Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Earns Golden Globe Nomination

2025 was a remarkable year for two standout genres: anime and K-pop, both of which share a thrilling theme—demon slaying.

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle shattered records at the box office, claiming the title of the highest-grossing anime film ever, while KPop Demon Hunter surged in popularity, becoming the most-watched title on Netflix and topping the Billboard charts. As awards season kicks off, both films have secured spots in the “Best Motion Picture – Animated” category at the Golden Globes.

In addition to these frontrunners, films like Arco, Elio, Little Amélie or the Character of Rain, and the current box office hit Zootopia 2 are in the mix, but it’s hard to see any of them snagging the top prize over the two demon-themed films.

Let’s dive into the numbers: Infinity Castle has just crossed the 100 billion yen milestone globally, marking it as the first Japanese film to achieve this feat and surpassing the box office totals of every Marvel and DC release this year. On the other hand, KPop Demon Hunter has already made its mark with a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day balloon just months after its Netflix debut. It has amassed over 1,800,000 hours of viewing time and 325,100,000 views as of December. Despite launching in June, KPop Demon Hunter continues to dominate pop culture, fueled by Huntr/X’s hit “Golden,” which has spent multiple weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and remains a favorite on the Top Movie Songs chart. In October 2025, it racked up 177 million streams in the U.S. and 38,000 downloads, according to Luminate, holding the No. 1 spot for two weeks and finishing the last five at No. 2. The Top Movie Songs chart is further filled with tracks from Huntr/X, Saja Boys, Ejae, and Andrew Choi.

Both films shine for unique reasons. Infinity Castle exemplifies the peak of 3D animation in the genre, while KPop Demon Hunter embraces the vibrant art style and animation techniques popularized by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, delivering stunning sequences, meme-worthy moments, and exhilarating action. Most impressively, it’s an original IP that has broken through to become the hottest trend for kids since “Baby Shark.”