5 High-Budget Anime Movies That Aren't Nearly Better Than Demon Slayer Infinity Castle

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle It has become the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time, and will likely be surpassed by another film. Infinity Castle Arc Movie Trilogy. Since 2020, Demon Slayer It has managed to become an unprecedented phenomenon, and it looks like it will stay that way for some time.

However, despite the huge box office haul, currently estimated at $800 million, Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle The budget was somewhat modest, estimated at $20 million The New York Times. Studio Ufotable is known for making items look more expensive than they actually are. So, let's check out some anime movies that, despite costing more than Demon Slayer, aren't nearly as good (and sometimes don't look nearly as good).

5

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero It's fun to watch, but it lacks the beautiful 2D animation style of the previous film, Dragon Ball Super: Broly. With an estimated budget of $36 million, it was much more expensive Demon Slayer: Infinity CastleWith a “normal” return of about $100 million (good, but very little Infinity Castle).

The plot is light, and the 3D animation, while technically high-quality, makes the movie feel like one very long cutscene. Dragon Ball Video games, eg FighterZ or Xenoverse. It costs much more and delivers less Demon Slayer.

4

Steamboy

for a long time, Steamboy The most expensive was the Japanese film, with a budget of around $26 million (when it comes to the pure production budget). Back in 2004, this was an insane amount for an animated movie, especially since it was entirely Japanese-financed and most of it was spent on the production process. Unfortunately, neither is the fact that it was written and directed akira Producer Katsuhiro Otomo would turn the film into a profitable investment, as it grossed around $18 million.

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The animation, even for the time, is superb and meticulously crafted with over 180,000 hand-drawn frames. However, there are some CG cuts, and the CG back then was a lot weirder than it is today. Moreover, the story itself is not impressive. It's a good movie, though Infinity Castle It has the upper hand here and does not need to apply inflation for lower costs.

3

Yu-Gi-Oh! Movie: Pyramid of Light

Image via Studio Gallop.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Movie: Pyramid of Light It is said to have cost $20 million in 2004, the same estimated budget for that Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle today However, considering inflation, it would cost about $36 million today, roughly the same. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. No wonder this is often considered one of the biggest mistakes in the franchise, although it still managed to at least pay for itself. It was a joint project between 4Kids Entertainment and TV Tokyo, but mostly 4Kids gambling.

It's hard to believe this movie was actually that expensive because the animation looks cheap, and the plot seems tailor-made for anyone who's never heard of the franchise. It feels like an extended episode for viewers who have never seen the anime. It's not the most disgusting though Yu-Gi-Oh! The film, for something this expensive, is very light.

2

Pokémon: The Movie 2000

Pokémon: The Movie 2000 It was expensive before Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Considering the total investment that Warner Bros. poured into licensing and distributing this film in 1999 (and even when the box office is adjusted for inflation, it barely made half that), such an investment for a fairly simple plot. It has good animation….except for the moments where the CGI is on-screen.

More than 25 years later, there really isn't much there except nostalgia, though today it's mostly buried between the first movie and the in-between. Pokemon 3. There are some memorable moments, though, like Ash's “first kiss” (or the first time he's kissed) and Team Rocket saving the world. But there it is all.

1

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 three times at a time

Neon Genesis Evangelion One of the most important anime series of all time. That claim is undeniable. However, the Rebuild Tetralogy transforms the franchise into something else. Some, perhaps many, like it. After all, it brings closure. Some don't. That is natural. It's visually stunning, that's for sure.

However, after decades of waiting, the finale deserved something bigger. Something with better pacing and a bit more complexity, perhaps. Not that happy endings are inherently bad, but the movie feels a bit odd, almost like a rushed, forced ending. Infinity Castle Seems more in line with what Demon Slayer While supposed to distribute Three times at a time Not exactly what it seems Evangelion Should be (but Hideaki Anno is happy to disagree with me).

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle

Release date

September 12, 2025

runtime

156 minutes

Director

Haruo Sotozaki, Hikaru Kondo

The authors

Koyoharu Gotouge, Hikaru Kondo

• 

  Natsuki Hanae

  Tanjiro Kamado (voice)

• 

  Akari Kito

  Nezuko Kamado (voice)

• 

  Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

  Inosuke Hashibira (voice)

• 

  Hiro Shimono

  Genitsu Agatsuma (voice)