by The popular comic “Kimetsu no Yaiba” based on Koyoharu Gotouge, which caused a big boom in the publishing and movie worlds, has significantly influenced TV stations. The audience rating of “Theatrical Version” Kimetsu no Yaiba “Infinite Train Edition,” which was first aired on “Saturday Premium” (Fuji TV) on September 25, 2021, was 21.4% (Video Research survey, Kanto area / below. I recorded a high number (same as above).
Before the broadcast of the movie “Infinite Train Edition,” Fuji TV broadcasted a special edition of the first phase of the TV anime “Kimetsu no Yaiba,” “Tanjiro Kamado Ritsushi Edition,” for five nights. “Brother and sister bond” 13.3%, “Asakusa edition” 13.4%, “Drum mansion edition” 14.4%, “Nada spider mountain edition” 14.7%, “Hashira meeting / butterfly mansion edition” 15.0%, all with good viewing rates Is left.
In addition, after the TV broadcast of “Mugen Train Hen,” the second season, “Yukou Hen” will start broadcasting on December 5 (Sunday), and from October 10 (Sunday), all seven episodes will be broadcast. It was also announced that the reconstructed TV anime version “Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train Hen” will be broadcast. It seems that the first episode will be the original episode until “Flame Pillar” Purgatory Anjuro gets on the infinite train. The surprise news made a surprised voice on the internet.
Fuji TV showing consideration for fans
In recent years, Japanese commercial animation has adopted the “production committee” method, and many companies have participated. Still, the production of “Kimetsu no Yaiba” is only by Shueisha, Aniplex, and ufotable. is. “Kimetsu no Yaiba” has been animated by a company that has a solid understanding of the goodness of the original.
The first term, “Tanjiro Kamado Ritsushi Hen,” was broadcast on independent TV stations such as TOKYO MX in 2019. Still, the second term, “Yukaku Hen,” will be broadcast on Fuji TV, and Fuji TV will intervene. Some fans were worried that the content would be corrupted. The voice seems to have reached Fuji TV. In the TV broadcast of “Infinite Train Edition” the other day, Fuji TV considered fans, such as not inserting a commercial in the 23-minute fighting scene between Anjuro and “Kimetsu no Yaiba” Akaza. Showed.
The second term, “Yukaku Hen,” is the 8th to 11th volumes in the original comic, and it is not a very long episode. However, the kimonos of the prostitutes who work in the Yukaku are gorgeous and colorful, and it is a difficult task to animate them. I think it’s an interesting idea to put a TV anime version of “Infinite Train Edition” with all seven episodes from October to November to carefully finish the “Yukaku Edition” and not delay the story.
In the TV industry, three months is called one course, and it is essential to contract with sponsors and production companies in units of 1 course. Therefore, many TV dramas and anime works are broadcast in 1 calm (10 to 13 episodes) and two fantastic (20 to 26 episodes). You can see that it was a reasonably flexible response that Fuji TV organized the TV anime version “Infinite Train Edition” with all seven episodes from October to November.
The 1980s and 90s gained popularity for its new variety shows and fashionable trendy dramas featuring young actors and ran alone at the top of the audience rating. In the 2000s, it made a big hit with the movie versions of TV dramas such as “Bayside Shakedown,” “Umizaru Umizaru,” and “HERO,” and has shown its presence. However, business performance has been sluggish since the 2010s. The slump is also due to the large gap between the temperament of Fuji TV employees who were in tune with the times during the bubble era and the current young viewers.
The lives of the main characters of “Kimetsu no Yaiba,” including Sumijiro, are effortless, although there is a setting of the Taisho era. It was imposing that Inosuke, who grew up in the mountains, was impressed with the tempura he ate for the first time. Purgatory Anjuro’s favorite food is sweet potato miso soup. For lunch, grilled sea bream with salt and sweet potatoes are also rice if it’s a side dish. It was funny to see Kyoujuro on the train enthusiastically eating a beef pot lunch, saying, “It’s delicious! It’s delicious!”
Sumijiro, who fights against demons and survives the last minute of living or dying, fosters friendship with Zeni and Inosuke in humble life and learns how to live as a swordfighter from Anjuro. I think that such a straightforward way of life of Sumijiro touched the hearts of generations living in the “lost generation” after the burst of the bubble economy.
A long-standing problem for the anime industry
Suppose the TV anime version “Infinite Train Edition,” which consists of a mini-series of 7 episodes, succeeds. In that case, it will be possible to successfully touch the second phase, “Yukaku Edition,” and create various possibilities. The first mission as a member of Kyoujuro’s “Kimetsu no Yaiba” was depicted in the “Purgatory Zero Volume,” which was distributed at the time of the release of “Theatrical Version” Kimetsu no Yaiba “Infinite Train Edition.” rice field. In “Kimetsu no Yaiba Gaiden,” an episode with Kanroji Matsuri, who was the stepchild of Anjuro, is told. If Kyoujuro’s popularity is proved in the TV anime version broadcast from October to November, animation of spin-off comics may be considered.
Fuji TV has been sluggish because it could not escape from the past image running at the top of the audience rating. Still, in the series of broadcasts of “Kimetsu no Yaiba” so far, the original content was respected, and the fans’ voices also show an attitude of listening. I hope that Fuji TV will take the opportunity of “Kimetsu no Yaiba” to steer new programming and program creation without being bound by the customs of the television industry, which has advocated “audience rating supremacy.”. In the long run, delivering good content to viewers should be the best for both the TV station and the production side.
Fuji TV started broadcasting Japan’s first serial TV animation, “Astro Boy,” in 1963. Mushi Production, who produced “Astro Boy,” seems to have covered the production cost deficit with overseas broadcasting rights and sales of related goods. Still, the production environment of the animators was poor, and wages have been suppressed for a long time. Has been a long-standing challenge. I hope that you will take this opportunity to resolve structural problems in the anime industry.
