Africa has just witnessed a cinematic milestone: the biggest anime box office opening in the continent’s history. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle Part 1 stormed into Nigerian cinemas this September and pulled in an unprecedented ₦82.4 million over its first weekend, outpacing every rival film on release and rewriting expectations of what anime can achieve in African markets.
The feat is remarkable not only for the numbers but for what they signal. For decades, anime in Africa has thrived mostly in small communities—dedicated fans trading DVDs, streaming online, or hosting niche conventions. Rarely has the genre crossed into mainstream cinema with this level of force. But Infinity Castle changed that, leapfrogging Hollywood’s The Conjuring: Last Rites and several high-profile Nollywood releases to claim the top spot.
Distributors and cinema owners are taking note. The strong turnout points to a younger, globally connected audience that is eager for more than the familiar mix of action blockbusters and local dramas. In Lagos, Ibadan, and Abuja, packed screenings spilt into late-night shows, while on social media, fans celebrated the moment as a breakthrough for anime visibility in Africa.
The achievement also places Nigeria at the centre of the continent’s growing anime market. While South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt have long been key territories for international releases, the Nigerian numbers are now being held up as evidence that West Africa can sustain major box office runs for Japanese animation.
Industry watchers call this a turning point. Anime has proven itself not as a cult side-genre but as a serious contender in Africa’s cinema economy. The question now is whether other titles will follow this path, and whether distributors will seize the chance to expand anime’s footprint across the continent.
For the fans who lined up to see Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Akaza battle it out on the big screen, the record was more than a statistic—it was validation. Africa’s biggest anime opening is here, and it may only be the beginning.
