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Here to slay: Box-office sensation “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie — Mugen Train" is based on a manga series that was so popular, it inspired a minor crime spree this year.

‘Demon Slayer’ destroyed box-office records despite the pandemic, but why?

by Matt Schley

It was the box-office weekend that rocked the world. "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie — Mugen Train" opened in Japan on Friday, Oct. 16. By the following Monday, it had pulled in around ¥4.6 billion (almost ¥$44 million), the best opening in Japanese box-office history. As the...

People take pictures of posters for an animated film "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Infinite Train” in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward on Friday, the day the movie was released.

Millions of movie-goers defy pandemic for record opening of ‘Demon Slayer’

by Gearoid Reidy

Cinemas across the U.S. and Europe may be shutting up shop due to the pandemic, but Japan’s box office has just had a record hit. More than 3.4 million people — or almost 3% of Japan’s entire population — put the risk of virus infection aside to turn up for the opening weekend of "Demon Slayer...

Chills and thrills: The J-horror genre is full of vengeful female ghosts who are hell-bent on terrorizing their victims.

10 days of J-horror: Films to get your fill of screams and scares

by Mark Schilling

J-horror has long been among the most popular Japanese film genres to grab attention overseas, going back to the 1998 breakout hit “The Ring” (“Ringu”). Sadako, the long-haired female ghost haunting this Hideo Nakata shocker, has become as familiar to many around the world as that other Japanese ...

Final chapter: A cyclist in Tokyo rides by a poster for “Violet Evergarden: The Movie,” a film from Kyoto Animation that delivers a satisfying ending to the titular anime series.

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‘Violet Evergarden: The Movie’: A small miracle in the making

by Matt Schley

“Violet Evergarden: The Movie” is a film about survival and healing, made by people who know much about both. The film’s very existence is a small miracle. It was in production at Kyoto Animation when the studio was attacked by an arsonist on July 18, 2019. The film was delayed, but not cancel...