Release D-1 ‘Demon Slayer: Mugen Train’ Surpasses 800,000 Pre-Orders in Korean Theaters

With just one day before its release in Korea, the animated film ‘Demon Slayer: Mugen Train’ has surpassed 800,000 pre-orders, signaling a positive outlook for its box office performance. Despite the surrounding ‘right-wing controversy’, high pre-demand has been confirmed, drawing attention to the box office trends on the release day.

Korean Film Council Statistics: 800,50748 Tickets Sold, 81.2% Pre-Booking Rate

According to the integrated ticketing system (Korean Film Council) on the 21st, as of 2 PM on the day before its release, ‘Demon Slayer: Mugen Train’ recorded 800,50748 tickets sold and a pre-booking rate of 81.2%. At the same time, it significantly outperformed ‘Zombie Daughter’ (pre-booking rate 3.2%, 31,372 tickets) and ‘F1 The Movie’ (3.0%, 29,381 tickets), showing one of the highest pre-release indicators among this year’s films.

Chapter 1 of the Final Battle Starting in Mugen

This film continues the story from last year’s TV anime ‘Demon Slayer: Mugen Train’, depicting the first chapter of the final battle between the Demon Slayer Corps and the elite demons in the demon stronghold of Mugen. The original work is a manga by Koyoharu Gotouge, which has sold a cumulative total of 150 million copies and has formed a global fandom since the series began with the 2019 TV anime ‘Kimetsu no Yaiba: Kamado Tanjirou no Sato-hen’.

Domestic Box Office History and Controversial Variables

In Korea, the series has gained significant popularity, including the film ‘Mugen Train’, but there have been repeated ‘right-wing controversies’ due to the historical background being set during the Taisho era of Japanese imperialism and the protagonist Tanjirou’s earrings resembling the Rising Sun Flag. This work also presents a situation where high pre-booking indicators coexist with controversial issues, raising interest in the correlation between audience reactions and box office trends after its release.

Based on the pre-booking indicators, an initial box office lead is expected, but how the narrative development, direction, and social discussions intertwine will likely determine its future performance.