It was announced that the latest series of the popular anime "Kimetsu no Yaiba", "Swordsmith's Village", will be broadcast from April 2023, and a world tour will be screened from February. I would like to highlight three points of interest in this presentation.
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◇ "Swordsmith Village Edition" to be broadcast next April
The "Kimetsu no Yaiba" series is based on the manga by Koyoharu Gotouge, which was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha) from 2016 to 2020. Tanjiro Kamado, who has become a "demon slayer" to defeat demons that eat people, struggles to restore his sister, who has become a demon.
After the popularity of TV animation and the completion of the original manga, the animated movie "Mugen Train" released in 2020 surpassed 40 billion yen in box office revenue, the highest record (previously Spirited Away's 31.6 billion yen). yen) updated. At that time, the fever was so strong that it was even featured on daytime information programs on TV.
The new work "Swordsmith's Village" is a continuation of the "Yukaku" broadcasted from December 2021 to February 2022. Tanjiro visits the "swordsmith's village" to remake his sword, and a fierce battle with a powerful demon unfolds. In terms of the completed original manga, it would be around the end of the "first half" and the beginning of the "second half."
And this time, the contents announced are as follows.
・"Swordsmith's Village Edition" will be broadcast on Fuji TV from April 2023 (Episode 1 is a 1-hour special)
・The world tour will be screened from February (more than 80 countries/regions). The contents are episodes 10 and 11 of "Yukaku" and episode 1 of "Swordsmith Village".
・From February 4th, it will be screened in 418 theaters (usually 377, IMAX 41). Advance tickets go on sale December 24th. The stage greetings in Tokyo will be held on February 4th and 5th.
・Stage greetings will also be held in Los Angeles, Paris, Berlin, Mexico City, Seoul and Taipei. Released in more than 1,700 theaters nationwide from March.
◇ How to stop and reverse the heat that subsides
The first point is that there is quite a bit of a gap with the public regarding the timing of the April 2024 broadcast. To be precise, I felt that there was a difference in the amount of heat between anime fans who know the circumstances of anime and light people who don't know anime.
One of the selling points of the anime “Kimetsu no Yaiba” is the overwhelming quality of the images. The battle scenes in particular are of a level that surprises even those who don't normally watch anime. But I've been asked this question several times by people who don't usually watch anime.
"Devil's Blade is so popular, why don't you broadcast the continuation soon?"
If you're an anime fan, you'll laugh wryly. Anime fans are well aware that high-quality works take time to produce. From the point of view of the animation industry, I am often impressed that it has managed to broadcast and release in one year.
This is because animation production places high demands on creators, and it is normal for schedules to be tight due to time constraints. Even with late-night anime, the reason why it ends after one course (three months) is broadcast, and the sequel is broadcast three months later, half a year later, is to maintain the quality of the work.
However, it seems that it is the circumstances of the production side, and it is said that it is said that it is "irrelevant" to the fans. In a sense, it is an instinct of human beings to want to see the next one immediately after seeing a wonderful work. On the other hand, there are TV animations that are broadcast every week, and even older animations caught up with the serialization of the original manga, and the original was inserted into the animation. Thinking about it that way can be misleading.
As a result, it seems that there are a certain number of people who think that it is too late to wait a year (for the continuation) and that the intervals are too long, and I have seen similar opinions on the Internet. And it's difficult to "get the facts" for people who aren't anime fans. Of course, if you flip it over, it is proof that "Kimetsu no Yaiba" has taken in people who don't usually watch anime, and it can be said that it is a problem unique to content that has become a social phenomenon.
And the temperature against "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" is as hot as before... and it's tending to calm down.
In the past, when ``Kimetsu no Yaiba'' was broadcast, the top trending topics on Twitter were filled with words related to ``Kimetsu no Yaiba'' and maintained it until after the broadcast. However, in the ``Mugen Train Edition'' broadcast on the 10th, although it became one-two with ``Mr. lost first place. After that, it regained the top spot again, but the number of related terms trending was modest. Also, in response to the announcement of the broadcasting time of "Swordsmith's Village", the articles distributed by each media, but the general media stopped distributing articles. Previously, the general media would have reported it all together...
It is impossible to maintain peak popularity for any popular content. There have been “waves” of popularity, and a lull is to be expected. The point is how to stop the calm down and make it possible to catch up.
◇ What happens to the audience rating if it is broadcast at 19:00 or 21:00?
For that reason, the broadcast time that was not announced this time will be one of the keys to making a comeback.
There is also a choice of 23:15, which is the same as the "Yukaku" edition. However, judging from the results and data, if it had been earlier, there would have been a lot of excitement. It depends on the balance of other programs and contents, but I would like you to try how much viewership you can get with the broadcast at 19:00 or 21:00.
Now that we have online distribution and young people tend to stay away from television, the implications for viewership are fading. However, the high audience rating still cannot be ignored to create a topic. If the results come out, the media will be excited and the articles will be favorably evaluated. In that case, there is a possibility that it will become a tailwind for another big boom.
Again, "Kimetsu no Yaiba" is recognized by a wide range of people, regardless of age or gender, including those who do not watch anime. Therefore, it boasts an overwhelming fan base and has a solid core fan base, so a certain amount of success is guaranteed at this point. That's why I'd like to expect him to aim higher and play a role in enlivening the anime as a whole.
◇ World tour business has great advantages
The final point is the implementation of the world tour. It's a really clever strategy, it's pleasing to fans, and it's an efficient use of content, so it's a big advantage for business. More than 80 countries and regions are a manifestation of the production side's desire to develop a wider market beyond Japan.
In terms of business, manga and games can earn big profits if they become big hits. I am following it very well.
The selection (combination) of the content to be shown on the world tour is also splendid. In addition to the climax that was most appreciated in the "Yukaku arc", it is a pre-release of the "Swordsmith Village arc". There are few elements that will be criticized by fans, and it seems that it will also play a role in creating topics before broadcasting.
Also, the large number of museums is a sign of expectations. Furthermore, it seems that it can be said that the production side is going well to release the first episode of the one-hour special two months ahead of schedule.
What kind of excitement will the “Swordsmith Village Edition” that will be broadcast next year show? Looking at the results and PV so far, there is no doubt that the content is worth waiting for a year, and I want to "focus".