No need for a double-take. You read the headline for this article correctly. Popular manga and anime series Demon Slayer is having an unexpected collaboration with Major League Baseball just in time for their Tokyo Series, which will feature a match-up between MLB teams the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. The short anime film below shows the players alongside iconic Demon Slayer characters like protagonist Tanjiro and his mentor, Urokodaki. The trailer is a part of a larger collaboration between the MLB and Demon Slayer that will include merchandise available during the Tokyo Series.
In the film, Urokodaki is a commentator for the Tokyo Series. He gives us the rundown on the history of MLB in Japan and the evolution of baseball in Japan. Then, just like in the series, we see Urokodaki teaching Tanjiro breathing styles. Ohtani then uses his own technique to complete “Battle Breathing first form: Overpowering Home Run.”
Ufotable, the Japanese animation studio that makes Demon Slayer, produced the short film featuring this anime alongside MLB goodness, which we get a glimpse of in the trailer. The film includes anime depictions of popular MLB players like the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Mookie Betts. Other players in the film include the Cubs’ Seiya Suzuki, Shota Imanaga, and Dansby Swanson. All the players are taking part in the Tokyo Series at the Tokyo Dome on March 18 and 19. The match will have the two teams face off against each other, kicking off the 2025 regular season.
There will also be four exhibition matches taking place March 15 and 16. These matches will see both the Cubs and Dodgers take on the Hanshin Tigers and the Yomiuri Giants, which are teams a part of the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan.