News

Japanese Box Office, November 23-24

Kaguya-hime no Monogatari (The Tale of Princess Kaguya), the latest film from Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, debuted at #1 during the November 23-24 weekend. The film is based on the famous Japanese folktale Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter), which centers on a princess named Kaguya who was discovered as a baby inside the stalk of a glowing bamboo plant. The film earned 284,196,296 yen (US$2,773,457) on 456 screens.

Gekijō-ban Mahō Shōjo Madoka Magica Shinpen: Hangyaku no Monogatari (Madoka Magica The Movie -Rebellion-), the third film in the Puella Magi Madoka Magica franchise, stayed at #4 during its fifth weekend. Akiyuki Shinbo and Yukihiro Miyamoto directed the film at SHAFT with original character designs from manga creator Ume Aoki (Hidamari Sketch). Yuki Kajiura provided the music. The main cast returned from the television series and previous two films, and Kana Asumi joined the cast as the new magical girl Nagisa Momoe. The film earned 94,315,691 yen (US$920,422) on 129 screens for a new total of 1,716,008,794 yen (US$16,746,444).

Toei's Eiga Dokidoki! Precure Mana Kekkon!!? Mirai ni Tsunagu Kibō no Dress (Dokidoki! Precure the Movie: Mana's Getting Married!!? The Dress of Hope Linked to the Future) film fell from #5 to #6 in its fifth weekend. The story begins when the main lead, Mana Aida, inherits the same wedding dress that her mother and her grandmother wore. However, a mysterious cloaked figure named Mashū appears aboard an airship while playing a clarinet, and people start losing their memories or worse. Mana is transported to the past, and while she gets to see her beloved grandmother and dog Maro, the future is in jeopardy. The film earned 56,000,160 yen (US$546,502) on 199 screens for a new total of 863,077,781 yen (US$8,422,732).

The first Persona 3 film, Persona 3 The Movie #1 Spring of Birth, debuted at #7. The cast from Atlus's original PlayStation 2 game returned for the film. In the game's story, there is a hidden time known as the "Dark Hour" that exists between one day and the next when all movement in the town stops. During this time, terrible creatures called Shadows roam, and a group of high school students in the city of Iwatodai are drawn into the Dark Hour to fight these creatures and explore the mysterious tower of Tartarus. This group uses weapons called Evokers that are used to summon Personas. Box Office Mojo did not list the film on its chart, but Kogyo Tsushin reports that the film earned 60,912,300 yen (about US$594,440) during the weekend.

The Bad Boys J live-action film based on Hiroshi Tanaka's Bad Boys manga fell from #8 to #9 on Box Office Mojo's chart in its third weekend (Kogyo Tsushinsha did not list the film on its top 10 chart). The film is a followup of the 2012 Bad Boys J television drama starring Sexy Zone idol group signer Kento Nakajima as Tsukasa Kiriki, a young man who has a strong sense of justice, but rebels against his rich parents and joins a motorcycle gang called the Paradise Butterflies. The film earned 23,435,224 yen (US$228,703) on 90 screens for a new total of 181,760,659 yen (US$1,773,793).

Toho's live-action film adaptation of Ryo Ikuemi's shōjo manga Kiyoku Yawaku fell from Box Office Mojo's chart in its fifth weekend.

Sources: Kogyo Tsushinsha, Box Office Mojo