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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga Franchise Will Have 80 Million Copies in Circulation

Koyoharu Gotouge's Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba franchise will have more than 80 million copies in circulation on July 3. That number includes digital copies and the 3-million-copy first printing of the upcoming 21st manga volume, which will ship on that day next week.

The franchise had about 3.5 million copies in circulation as of April 2019, when the manga's television anime debuted, and more than 12 million copies in circulation as of the publication of the manga's 17th volume last October. The manga's 18th volume debuted with a record first printing of 1 million copies last December, increasing the franchise's total circulation to more than 25 million copies. By the 19th volume in February, that number had increased to 40 million, and then to more than 60 million copies by the 20th volume on May 13. Shueisha revealed last November that the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba manga is the company's second highest-selling manga in 2019, second only to Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga.

The manga ended on May 18. Ryōji Hirano will launch a short spinoff manga titled Kimetsu no Yaiba: Rengoku Gaiden centering on the Flame Hashira character Kyōjurō Rengoku. Shueisha has not yet announced a premiere date for the spinoff.

The manga inspired a 26-episode television anime that premiered in April 2019. Aniplex of America has licensed the series and is streaming the show on Hulu, Crunchyroll, and FunimationNow. Adult Swim's Toonami programming block premiered the television anime last October. The anime will receive a sequel anime film that will open in Japan on October 16.

The manga has also inspired a stage play and upcoming smartphone and PlayStation 4 games. An upcoming third novel will ship in July.

Source: Comic Natalie