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Of all the things 2020 has come to be known for, movie releases breaking box office records wasn’t certainly one of them. However one film defied the odds. Released in Japan on Oct. 16., the animated film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Film: Mugen Train ended a 19-12 months record held by the Studio Ghibli traditional Spirited Away. Hitting $313 million in ticket sales in December, the movie overtook director Hayao Miyazaki’s magnum opus to turn into the country’s highest-grossing film of all time.

In the months since, the film—primarily based on the manga Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotouge—has broken one other record beforehand set by Spirited Away: Mugen Train is now the highest-grossing anime film in the world. It's set for theatrical release in the U.S. and Canada on April 23, in both a subtitled model and an English dubbed version.

Earlier than the film made headlines for shattering records, the Demon Slayer franchise was already amassing a dedicated international fanbase. Both the manga that was first revealed in 2016 and the television series adapted from the manga have recorded feats of their own. Ahead of the North American launch of Mugen Train, here’s everything to know about Demon Slayer, the writer-illustrator behind it and the meteoric success of the manga, television series and film.

What's Demon Slayer about?

In this fictional world set in early twentieth century Taishō-era Japan, man-eating demons roam the land each night. 13-yr-old Tanjiro Kamado’s world is turned upside down when he returns dwelling one morning to seek out his whole family murdered save for his sister Nezuko—who has turned into a demon. Decided to avenge their deaths and find a remedy that might transform Nezuko back into a human, Tanjiro sets out on a journey to train for the Demon Slayer Corps. The story follows him as he joins this underground organization of skilled fighters who dedicate their lives to protecting people from the vicious creatures.

Who's Koyoharu Gotouge?

Koyoharu Gotouge (lately featured as a part of the 2021 TIME a hundred Subsequent) wrote and illustrated Demon Slayer. The mangaka, or manga creator, has not publicly revealed their identity, and instead uses the pen name Gotouge and appears as an avatar of an alligator in glasses when making announcements about the series. Despite not much about Demon Slayer’s writer being known to the public, those that collaborate intently with Gotouge are familiar with their work ethic. "I've known Gotouge sensei [the honorific time period for trainer in Japanese] for the reason that start of their career, they usually weren't essentially without fault at the start," Kohei Ohnishi, an Editor-in-Chief of Weekly Shonen Jump who edits Demon Slayer, tells TIME. "However by means of hard work and perseverance, they were able to grow considerably as a mangaka."

Though Gotouge’s schedule has not been shared earlier than, the every day work routines of manga authors are reputed to be rigorous. For example, Oda Eiichiro—the creator of One Piece—has shared about sleeping usually from 2 AM to five AM to work on his manuscript. Ohnishi cites Gotouge’s sturdy sense of integrity and dedication to their work, and says the mangaka is "very aware of how readers are responding to their work." Asked about probably the most impactful element of Gotouge’s writing and artwork, Ohnishi references the robust characters and dialogue. "Their characters are all distinctive, but still rooted in reality, and that’s a really tough balance to strike," Ohnishi says. "In addition, there are a number of memorable lines filled with uniqueity in Demon Slayer."

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