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1st Haikyu!! Final Film Returns to #1, Live-Action My Home Hero Film Opens at #3
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The film premiered in Japan on February 16 and is also screening in IMAX. Susumu Mitsunaka (first, third Haikyu!! television anime) both directed and wrote the script for the film.
The film sold 1,529,000 tickets and earned 2,230,465,540 yen (about US$14.83 million) in its first three days of screening. The film now has the biggest opening weekend for a film so far this year in Japan, beating Mobile Suit Gundam Seed FREEDOM anime film's 1,065,983,130 yen opening weekend earnings.
The anime's staff had announced the two films in August 2022. The first film depicts the "fated showdown" between Karasuno High and Nekoma High.
The film opened at #1 on March 1. The film sold 538,000 tickets from Friday to Sunday for 655,555,580 yen (about US$4.37 million) in its first weekend.
The new film has a music theme, as Doraemon and friends go on an adventure to meet new buddies, connect to people with music, and save the world from a crisis.
Kouji Kikkawa makes his voice-acting debut as Maestro Vento in the film. (Kikkawa previously narrated the Gifū Dōdō!! Kanetsugu to Keiji anime.) Kanji Ishimaru plays the robot musician Wakner in his first foray in the Doraemon film series. Comedian duo Kagaya (Shō Kaga and Sōya Gaya) guest-star in the film in multiple roles.
Kazuaki Imai (Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Treasure Island, Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's New Dinosaur) directed the film. Teruko Utsumi, a writer for the Doraemon television anime, penned the script for the film. The television anime's current cast members reprised their roles for the film.
The film opened in Japan on March 8.
The project also includes a live-action series that premiered on MBS and TBS' "Dramaism" block on October 24 last year, and ended on December 20. The film concludes the story of the series.
The manga centers on a salaryman who has a reliable wife and a daughter in university who can sometimes act a bit rebellious, but has a happy life in his own way. Until one day he finds out his daughter has been beaten, and thus begins his journey into a dangerous world to protect his family.
The manga's anime adaptation debuted in April 2023. Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired, and is streaming an English dub.
The film is screening in 353 cinemas in Japan, and added 4DX, MX4D, and Dolby Cinema screenings starting on February 9.
The film opened at #1 in the Japanese box office, selling 634,182 tickets for 1,065,983,130 yen (about US$7.20 million) in its first three days, marking the Gundam franchise's highest three-day opening in box office earnings. Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM opened in Japan on January 26. The film is planned to screen in 56 countries and territories.
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed director Mitsuo Fukuda directed the film at Bandai Namco Filmworks. Fukuda also co-wrote the script along with his late wife Chiaki Morosawa and Liu Goto. Hisashi Hirai (Mobile Suit Gundam Seed) designed the characters.
The Kamen Rider Geats: Jamato Awakening film ranked at #7 in its opening weekend. The film earned 58,398,390 yen (about US$396,200) in its first three days.
The film opened in Japan last Friday.
Tomohiro Kawamura returned from Shimajirō to Sora Tobu Fune to direct the new film at Shanghai Heyuan Culture Media Co., Ltd. and Shirogumi Inc. Yuichi "masa" Nonaka once again composed the music.
The film's story begins when Miller, a boy from Miracle Island who has special powers, meets Shimajirō. He says that his island's rainbow carnations, which are said to grant wishes if you give them to someone special to you, have been taken by an evil magician. Shimajirō, Miller, and the others go on a journey to take back the carnations.
Shimajirō to Kirakira Ōkoku no Ōji-sama (Shimajirō and the Prince of the Glitter Kingdom) CG anime film, the ninth movie in the franchise, opened in March 2022.
The film opened in Japan on January 19 and topped the Japanese box office in its first weekend. The film sold 356,000 tickets for 533,848,690 yen (about US$3.62 million) in its first three days.
Shigeaki Kubo directed the film at production company CREDEUS. Tsutomu Kuroiwa wrote the script. Yutaka Yamada composed the music. Hiroshi Nakagawa and Debo Akibe are credited for Ainu supervision. Japanese rock group Acidman performed the theme song "Kagayakerumono" (Those Who Shine).
Satoru Noda launched the manga in Shueisha's Young Jump magazine in 2014, and ended it in April 2022. The manga has inspired four anime seasons, and production of the anime's final arc has been green-lit.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training-, the theatrical screenings of the one-hour first episode of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc television anime, dropped off the top 10 in its sixth weekend, but still earned 46,820,470 yen (about US$317,700) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 2,004,037,687 (about US$13.59 million).
Godzilla Minus One, Takashi Yamazaki's new film in Toho's Godzilla franchise, is still off the top 10 in its 19th weekend, but still earned 36,711,010 yen (about US$249,100) from Friday to Sunday. The film has earned a cumulative total of 6,065,842,940 yen (about US$41.17 million).
SINoALICE Ichiban Saigo no Monogatari (The Last Story), the "fan movie" for Square Enix's SINoALICE game, jumped from #5 to #3 in the mini-theater ranking in its third weekend. The film opened on February 23.
Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2, link 3), comScore via KOFIC
