Interest

Oricon Poll: Over 90% of Japanese Public is Familiar with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Oricon Monitor Research, which gauges interests in entertainment trends, carried out an internet poll which found that over 90% of respondents were familiar with the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba series. 40.5% said that they were "very familiar" with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, while 57.3% said that they were "familiar with the name," indicating that 97.8% in total were aware of the existence of the series.

Furthermore, of the 1,558 respondents who said that they were "very familiar" with the series, 1,182 respondents said they "liked" or "really liked" the series. The question "What part of the series do you like" allowed for multiple responses; the story was the most popular aspect with 76.4% of votes from fans, followed by 49.3% for the setting, and 45.3% for the relatability of the characters. 31% of fans said that they owned the manga, and 66.1% of those respondents said that they owned every volume.

Multiple respondents commented on how the series helped them treasure and connect with their family. A woman in her thirties said, "I would never have thought that at my age I would have a conversation about anime with my mother, who is in her sixties." A woman in her forties said that Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba was the first time she, her spouse, and their child watched a film together in the cinemas. A man in his sixties that said he was enjoying the series while letting his son explain it to him.

Other respondents remarked on how the growth of their children has become tied with Demon Slayer. Another woman in her thirties commented on how her child, who never liked kanji, was really happy to learn the kanji for "pillar" at school. A man in his thirties remarked that his two-year-old daughter learned to say "Kimetsu no Yaiba," and a man in his forties said that his daughter was starting to show an interest in history because of the series.

The mainstream appeal of the series has also allowed people of different generations to connect even in the workplace and beyond. A woman in her thirties remarked that when going to karaoke with people of different age groups, everyone is able to bond over the theme songs "Gurenge" and "Homura." A woman in her fifties said that she was having more conversations with people in her family and at work, and a man in his sixties says that he loves talking to Demon Slayer fans.

3,848 members of Oricon Monitor Research, ranging from people in their teens to their sixties, responded to the poll from November 18 to 24.

It's nice to see Demon Slayer cross generational gaps, but it can be a bit of a double-edged sword as well. According to a separate survey conducted by Benesse, elementary-aged school children in Japan admire Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba hero Tanjirō even more than their own parents.

Source: Oricon via Livedoor News, Otakomu