In a surprising twist, the anime “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Hashira Training Arc” sold 8,794 copies of its first Blu-ray/DVD in the first week. While this was an impressive number, it wasn't enough to surpass “Girl Band Cry”an original musical anime for high school girls that took the spring-2024 season (April-June) by storm. “Girl Band Cry” managed to sell 12,226 copies of its first Blu-ray/DVD in its first week, setting a new record for the season.

Historically, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” dominated Blu-ray/DVD sales during the seasons in which its series were broadcast, establishing itself as one of the most popular and successful titles. However, it seems that the trend has changed, now favoring high school girl gang series.

“Girl Band Cry” captured the public's attention with its combination of music, drama and captivating characters, which led to its remarkable sales success. This shift in audience preferences suggests an evolution in the tastes of anime fans, who are now seeking new experiences and new genres.

With these results, it is clear that the competition in the anime industry is more competitive than ever, and even the most established franchises must innovate and adapt to maintain their position in the market. It will be interesting to see how “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” and other popular series respond to this challenge in upcoming seasons.

• «Kimetsu no Yaiba will have a guaranteed victory with the Infinite Castle arc movie. So everything is fine like that. I think that's part of the plan. A failure in the film trilogy is practically impossible.».
• «It's hard to imagine that the next installments of Girls Band Cry will drop in sales much. Although there are discounts, nowadays those who buy Blu-rays will do so for a small price difference.».
• «Was there anything in Kimetsu no Yaiba season 4 that could surpass ten thousand copies? The last part of the Blacksmith Village Arc did not reach that number upon its release.».
• «It is more or less expected that Kimetsu no Yaiba will not exceed ten thousand copies. Without streaming, it will not be successful. Furthermore, it does not have elements that attract children.».
• «Finally, the Kimetsu no Yaiba TV series has ended with the final season.».
• «Has Kimetsu no Yaiba lost about three thousand copies since season three? Is it too early to declare Girls Band Cry the champion of the year?».
• «Everyone sees it because others see it. Movies will go viral this way.».
• «Nowadays, otakus who buy Blu-rays always seem to wait for the “dark horse” of each season.».
• «The difference with Mahou Shoujo ni Akogarete is 4,000 copies».
• «Kimetsu no Yaiba has stopped including event tickets since the Blacksmith Village Arc, so they've probably hit their Blu-ray sales target. While I don't think they'll return to television, maybe they'll do an edited version like Infinity Train».
• «Unless Girls Band Cry dominates as much as Lycoris Recoil or Bocchi the Rock!, selling 15,000 copies isn't enough. It wouldn't be strange if it lost its spot in the second half of the year.».
• «Although it is not the best-selling series, surpassing ten thousand copies is already enough. At first, no one expected it to sell so much. CD sales are also going well, so it has been a great success.».

Source: Yaraon!