Demon Slayer Tops 2025 Anime Film Rankings; Chainsaw Man Movie Achieves Record MAL Score

The 50th Hochi Film Awards have confirmed the box office dominance of the franchise, officially naming Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 — Akaza's Return as the Best Anime Movie of 2025. The film was a massive earner throughout the year, setting new records not just within the anime feature space but across the entire Japanese film industry.

The competition was intense, however. Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc landed as the official runner-up. While its overall box office performance lagged behind Demon Slayer, the film secured exceptional critical ratings.

The Reze Arc movie currently holds the title of the highest-rated anime movie ever released on MyAnimeList, trailing only the TV property Frieren: Beyond Journey's End among all anime properties at the time of reporting.

Both major titles underscore the expanding mainstream footprint of the medium. While Demon Slayer commanded ticket sales globally, Chainsaw Man managed to claim the top domestic and US box office spot at different points during the year.

Beyond the new releases, 2025 also saw significant success for older titles returning to theaters. Both Mamoru Oshii's Angel's Egg and the 4K restoration of Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke managed to break into the U.S. top 10 charts during their limited runs.

The theatrical return of Princess Mononoke generated extra buzz when actor Michael B. Jordan publicly noted he missed the limited run. Fan interest eventually pushed for an extended showing, leading to a private screening for the actor. As fans now look ahead to the next two installments of the Demon Slayer trilogy, 2025 has clearly set a high bar for the industry.