Runaway success of the story of Tanjiro – a boy who shows remarkable resilience in the face of obstacles – comes despite the coronavirus pandemic

Not even a pandemic has been able to stop an animated film set a century ago from becoming Japan’s highest-grossing movie ever, surpassing sales from Hollywood blockbusters, the Harry Potter series, and even the works of the revered Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki.

Since its release in mid-October, Demon Slayer has generated ticket sales of ¥32.47bn [$313m], according to figures released on Monday by its distributors.

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