Demon Slayer and KPop Demon Hunters Honored at AAPI Cinema Celebration

The Critics Choice Association has named the honorees for its fourth annual Celebration of AAPI Cinema and Television, and two titles familiar to anime fans made the list.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, the first film in the new trilogy, takes home the International Animation Award. Director Maggie Kang earns the Animation Award for KPop Demon Hunters, the film she made with Chris Appelhans.

The ceremony is set for November 14.

The recognition comes as the first Infinity Castle film continues its remarkable run. It has sold more than 23 million tickets and earned around 230 million dollars as of late September, making it the second highest earning film ever at the Japanese box office, just behind Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away.

My take: It is lovely to see animation celebrated alongside live action here. Demon Slayer climbing past everything but Spirited Away is a milestone I never expected to witness, and KPop Demon Hunters getting a nod feels well earned too.