Autumn’s box office in Korea has been seized by Japanese theatrical anime. Jujutsu Kaisen: Ho-oku and Okjeol Arc, Chainsaw Man: Leize Arc, and Demon Slayer: Infinity Train have proven that they deliver guaranteed, thrilling entertainment, fueling strong word-of-mouth and solid crowd pull. These three titles reflect a shift in post-pandemic audience preferences and have benefited from longer theatrical runs.

Demon Slayer: Infinity Train marked the starting point of this wave, and the recently released Jujutsu Kaisen: Ho-oku and Okjeol Arc topped the domestic box office on opening day. Chainsaw Man: Leize Arc climbed to No. 1 in its third week, amassing about 21.5 billion won in gross and drawing more than 5.45 million admissions. Collectively, these three films account for more than half of the admissions of the top-ten films.

Post-COVID, audiences have shown a stronger inclination toward films with clearly guaranteed fun, and box-office longevity—two to three weeks after release—has become more common, extending a film’s run in theaters.

Meanwhile, compared with last year’s Chuseok blockbuster, Korean cinema’s performance has been relatively lackluster. Toward year-end, the theatrical release of Jujutsu Kaisen: Shibuya Incident X Destruction and Seduction is scheduled, suggesting that the appeal of Japanese anime will endure for the time being. Industry experts say films with a clearly defined target audience stand a higher chance of success, and Korean cinema must deliver entertainment that meets audience expectations.