7 Years Ago Today, Anime Fans Never Guessed Demon Slayer Would Be a Monster Hit

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It’s been seven years since the anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba first aired, and it quickly became a huge phenomenon – something few people predicted at the time. While the original manga by Koyoharu Gotoge was doing well in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, it wasn’t a massive hit initially. The series had a dedicated fanbase, but it remained overshadowed by more popular titles like My Hero Academia even as it neared its conclusion.

Things changed a lot in the following years, especially after the first episode of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba aired on April 6, 2019. While the anime gradually gained fans, it took time for it to become truly popular. As the 2020s began, Demon Slayer exploded in popularity in a way that hasn’t been matched since. It became the first anime to go massively viral in the new decade, and its success was a complete surprise to everyone.

Demon Slayer Wasn’t a Hit When It Premiered 7 Years Ago Today

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba follows Tanjiro Kamado, a boy whose life is shattered when his family is attacked by a demon, leaving only his sister, who is turned into one herself. This tragedy sets him on a quest to find a cure for her and to fight against the demons that plague the world. Although the series has become incredibly popular with multiple seasons and blockbuster movies, it took a while for the anime to initially gain recognition from fans.

When Demon Slayer first aired in Spring 2019, it had a few things going for it that appealed to anime fans. It was based on a popular manga from Shonen Jump, and it was animated by Ufotable, the studio known for the amazing Fate/stay night series. Despite these positives, the first part of the series didn’t initially gain much attention. While it had a loyal following, it hadn’t yet become a breakout hit among all the other anime released that season.

For a while, it looked like the series would follow a typical path, but Episode 19 completely changed things. This episode concluded Tanjiro’s battle with Rui and featured his first use of the Hinokami Kagura. The scene was incredibly powerful and quickly became a viral sensation online. It not only captivated existing anime fans, but also drew in a new audience beyond the usual anime community, launching Demon Slayer into the broader internet spotlight like never before.

Demon Slayer Changed the Anime World Forever

Thanks to its viral popularity, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba quickly became the defining anime of the 2020s. This surge in fans happened at the perfect time, as the world soon went into lockdown. The series capitalized on this momentum with its first feature film, Mugen Train, which continued the story and propelled Demon Slayer to become one of the highest-grossing films in Japanese box office history.

Following the huge popularity of its 19th episode, Demon Slayer expanded with new movies and seasons, consistently breaking records. The anime attracted many new fans to the medium – especially during the pandemic when people had more time to discover anime – and also brought lapsed fans back into the fold. Its success brought anime into the mainstream in a way it hadn’t been since the early 2000s.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has become a defining anime for a generation and continues to be incredibly popular. It’s amazing to think that just seven years ago, no one could have predicted its massive success. Now, it’s a guaranteed hit, and it’s clear that Demon Slayer will be one of the biggest anime releases of the 2020s.

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2026-04-07 01:12