A New Dawn of the Samurai –The Insight of Kimeitsu no Yaiba’s Success and Comparing it with the Chinese Anime Industry

Abstract

The Japanese Anime industry has grown wildly during the last few decades and has become one of the dominant forces in the media market in the 21st century. Among all the anime of Japan, one specific anime gained massive success in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic started. The “Demon Slayer” (Kimeitsu no Yaiba) has defeated the well-known Spirited Away by Miyazaki Hayao and won the best-selling manga and movie of all time in Japanese anime-making history in a depression session of the industry. Its influence also went viral worldwide, especially in the younger generation, ages 10 to 20. The story of this anime is a traditional fairy tale of the brave saving the world, but the context of it is more Japanese-styled than others when the main characters are all samurai, and the villain is the “oni” (Japanese term for the monster). This study discovered several factors that contributed to Demon Slayer’s success from two perspectives: one is the usage of vital culturally represented elements, and another one is the shift made by the industry. This paper then discussed the anime industry in China. It used the “Nezha” anime to compare the existing inadequacies in the market and the possible ways to develop Chinese anime in an international market.