Japan Box Office Update: Anime and Manga Film Power Continues
The latest Japanese box office report showcases the enduring strength of animated and live-action films adapted from popular anime and manga. Detective Conan and Super Mario continue their remarkable theatrical runs, while the live-action Sakamoto Days also maintains a strong presence, highlighting a vibrant and diverse cinematic landscape.
Detective Conan: Highway no Datenshi Maintains Strong Run
Detective Conan: Highway no Datenshi, the 29th film in the franchise, dropped from third to fourth place in its seventh weekend. It sold 189,000 tickets, earning 277,492,600 yen (approximately US$1.73 million) from Friday to Sunday. Cumulatively, the film has sold 8.40 million tickets, grossing 12,404,866,900 yen (about US$77.74 million). This marks the fourth consecutive Detective Conan film to exceed 10 billion yen, showcasing the franchise's incredible enduring popularity. The movie had a record-breaking opening, selling 2,318,009 tickets and earning 3,502,137,800 yen (about US$21.9 million) in its first three days, debuting at number one. The plot centers on Chihaya Hagiwara, leader of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police's motorcycle division, now voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro, and features other fan favorites like Inspector Jugo Yokomizo and Detective Masumi Sera.
Super Mario Galaxy Movie Dips to Second Spot
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Nintendo, Illumination, and Universal Pictures' sequel, moved from #1 to #2 in its fifth weekend. The film sold 203,000 tickets and earned 276,962,830 yen (about US$1.73 million) from Friday to Sunday. Its cumulative total stands at 4.94 million tickets sold and 6,819,837,230 yen (about US$42.74 million). The movie initially opened at #1 in Japan, selling 1.121 million tickets and grossing 1,601,093,600 yen (about US$9.96 million) in its first three days. It premiered in the US and UK on April 1, with Japan following on April 24. Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri and Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto returned as producers, with directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, screenwriter Matthew Fogel, and composer Brian Tyler also reprising their roles from the previous successful film.
Sakamoto Days Live-Action Film Holds Strong
The live-action film adaptation of Yuuto Suzuki's Sakamoto Days manga maintained its #5 ranking in its fourth weekend. It earned 115,246,500 yen (about US$722,200) from Friday to Sunday, contributing to a cumulative total of 2,403,602,400 yen (about US$15.06 million). The film debuted at #4, selling 346,000 tickets and earning 478 million yen (about US$3.05 million) in its first three days. Its initial eight-day run, coinciding with Golden Week, saw 1.14 million tickets sold and 1.5 billion yen (about US$9.58 million) earned. Released in Japan on April 29, the film is also shown in ScreenX format. Viz Media and MANGA Plus publish the manga in English. Snow Man member Ren Meguro stars as Tarō Sakamoto, alongside Fumiya Takahashi as Shin Asakura, and Aya Ueto as Aoi Sakamoto. Yuichi Fukuda directed and wrote the script.
Shōjiki Fudōsan and Other Film Updates
The live-action film of Mitsuhiro Mizuno and Akira Ōtani's Shōjiki Fudōsan (The Honest Realtor) manga dropped from #4 to #6 in its second weekend, earning 99,333,340 yen (about US$622,500) from Friday to Sunday, with a cumulative total of 397,301,260 yen (about US$2.48 million). It opened on May 15, ranking #4 and earning 179,443,360 yen (about US$1.13 million) in its first three days. The manga also inspired a TV series. Meanwhile, the Patlabor EZY anime project's "File 1" and The Irregular at Magic High School THE MOVIE - Yotsuba Succession Arc - have exited the top 10. The sustained performance of these diverse adaptations underscores the strong appeal of anime and manga intellectual properties in Japan's bustling film industry.
