Position Paper | Wild Card: International Film and Public Relations

Anime films are very popular in international places like the United States and other countries, just as they are in Japan. Here are some of the biggest animes that are the most popular in the world right now: One Piece, Jujitsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, Spy x Family, My Hero Academia, Blue Lock, Solo Leveling, and Dandadan. 

Earlier this September, Demon Slayer: Kimestu No Yaiba was released in over 50 countries worldwide. For fans that have been watching the show for years or have read the manga, this event was a staple. However, the production's fanbase grew ever so slightly before the film's release due to excessive marketing and media pressure. 

This film was able to surpass release expectations through media usage and engagement. This production has no social media and hasn't resulted to any prior to encouraging advertisement for the film's release. However, as a result of the fans' excitement online, the main trailer release was just enough to get the film's name out there and fans on a roll. 

All kinds of media were used to market this movie being the biggest thing to watch in 2025. TikTok became a staple in marketing the merchandise that the film released in different movie theatres. Even more exciting, different countries were given different types of merchandise. Fans were becoming more eager to purchase popcorn buckets and cups that had the signature sword for each main character. 

TikTok played an essential role in making this movie successful. Usually, anime fans cosplay characters in the bigger films released in theaters for the sake of it. As seen in some videos on the social media platform, a ton of the fanbase decided to dress up, and this became a huge trend for the movie showings. 

@maco6175 Demon Slayer Movie 🇲🇲#maco #cosplayers #demonslayer ♬ To the Infinity Castle - Muzan vs Hashira Theme (from "Demon Slayer") - Cover - Diego Mitre

Unofficial public relations through media are the epitome of advertising in real time. We see this with lots of international anime films, like with Chainsaw Man. The official trailer for the upcoming movie to the series was released three months ago, and since then, the usual fan made edits you can find on social media began to skyrocket. Let's be honest. If you've never seen the series, would this edit not make you want to start watching it? I think fans that use platforms to promote these productions deserve a lot more than a few likes. These "sick" edits make these films stand out to non-anime watchers. It's incredible what non-official public relations on digital media can do for international films.

@g12editz Power x Homecoming II Chainsaw Man Edit II #anime #animeedit #chainsawman #chainsawmanedit #animetiktok #denjichainsawman ♬ original sound - G12Edits