Demon Slayer Tops One Piece (Phrasing) as Biggest Manga of 2020 in Japan
For the first time in twelve years, the One Piece manga was knocked from its top spot by the shonen series Demon Slayer by Koyoharu Gotōge.
According to Kotaku, Oricon released its full-year rankings for the period from December 2, 2019 to November 30, 2020, which shows Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba topping the charts, with the seinen manga series Kingdom coming in second, and One Piece holding on at number three.
The Demon Slayer manga, which debuted in 2016, ended this past May (we love a concise, well-plotted series that ends) and told the story of Tanjiro Kamado, the best boy who becomes a demon slayer after his family is slaughtered and his younger sister, Nezuko, is turned into a demon. He spends the series attempting to transform his sister back into a human, while also protecting humanity from the Big Bad and his demonic forces.
I got into Demon Slayer through the highly acclaimed anime series, which debuted last year (on my birthday). The series drew praise for its impressive fight scene animation, storytelling, and characters. My best friend told me about it, and I finally gave in and spent an entire day binge-watching it and crying over how much I loved all the characters. Demon Slayer has an amazing amount of depth baked into it, and I will always love a series where the male protagonist is emotionally healthy and there are multiple female characters who are competent.
Tanjiro is absolutely one of my favorite shonen protagonists, and I have been avoiding reading the manga only because I want to experience watching the series and being surprised by things when I watch it with friends. Plus, knowing that there is an ending makes me want to drag it out just a little bit longer, since I could probably burn through the manga absurdly fast. Also, if a favorite of mine dies, I don’t want to cry twice, thank you very much.
Currently, the animated film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train, which covers an arc from the manga, has become the highest-grossing Japanese film of 2020, the second highest-grossing film ever in Japan, one of the highest-grossing anime films ever, the highest-grossing animated film of 2020, and the world’s sixth highest-grossing film of 2020. And it only came out in October.
Clearly, it has struck a chord with audiences, and honestly, as one of those people, I’m glad to see it doing so well. I love Tanjiro, Nezuko, and of course, my favorite character, Shinobu Kocho! I can’t wait until I can get my hands on the movie and the next season, which will deliver another fantastic OP and ED, although “Gurenge” will always hold a special place in my heart.
Yay Demon Slayer, you deserve this victory lap.
(via Kotaku, image: Viz)
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