenly aware of the quality standard fans now seek in action anime and is willing to compromise the well-being of its animators to achieve it.

To put it another way, the immense popularity of Demon Slayer has significantly boosted the anime industry. Much like how the Big Three did in the 2000s, Demon Slayer drew countless new viewers to anime. Today, anime is more mainstream than ever, standing alongside live-action TV and movies, even gaming, as a widely accepted medium. Both Demon Slayer and Attack on Titan played significant roles in this shift, with Demon Slayer captivating audiences with its stunning visuals, while Attack on Titan drew fans with its compelling storytelling. The impact of these series on the anime industry has been enormous, making it bigger than ever before.

Year after year, an increasing number of high-quality anime series are being produced, largely due to anime becoming a mainstream phenomenon. This surge in popularity has led to the anime industry generating significantly more revenue than previously. Consequently, studios have been able to produce larger quantities and better quality series. The rise in demand has resulted in increased output and quality, as demonstrated by Demon Slayer. Although fans often anticipate action anime to maintain a certain level of excitement, it has also facilitated the medium’s expansion beyond what was previously thought possible.

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2025-02-14 20:04