The 49th Japan Academy Prize awards ceremony, a celebration of Japanese cinema, was held in Tokyo on March 13th, and " Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1 - Akaza's Return" (directed by Haruo Sotozaki), the theatrical film adaptation of the popular manga " Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba " by Koyoharu Gotouge Gotouge, was selected as the Best Animation Film. "Demon Slayer: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie : Mugen Train," which was released in October 2020 and recorded the highest box office revenue in Japanese history at approximately 40.7 billion yen, also won the same award at the 44th Japan Academy Prize, making this the second time the film has received this honor.
Director Tonosaki expressed his delight at receiving the award, saying, "Thank you very much. I am truly happy," and thanked the staff and related personnel at ufotable, who worked on the anime, as well as the fans. He said that the "Infinity Castle Arc" is a trilogy, and added, "There are still the second and third chapters to come, but all of us on the staff will work hard together with Tanjiro, burning with passion, to defeat Muzan Kibutsuji. Thank you very much."
Cinematographer and finishing director Yuichi Terao also took the stage. He explained, "My job is to give light and atmosphere to the drawings so that the passion of the film ' Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba' can be delivered to the audience who will be watching it." He continued, "I have worked under Kondo (Hikaru Kondo) for about 20 years (since joining ufotable), and I have also met Director Sotozaki, and many colleagues have gathered at the studio. In terms of credits, we were able to create this with more than 900 staff and colleagues, and the studio is a large organization with more than 300 people. However, I don't think it's about the numbers. I think that what makes ufotable's workplace special is the accumulation of passion, will, and feelings that have been shared over a long period of time. I would be truly happy if, as we receive this award and so many people watch the film, they can feel a part of that atmosphere."
The "Infinity Castle Arc" is a trilogy, and "Chapter 1: Akaza's Return" was released on July 18, 2025, in 452 theaters, a larger scale than "Mugen Train." In the first three days of its release, it recorded box office revenue of approximately 5.52 billion yen and attracted approximately 3.84 million viewers, marking a major hit start that surpassed "Mugen Train." Box office revenue exceeded 10 billion yen in the first eight days, 20 billion yen in the first 23 days, and 30 billion yen in the first 46 days. As of March 3, it had attracted 27.15 million viewers and earned 39.7 billion yen. It has been announced that the film will end its nationwide theatrical release this spring, with the exception of some theaters.
"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Kimetsu no Yaiba" tells the story of Tanjiro Kamado, whose family is killed by demons, and who joins the Demon Slaying Corps in order to turn his sister Nezuko, who has been transformed into a demon, back into a human. The original manga was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha) from 2016 to 2020. The comics have sold over 220 million copies worldwide.
The TV anime "Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc" aired from April to September 2019, and the theatrical film "Mugen Train" was released in October 2020. "Entertainment District Arc" aired from December 2021 to February 2022, "Swordsmith Village Arc" from April to June 2023, and "Hashira Training Arc" from May to June 2024.
◇The winners of the Excellent Animation Film Award are as follows:
"Demon Slayer: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie - Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza's Return" (directed by Haruo Sotozaki) ▽ "Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc" (directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara) ▽ "100 Meters" (directed by Kenji Iwaizawa) ▽ "Peleliu: Guernica of Paradise" (directed by Goro Kuji) ▽ "Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback: Flashback" (directed by Katsuya Shigehara)
