Aniplex and Sony Entertainment have major plans to keepDemon Slayerrelevant for the next 100 years, but there’s a huge problem with this plan that can’t be ignored. Written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge, the manga began serialization in the Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine in 2016 and reached its conclusion four years later. While the manga was already decently popular, the anime adaptation by Ufotable helped it reach new heights of popularity. The striking visuals, soundtrack, and overall adaptation by Ufotable are among the best in the industry, which is why the series continues to rise in popularity.
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The first installment of the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle trilogy made history after crossing the 100 billion yen milestone worldwide, becoming the first Japanese film ever to do so. The franchise will adapt the rest of the Infinity Castle Arc in two more movies, although there hasn’t been any confirmation regarding the adaptation of the Sunrise Countdown Arc. While fans await updates on the second part of the movie, Atsuhiro Iwakami, president of Sony Music Entertainment Japan and chairman of Aniplex, Sony’s anime production company, shares his plans for the future of Demon Slayer.
Aniplex Plans to Make Demon SlayerLast for the Next 100 Years
According to Bloomberg via The Japan Times, Iwakami shared, “With Demon Slayer, it is our intent to make this last 10 or 20, if not 50 to 100 years.” He also adds, “We want to make sure we’re part of creating the type of franchise that can withstand decades.” Iwakami specifically mentions Dragon Ball and One Piece, stories that have survived for decades, long enough for parents and their children to be fans of. Sony has the streaming rights to both of these legendary anime, which is all the more reason why they have similar plans for Demon Slayer.
Long-running franchises such as Dragon Ball and One Pieceare often carried by nostalgia and new releases, as they raised entire generations of Shonen fans. These stories are timeless classics, and it’s almost a given that fans will always have a soft spot for them. On the other hand, Demon Slayer is way too new compared to them, but it’s still one of the most popular Shonen of all time.
Last recorded in July 2025, Demon Slayer has sold over 220 million copies of manga, ranking seventh among the best-selling manga series of all time. The popularity only keeps rising, and it wouldn’t be surprising if it surpassed Naruto (250 million copies) and Dragon Ball (260 million copies). However, there’s one major drawback withDemon Slayercompared to Shonen classics.
Demon Slayer is a Shorter Story Compared to Dragon Balland One Piece
The main reason why these two Shonen classics maintained their global fan base through several decades is that they are rather long-running stories. One Piece is still ongoing, and the anime is more popular than ever thanks to its stunning visuals in recent years. Not to mention that the series has released several non-canon movies over the years, and it also announced its first-ever canon movie, God Valley, this year. The story is in its Final Saga, and it will take at least a few years for it to reach a conclusion. Even after the finale, the expansive world-building and dozens of fan-favorite characters ensure that the series will always keep releasing new content.
The fact that One Piece already has several official spin-offs, written by different authors, is a testament to its lasting legacy. The same can be said about Dragon Ball, which has released manga sequels, several anime series, spin-offs, and movies over the past forty years. Even now, fans are anticipating the anime’s return with the Galactic Patrol Saga and the manga’s return with Toyotaro taking over the helm.
Compared to them, Demon Slayeris a much shorter story with rarely any spin-offs or non-canon stories. The world-building isn’t impressive, and the manga’s ending made sure that there isn’t any room for the story to expand. Not to mention it’s been more than six years since the finale, but Gotouge has no plans for returning with a new spin-off or even another story. With this in mind, it will be difficult for Sony to keep the series relevant for decades if all they have is around 200 chapters of the manga.
Do you wish Demon Slayer had a longer story to explore its world? What would you like to see covered in the next few decades after the anime is concluded? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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