by Los Angeles–based filmmaker and film journalist Miki Konishi, a member of the Golden Globe Awards, recently reflected on a question she is often asked during awards season:
Has Japanese anime finally conquered America?
The question isn’t surprising. In recent years, several Japanese animated films have delivered impressive results at the North American box office. Headlines in Japan have celebrated these achievements as symbolic victories in Hollywood. But do the numbers truly signal domination—or something more nuanced?
Let’s take a closer look at what’s really happening in the U.S. movie industry.
Record-Breaking Openings: A New Milestone for Anime
In September, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza Returns grossed $70.6 million (approximately ¥10.9 billion) during its North American opening weekend.
That figure marked:
- The highest opening weekend ever for an anime film in North America
- A record that surpassed the long-standing benchmark set by
Pokémon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back
Shortly afterward, Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc also debuted at No. 1 in North America. Social media was flooded with images of young fans attending screenings in cosplay, turning premieres into full-scale celebrations.
On the surface, these figures suggest a dramatic breakthrough. But box office numbers rarely tell a simple story.
The Bigger Picture: A Changing U.S. Theater Industry
To understand anime’s rise, we must examine structural shifts in the American film market.
Pre-Pandemic Peak (2019)
- Total North American box office: $11.4 billion
- Tickets sold: 1.24 billion
At that time:
- Romantic comedies
- Legal thrillers
- Mid-budget dramas
…still regularly filled theaters. Moviegoing was habitual and broad-based.
Post-Pandemic Reality (2025)
- Total box office: $8.9 billion
- Tickets sold: 780 million
That’s roughly a 40% decline in attendance compared to pre-COVID levels.
The primary cause?
Streaming platforms.
Before COVID-19, films typically had a 90-day theatrical window before streaming release. Today, that window averages around 32 days.
When audiences know they can watch a movie at home within a month, the motivation to visit theaters decreases—unless the film feels like an event.
Theaters Are Now “Event Venues”
American movie theaters are no longer simply places to watch films. They have evolved into event spaces.
To succeed theatrically today, a movie must:
- Create urgency during opening week
- Generate online buzz
- Encourage communal viewing
- Feel “must-see-now”
Japanese anime fits this model perfectly.
Fans of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza Returns and Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc:
- Organize on social media
- Wear cosplay to screenings
- Purchase merchandise
- Attend premieres as shared celebrations
For them, going to the theater is not passive consumption—it is participation.
Gen Z: The Driving Force Behind Anime’s Box Office Strength
Recent data shows that movie attendance among Gen Z audiences in North America has increased by roughly 25% year-on-year.
Anime is a key contributor to this growth.
Why?
- Gen Z discovered anime primarily through streaming platforms.
- They engage heavily in online fan communities.
- They treat theatrical releases as communal milestones.
Theatrical anime releases function similarly to concerts or fan conventions—time-sensitive cultural gatherings
A Reality Check: Not All Anime Succeeds
However, the idea that “all Japanese anime now dominates America” is misleading.
Take The First Slam Dunk as a counterexample.
In Japan:
- Box office gross exceeded ¥15.7 billion
- It became a cultural phenomenon
In North America:
- It earned approximately $1.05 million
That’s a dramatic contrast.
Why?
Because box office success in the U.S. depends less on overall quality and more on the existence of an active, mobilized fan community.
Without a large fandom willing to show up opening weekend, even a critically acclaimed film may struggle.
Is This a “Japanese Victory”?
Rather than viewing anime’s box office wins as national triumphs, it may be more accurate to see them as:
- The intersection of dedicated fandom
- Streaming-era audience behavior
- Structural changes in U.S. theaters
- Strong global IP recognition
Anime didn’t necessarily “conquer” America.
Instead, anime adapted seamlessly to a new theatrical environment that favors:
- Franchise loyalty
- Pre-existing fan bases
- Online community engagement
A Personal Reflection: From Niche to Mainstream
For longtime observers of Hollywood, the shift is remarkable.
In the 1990s, Japanese anime in Los Angeles was niche—often confined to specialty stores and private fan circles.
Today:
- Cosplayers line up outside multiplexes.
- Screenings sell out nationwide.
- Anime films top U.S. weekend box office charts.
Regardless of market dynamics, the cultural visibility alone is powerful.
What Comes Next?
The sustainability of this momentum remains uncertain.
Key questions include:
- Will streaming fatigue push more audiences back to theaters?
- Can new anime IP replicate the event-driven model?
- Will Hollywood adopt similar community-based marketing strategies?
What is clear is this:
Anime’s North American success reflects not just popularity, but a transformation in how younger audiences experience cinema.
Final Thoughts
Japanese anime has not simply “won” in America—it has thrived within a reinvented theatrical ecosystem.
Theaters are now experiential spaces.
Audiences seek community.
Opening weekends are cultural events.
Anime, with its passionate global fandom and social-media momentum, is uniquely suited to this moment.
Whether this represents a permanent shift or a peak in the cycle remains to be seen. But for now, the sight of packed theaters filled with cosplaying fans is more than a statistic—it’s a cultural milestone.
