Demon Slayer: Mugen Train made more money in Japan than any film in Japanese history. Globally it broke into Hollywood’s top tier.
How to Play: Guess if the anime on the right earned HIGHER or LOWER worldwide box office than the one on the left.
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Top 10 Highest-Grossing Anime Films
Anime box office was a niche category until 2001’s Spirited Away crossed $300 million globally. Since then, Studio Ghibli, Makoto Shinkai, and the Demon Slayer franchise have repeatedly broken into mainstream worldwide blockbuster territory.
| # | Name | Worldwide Gross (USD millions) | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020) | 507 | USD millions |
| 2 | Spirited Away (2001) | 395 | USD millions |
| 3 | Your Name (2016) | 382 | USD millions |
| 4 | Suzume (2022) | 323 | USD millions |
| 5 | The Boy and the Heron (2023) | 293 | USD millions |
| 6 | One Piece Film: Red (2022) | 247 | USD millions |
| 7 | Howl's Moving Castle (2004) | 237 | USD millions |
| 8 | Ponyo (2008) | 204 | USD millions |
| 9 | Weathering with You (2019) | 193 | USD millions |
| 10 | Pokémon: The First Movie (1998) | 172 | USD millions |
How Anime Box Office Has Evolved
Anime box office is reported the same way as any other film — worldwide cumulative theatrical gross in current US dollars, aggregated by Box Office Mojo and The Numbers. The figures here include re-releases, which is significant because Studio Ghibli films are often re-released in Japanese theaters every few years.
Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020) is the highest-grossing anime film at $507 million worldwide. Its $360 million domestic-Japan gross broke Spirited Away’s record as the highest-grossing film in Japanese history — a record Spirited Away had held for 19 years. The film’s success was driven by the original anime series’ breakout popularity in 2019.
Studio Ghibli, founded by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata in 1985, dominated the anime box office for two decades. Spirited Away (2001) won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003 — the only non-English film to win the category. Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, and The Boy and the Heron have continued the studio’s box office dominance.
Makoto Shinkai is the heir apparent to Miyazaki’s mainstream-anime crown. His three films — Your Name (2016), Weathering with You (2019), and Suzume (2022) — each crossed $190 million worldwide. They share themes of climate, longing, and Tokyo geography that resonate strongly outside Japan, especially in East Asia.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest-grossing anime film?
Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020) at approximately $507 million worldwide. It overtook Spirited Away in 2021.
Why are Studio Ghibli films so successful?
Ghibli’s films, especially Miyazaki’s, combine hand-drawn animation craft with broadly appealing themes (childhood, environmentalism, flight) that translate well across cultures. They also re-release frequently, accumulating gross over decades.
Did Spirited Away really win an Oscar?
Yes. Spirited Away won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Oscars (2003) — the only non-English-language film to win the category.
What's the highest-grossing non-Japanese anime?
Most highest-grossing anime are Japanese productions. Pokémon: The First Movie (1998), produced by Toho-affiliated studios with US distribution by Warner Bros, is sometimes counted as a co-production at $172 million worldwide.
Note: Worldwide gross figures in USD millions from Box Office Mojo and Studio-disclosed grosses. Some films include cumulative re-release revenue.
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