Throughout 2024, I kept hearing a phrase, a mantra, if you will, concerning the entertainment industry. “Keep hope alive until 2025.” Mainly, this sentiment referred to 2025 becoming the Year of the Rebound. We were going to repair the remaining damage left by the COVID-19 pandemic, the SAG-AFTRA strikes, and the distressing box office returns of films that, by all accounts, should have been blockbusters. Alas, despite some outliers like A Minecraft Movie, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, and Taylor Sheridan’s universe of must-see TV, Hollywood is still scrambling to make sense of where they lost control of people’s hearts and minds. Still, everything’s not all doom and gloom, as 2025 also surprised audiences and industry analysts alike thanks to an unlikely underdog: anime.

Is anime done being the underdog?

Traditionally, Hollywood pays little attention to anime outside of Studio Ghibli. It’s nothing personal; animation is forever fighting an uphill battle for attention from people concerned with reading the Oscar tea leaves each year, with many still viewing the art form as a genre reserved only for kids and families. People who adore animation and recognize the painstaking artistry that goes into the genre know better, and thankfully, others are starting to catch on.

I like to think of 2025 as a year filled with numerous animation milestones. Disney‘s Zootopia 2 is currently dominating the box office with an unexpected $1.4B+ in worldwide ticket sales, eager to pounce on last year’s $1.69B+ set by Pixar‘s Inside Out 2. While Zootopia‘s outstanding success is something to cheer for indeed, it’s not impossible to imagine a sequel from the House of Mouse racking up dollars like a Vegas high roller on a winning streak. What gives the industry pause are movies like China’s Ne Zha 2, Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, and theatrical anime arcs on the silver screen, such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, and Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution.

Ne Zha 2 gets the anime ball rolling…

To put things into perspective, Ne Zha 2 grossed over $2.2 billion worldwide. While most of the film’s earnings hail from China, the financial impact of the Yu Yang-directed sequel is undeniable. Ne Zha 2 is like the spark that lit the fire for animation in 2025. The film was released early in the year, with territories such as the United States and Canada receiving a theatrical release only in February. However, positive word of mouth about the film spread like wildfire, helping Ne Zha 2 reach an additional $23.3 million in North America. Suddenly, industry analysts were paying close attention to overseas animation, wondering if Ne Zha 2 was a flash in the pan or if anime was building traction in 2025. As the year progressed, outlets throughout the entertainment industry began seeing the forward momentum of anime as something to get excited about, a genre that could energize the box office in unexpected ways.

Chainsaw Man – Reze Arc revs up audiences

So, what makes 2025 and titles like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, and Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution so special? I think it has a lot to do with built-in fanbases and anticipation for chapters of stories audiences care about, making their way to the silver screen. A fantastic example of this is Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc. Continuing from the core anime series, Reze Arc brings one of the anime franchise’s most bombastic storylines to life in a way that goes beyond streaming the spectacle on Crunchyroll. Before Reze Arc‘s IMAX release, the tragic love story of Denji and Reze only existed as part of the ongoing manga series. As expertly crafted as Tatsuki Fujimoto’s Chainsaw Man manga is, there’s nothing quite like watching those pages come to life in gorgeous, visceral animation. The core anime series is a brutal display of character-driven story and action. However, Reze Arc takes the sensation of slaying demons alongside Denji to the next level with a dynamic screen ratio, earth-shattering sound design, and mind-bending visuals that cranks the volume of the core series to eleven.

Audiences don’t just want movies; they want an experience

When people go to the movies, they don’t just want to watch the film; they want to experience it. Movies like Reze Arc, Infinity Castle, and Execution bring more to the table for anime fans because they offer a cinematic experience that punches you in the face, grabs you by the ankles, and whips you around like a ragdoll. When I saw Reze Arc on the big screen, I felt as if I’d been riding a roller coaster by the time credits rolled. I literally needed to sit for a few minutes before exiting the theater because the movie felt like such a rush. I can’t recall the last time I felt this way watching an animated film in theaters. It made Reze Arc something unique and unforgettable.

Why is anime on the rise?

Why is anime on the rise? In my humble opinion, it’s because audiences are changing. Studios like Disney, Pixar, Illumination, and Dreamworks are always rolling the dice when it comes to animation. It’s challenging to predict what will hit and miss. Examining Disney, we see the unmitigated failure of Snow White, yet marvel at the overwhelming success of Lilo and Stitch. Say what you will about either film, but I doubt even Disney could have predicted a $1 billion return from the live-action version of its 2002 animated classic. With anime performing so well at the box office, it’s a sign that audiences are craving something new. They want to see beloved characters from their favorite series on the silver screen, larger-than-life, with stakes that deliver a direct knock-on effect to a thing they’re already invested in.

Anime films bring existing IPs to new heights

There’s much to say about the characters and stories anime offers. In some cases, fans have had years (and multiple volumes, seasons) to fall in love with characters like Denji (Chainsaw Man), Deku (My Hero Academia), and Tanjiro (Demon Slayer). That built-in affinity goes a long way to put asses in seats. Fans identify with these characters. They learn valuable lessons from them, see themselves reflected in their values and motivations. Or at least they’d like to think they do. What happens to these characters matters to them. The story doesn’t end when the credits roll. The characters endure. Hopefully, they’ll have changed by the time the movie’s over, bringing that growth into the next chapter of the series. There’s plenty to say about getting in and out of an animated experience in close to two hours, but anime tends to go beyond the barriers of standard theatrical runtimes. Anime films also provide audiences with a reason to rewatch material that preceded the theatrical presentation. Infinity Castle is the reason I’m currently watching the Demon Slayer series, and Reze Arc is why I loaded my Amazon wishlist with Chainsaw Man-related merch. My wife and I also plan to rewatch Chainsaw Man Season 1 on Crunchyroll, as this is uncharted territory for her.

I can keep pulling reasons that anime is growing in popularity from the ether, but at the end of the day, it boils down to a desire for the unexpected. Not every anime film is inviting (I’m looking at you, Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution), but at the very least, if you watch an anime film, you’re guaranteed to experience something outside the likes of Disney, Pixar, Illumination, and so on. Let’s face it, our attention spans are trash. Anime moves. It’s often manic, unpredictable, and pushes the boundaries of what artists can do with stories and characters that matter to so many. 2025 hit hard with it being a year when so many beloved series make their way to the silver screen, but 2026 is right around the corner, and if Kpop Demon Hunters proves anything, it’s that the next sensation can come from anywhere at any time.

The post Why Did Anime Explode in 2025? appeared first on JoBlo.

Review: During a year when the secret to owning the box office eludes some of Hollywood’s safest bets, a dark horse is riding high in the form of anime. In September, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle sent shockwaves through the industry by earning over $ 768 million worldwide, while Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc garnered $150 million from global audiences. Both films continue an ongoing saga, but also treat newcomers to stories and characters with which they can genuinely engage. Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, anime’s hat trick of 2025, does no such thing.

From what I could gather, Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution tugs at ongoing threads from Season 2 while setting up Season 3, beginning with The Culling Game. The result is a violent compilation of scenes that dazzle the eye but leave little for uninitiated audiences to latch onto. As someone new to Jujutsu Kaisen, this movie was incomprehensible to me.

After what I assume is directors Shouta Goshozono and Yôsuke Takada putting a bloody bow on the final six episodes of The Shibuya Incident storyline, we find Yuji Itadori marked for execution by Jujutsu HQ. The spectacle that led to this thread, though confusing, is thrilling to watch. If I’m going to give Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution its flowers in any capacity, it’s in the movie’s ability to display eye-popping animation at almost every turn. I don’t think I took my first breath since the movie’s start until 37 minutes in. Only then was I able to pause the film, collect my frazzled thoughts, and prepare myself for the next chapter.

Am I at a disadvantage because I haven’t seen the Jujutsu Kaisen series? Absolutely. Does this make me less qualified to enjoy the film? Hell no. Still, when I watched Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, my lack of foreknowledge about the series didn’t keep me from enjoying the movie. In fact, I’m catching up on Demon Slayer now, prompted by my enjoyment of Infinity Castle. In the case of Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution, I’m only mildly curious to double back, do my homework, and hope to meet Execution on its terms.

My chief complaint about the film stems from my almost complete lack of an emotional response to it. Save for two brief moments involving characters I recognize from the core series, I felt nothing. Because the movie moves so quickly, leaping in time and logic from one battle to another, I often found myself feeling disoriented with no time to process what I’d just seen. There was little to no time to digest anything, let alone feel sorrow for a fallen comrade or contemplate the magnitude of Yuji Itadori’s next task. Believe me when I tell you I tried.

I’ll give Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution this: it’s at times a visual feast. I enjoy the film’s dynamic camerawork, slick editing, and atmospheric sound design, with some action sequences feeling as kinetic and super-charged as the best parts of Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc. For someone like me who felt lost for the film’s duration, the visual presentation went a long way to keep me entertained. Jujutsu Kaisen‘s style is well-suited to the type of anime it is, and every frame gets executed with confidence and purpose. Execution wants you to feel the impact of its fists and taste the copper of blood on your tongue from its relentless displays of violence.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution feels like a movie made for fans, and that’s 100% alright. For all my hemming and hawing, the latter part of the movie, The Culling Game setup, feels like the start of something I could maybe sink my teeth into. Like anything else, I want to understand the groundswell around Jujutsu Kaisen. I was hoping Execution would be my ticket in, but it looks like I’ve reached the back of the line and have to do my homework like everyone else if I want to appreciate the film to its fullest. Such is the curse of an anime fan with not enough time on their hands.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution

BELOW AVERAGE

5

The post Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution Review – A violent rush of eye-popping spectacle that’s as arresting as it is incomprehensible appeared first on JoBlo.