Demon Slayer stands on the cusp of making shonen history in a way the Anime Big 3 never can

Demon Slayer stands on the cusp of rewriting anime history, though, for decades the anime community has looked at the Big 3 - Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach - as the gold standard of shonen storytelling.

With the new movie, Infinity Castle, gathering massive box office numbers in Japan, and positioning itself for a potential Oscar nomination in 2026, Demon Slayer might be about to rewrite anime history.

If it succeeds, it won’t just surpass the Big 3 in terms of global cultural impact. It will prove that shonen anime can compete at the very top level of the entertainment industry in a way the Big 3 never managed.

Some fans might shrug and say, “Who cares about the Oscars? Anime doesn’t need Hollywood’s validation.” Sure, in one sense that’s true. Anime has always thrived outside Hollywood’s approval, building its own communities, streaming platforms, and box office powerhouses.

However, here’s why it matters: Oscars change perception.

For decades, anime has been pigeonholed in the US as “kids’ stuff” or “niche fandom material.” Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away winning Best Animated Feature in 2003 proved that anime could win the industry’s highest honors, but it was seen as a Studio Ghibli anomaly, the rare “artsy” anime that adults could take seriously.

Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle is different. It’s not a quiet arthouse film. It’s not a one-off masterpiece by a revered auteur. It’s a shonen juggernaut, a blockbuster franchise movie packed with sword fights, demons, blood, and pure adrenaline. If this gets nominated, it sends a message Hollywood can’t ignore: Anime franchise films aren’t just box office hits. They are prestige contenders.

That’s a level of legitimacy the Big 3 never reached.

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The What-Ifs: Could Demon Slayer actually win an Oscar?

Here’s where the speculation gets interesting. Could Infinity Castle not just get nominated, but actually win Best Animated Feature?

The competition will likely include a Pixar release, a Disney musical, and maybe another big-name western studio like DreamWorks. Normally, anime films are dismissed as “foreign animations” and ignored. However, there are a few factors working in Demon Slayer’s favor:

• Box Office Power: Academy voters can’t ignore numbers. If Infinity Castle keeps climbing, it could rival western hits in global revenue.
• Critical Acclaim: Reviews will matter. If critics frame it as not just a spectacle but an emotionally powerful story about grief, family, and sacrifice, it becomes a serious contender.
• Campaign Strategy: Crunchyroll and Aniplex will need to play the game. Special screenings, Academy Q&As, and full-on Oscar campaigns could sway voters who might otherwise skip it.

Winning is still a long shot. Miyazaki has won twice, but he is seen as a “safe, prestigious” pick. Shonen anime with brutal battles and decapitations? That’s a harder sell to conservative Academy members. Even a nomination would be groundbreaking.

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Why this moment matters more than any Big 3 legacy

Here’s my opinion: If Demon Slayer even gets nominated, it will already accomplish something none of the Big 3 ever could. It will bridge the gap between fandom culture and mainstream cultural recognition in the West.

Think about it. The Big 3 gave anime its global foundation. Demon Slayer is now on the verge of giving anime its cultural legitimacy. A win at the Oscars wouldn’t erase the Big 3’s contributions; it would build on them, completing a journey they could never make.

That’s why this moment matters. This is not about Tanjiro vs. Naruto or comparing which story is better. It Is about Demon Slayer stepping onto a stage the Big 3 never reached, planting the flag for shonen in Hollywood’s highest circles.

If it happens, anime fans 20 years from now will look back at Infinity Castle not just as the climax of a great story, but as the moment anime as a medium officially became impossible for Hollywood to dismiss.

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Final thoughts

We are standing at the edge of something historic. If Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle secures that Oscar nod and maybe even win, it won’t just be a victory for one film. It will be a victory for shonen, for anime as a whole, and for every fan who has ever been told “anime isn’t real cinema.”

The Big 3 gave us unforgettable adventures, legendary fights, and lifelong fandoms. Their influence, however, never crossed into Hollywood recognition. Demon Slayer now has the chance to do what they never could: Show the world that shonen anime belongs on the biggest stage, not just in the biggest fandoms.

If it happens, we’ll look back and say: This was the moment anime leveled up forever.