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Final Evangelion Film Stays at #1, Healin' Good Precure Film Opens at #4

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time (Shin Evangelion Gekijō-ban :||), the "final" Evangelion film, stayed at #1 in its second weekend. The film sold 423,398 tickets over the weekend and earned 679,390,200 yen (about US$6.25 million) from Friday to Sunday. It has sold a total of 3,222,873 tickets and has earned a cumulative 4,934,996,800 yen (about US$45.37 million). The film has earned 48.8% more yen and sold 36.0% more tickets than the previous film in the franchise in its first 14 days.

The film ranked #1 in its opening weekend. The film sold 2,194,533 tickets for 3,338,422,400 yen (about US$30.6 million) in its first seven days in 466 theaters in Japan. The film sold 33.6% more tickets for 45.1% more yen than the previous Evangelion film during their respective first seven days. The film earned the equivalent of US$3.4 million in 38 IMAX theaters during its first seven days— the second-highest opening week for IMAX screenings of a domestic title in Japan, behind only last year's Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Mugen Train. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 also played in 82 theaters equipped for 4D screenings.

The staff had delayed the film from January 23 to March 8, after careful consideration due to the new state of emergency declared in four prefectures in Japan on January 8, and then extended to a total of 11 prefectures. The film had an earlier delay due to concerns over the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and its spread inside and outside of Japan. The film was originally scheduled to open in Japan on June 27, 2020.

Eiga Healin' Good ♥ Precure Yume no Machi de Kyun! tto GoGo!, Toei Animation's 18th anime film in the Precure franchise, opened at #4. The film sold 96,000 tickets over the weekend, and earned 115 million yen (about US$1.05 million) in its opening weekend.

The film opened in Japan on March 20. Tropical-Rouge! Precure, Toei Animation's 18th Precure television anime series, has a "Tropical-Rouge! Precure Petit Tobikome! Collabo▽Dance Party!" (Tropical-Rouge! Precure the Movie: Petit Dive! Collaboration▽Dance Party!) short that screens with the Healin' Good Precure film.

Ryōta Nakamura (Healin' Good Precure episode director) is directing the film. Ryunosuke Kingetsu (Healin' Good Precure) is writing the script. Shiho Terada (Eiga Precure Miracle Leap: Minna to Fushigi na 1-nichi, Healin' Good Precure) is composing the music. Katsumi Tamegai (Pretty Cure, Sailor Moon) is the character designer and animation director. Ryuutarou Masuda (Star Twinkle Precure) is in charge of art design. Yukako Ogawa (Sword Art Online: Alicization, One Piece: Heart of Gold) and Yoshito Watanabe are the art directors. Yusuke Osone (Eiga Precure Miracle Leap: Minna to Fushigi na 1-nichi) is the CG director, Yoshiko Sakuma (Fresh Pretty Cure) is the color designer, and Kenji Takahashi (Precure Miracle Universe) is the director of photography.

Brave: Gunjō Senki, the live-action film adaptation of Masaki Kasahara's Gunjō Senki manga, dropped from #2 to #5 in its second weekend. The film earned 92,945,350 yen (about US$854,300) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 464,036,850 yen (about US$4.26 million).

The manga's story centers on Aoi Nishino, a fan of history who practices archery at his school's archery team. While his school has long dominated in many athletic competitions, the student body is divided into many cliques and harsh heirarchies. Aoi laments being born into the modern world, and thinks that his skill in archery is such that if he were in Japan's divided Sengoku period, he might have been able to earn fame and glory. When a mysterious event covers the school in fog, he gets his wish, as all the school's students are transported into the Sengoku period. Now the students, including Aoi, must use their athletic and martial skills to excel in a world of violence.

Katsuyuki Motohiro (Psycho-Pass, live-action Ajin, Atom the Beginning) directed the film, with a script by Masahiro Yamaura and Toru Yamamoto. The film opened on March 12.

Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train dropped from #4 to #7 (in number of tickets sold) in its 23rd weekend. The film earned 82,748,000 yen (about US$760,600) from Friday to Sunday. It has now sold a total of 28.12 million tickets and earned a cumulative total of 38,780,137,650 yen (about US$356.4 million).

After 12 consecutive weeks at #1 in the box office in Japan, Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train dropped to #2 during the January 9-10 weekend, its 13th weekend. The film ranked at #1 again in its 14th and 15th weekend, fell back down to #2 in its 16th weekend, and stayed at #2 in its 17th weekend. The film ranked at #3 in its 18th and 19th weekends.

The film has surpassed Hayao Miyazaki's 2002 Spirited Away, its last rival for all-time highest earnings in Japanese box office history. (Spirited Away earned 30.8 billion yen in its original run, but has since earned a total of 31.68 billion yen after last summer's revival screenings.) The film has also surpassed Spirited Away as the #1 highest-earning Japanese film of all time worldwide.

Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train began screening in 38 IMAX theaters in Japan on October 16. The film had the highest opening weekend globally for the October 16-18 weekend. The film sold 3,424,930 tickets and earned 4,623,117,450 yen (about US$43.85 million) in Japan in its first three days. The film sold 910,507 tickets and earned over 1,268,724,700 yen (about US$12.03 million) on its opening day alone, making it the highest weekday opening day in Japan ever. Mugen Train began holding immersive MX4D and 4DX screenings on Saturday, December 26.

The main staff members of the previous television anime returned for the sequel film. Toho and Aniplex are handling the film's distribution in Japan. Funimation and Aniplex of America will screen the film in theaters in North America in early 2021.

The Detective Conan: The Scarlet Alibi (Meitantei Conan: Hiiro no Fuzai Shōmei) compilation film released in anticipation of the upcoming Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet (Meitantei Conan: Hiiro no Dangan) film dropped from #5 to #8 in its sixth weekend. The film earned 36,128,300 yen (about US$332,000) from Friday to Sunday. It has earned a cumulative total of 1,122,403,350 yen (about US$10.31 million).

The film opened at #2 at the Japanese box office. The film earned 251,886,500 yen (about US$2.38 million) in its first four days, and it sold 92,000 tickets and earned 126,468,400 yen (about US$1.19 million) over the weekend. (The film opened on Thursday, a holiday in Japan.)

The compilation film combines footage from various television anime episodes that center on the Akai family. The film was originall slated only for a three-week limited theatrical run from February 11 to March 4, but its run was later extended to March 5 and beyond. The ending of the compilation film contains a video "secret message from Shuichi Akai" that will lead up to The Scarlet Bullet film, as well as a new trailer for The Scarlet Bullet itself. The titular character Conan narrates the compilation in a newly recorded and edited audio track.

Meitantei Conan: Hiiro no Dangan is the 24th film in the franchise. The film was slated to open on April 17 last year, but was delayed from its original date due to concerns about the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The film will now open on April 16 this year and have a simultaneous release in 22 countries and territories outside of Japan.

The live-action film of Renjuro Kindaichi's Liar x Liar manga dropped off the top 10 in its fifth weekend, but it still earned 25,705,900 yen (about US$236,200) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 766,895,700 yen (about US$7.04 million).

The Shimajirō to Sora Tobu Fune (Shimajirō and the Flying Ship) 3D CG anime film dropped off the top 10 in its second weekend, but it still earned 15,848,900 yen (about US$145,600) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 46,144,300 yen (about US$424,100).

The Aria the Crepuscolo theatrical anime film remains out off the top 10 in its third weekend, but still earned 15,667,400 yen (about US$144,000) from Friday to Sunday, and it has earned a cumulative total of 118,387,310 yen (about US$1.08 million).

Tokyo 7th Sisters: Bokura wa Aozora ni Naru, the anime film of Donuts' Tokyo 7th Sisters smartphone game, dropped from #3 to #4 in the mini-theater ranking in its fourth weekend.

Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2), Eiga.com, comScore via KOFIC