Streaming and covid-19 have entrenched anime’s global popularity

AT FIRST CRITICSTV doubted that “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train”, which hit American cinemas in April, could replicate the success it achieved in its Japanese home market. The animated feature is set in early-20th-century Japan, an unrelatable era for non-Japanese viewers. Defying the odds, the film raked in $19.5m during its opening weekend, breaking America’s box-office record for a foreign-language debut.For most of its history “anime” was little-known outside Japan. “Astro Boy”, a series from 1963 that sparked the first anime boom, and subsequent hits like “Doraemon” and “Gundam”, were watched mostly by (geeks). Nerdy connotations limited their appeal at home. Titles that made it to the West from the 1970s also catered to niche audiences.