Popular anime and manga Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is currently enjoying a wave of success as the film Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train continues to break records at the box office. The hit movie topped the global box office during the October 16th-18th weekend, and has now become the fifth highest earning film of all time in Japan, topping the Harry Potter series, and the third highest earning animated film having just beaten out Howl's Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke.

Source: PR Times

Your Name (#4), Frozen (#3), Titanic (#2), and Spirited Away (#1) are the remaining movies that stand in front of it on the all-time box office rankings in Japan, as Mantan Web reports. While attaining the number one position is a tall order, the film could feasibly claim it if it keeps up its torrid pace.

Some anime fans have wondered how Studio Ghibli icon and legendary animation director Hayao Miyazaki might respond to the possibility of what many consider his masterpiece being supplanted as the number one grossing film of all time in Japan. Those fans now have an answer, as Miyazaki was asked directly about his thoughts by Japanese news site Flash.

In the interview (which took place as Miyazaki was leaving his house to pick up trash in his neighborhood--a common practice of his as a staunch environmentalist), the celebrated director was asked how he felt about the situation:

On how he feels about Demon Slayer closing in on Spirited Away: "I don't think that has anything to do with me. As long as the workplace they make is peaceful, and they're doing their best--that's all that matters.

On if he's watched Demon Slayer: "I haven't seen it. I rarely watch, I watch other things. I don't watch TV or movies. I'm a retired old man who picks up trash."

On how he feels about fans lamenting Spirited Away losing it's spot: "I don't care about that. The industry will be inflated these days. Anyway, I need to pick up trash..."

Miyazaki is sometimes branded as a bit of curmudgeon, but if you look at his dry sense of humor--such as sending a samurai sword to "threaten" Harvey Weinstein and his demeanor visiting his own café at the Studio Ghibli museum, you might need to read between the lines to arrive at his actual meaning--which of course, is part of his charm.

Or maybe he just really wants to clean up trash!


By - grape Japan editorial staff.