Earlier this month, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about the Taiwan region sent shockwaves through the Chinese market. 😲
This week, two highly anticipated films—'Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Super Hot! The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers' and 'Cells at Work'—announced they’re suspending their releases, and nearly every other pending Japanese anime project aimed at the Chinese mainland has come to a halt.
Just five days after 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinite Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns' smashed records on its November 14 opening day in China, ticket sales plunged dramatically. The film had set the highest opening day box office for any Japanese movie in the country, but the fallout from the remarks led to a sudden drop in revenue. 📉
The news hits hard for an industry that had been enjoying steady growth in China. Earlier in 2025, titles like 'Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: A Lonely Dragon Wants to Be Loved' and 'Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time' saw successful releases, exciting both fans and creators.
As one of the most important overseas markets for Japanese animation, the Chinese mainland’s swift reaction has rattled the entire anime ecosystem—from merchandise and commercial partnerships to theme exhibitions—shaking confidence across Japan’s anime industry. The question now is: how quickly can fans and studios recover from this political twist? 🌟
Reference(s):
Sanae Takaichi's remarks crash Japan's anime box office in China
cgtn.com
