News
Japanese Box Office, March 8-9
posted on by Karen Ressler
Eiga Doraemon Shin Nobita no Daimakyo ~Peko to 5-nin no Tankentai~ (Doraemon the Movie: New Nobita's Great Demon ~Peko and the Exploration Party of Five~ opened this weekend at #1. The film remakes the 1982 film Doraemon: Nobita's Great Demon, which was written by original Doraemon co-creator Fujiko F. Fujio, and follows the heroes of the Doraemon television series as they go on an adventure to help a dog prince return to his kingdom, deep within an unexplored land. The film was not listed on Box Office Mojo's chart.
Takashi Miike's live-action film adaptation of Noboru Takahashi's Mogura no Uta manga series, Mogura no Uta: Senyū Sōsakan Reiji (The Mole Song: Undercover Agent Reiji), fell from #2 to #3 in its fourth weekend. In the story of the original manga, Reiji Kikukawa is known as a troublesome member of the police force due to his tendency to enforce justice through his own morals. He goes undercover to infiltrate a gangster syndicate. The film ranked #2 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 140,514,445 yen (US$1,382,662) on 293 screens for a new total of 1,611,056,750 yen (US$15,852,798).
The live-action film adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa's Silver Spoon manga opened this weekend at #4. Kento Nakajima stars as Yūgo Hachiken, a city boy who enters an agricultural high school. Many of Hachiken's classmates are from farming families, but Hachiken is not used to farm life. Alice Hirose co-stars as Hachiken's classmate Aki Mikage. The film was not listed on Box Office Mojo's chart.
The live-action film of Eiko Kadono's fantasy novel series Kiki's Delivery Service (Majo no Takkyūbin) fell from #3 to #5 in its second weekend. The film stars Fūka Koshiba as Kiki, Ryōhei Hirota as Tombo, and Minako Kotobuki as Jiji in the coming of age story that Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli also adapted into an animated film. The film ranked #4 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 71,181,922 yen (US$700,430) on 281 screens for a new total of 267,665,532 yen (US$2,633,828).
The film follow-up to the live-action television series adaptation of Tohru Fujisawa's Kamen Teacher manga, Gekijōban Kamen Teacher fell from #6 to #8 in its third weekend. The story stars Kis-My-Ft2 idol group member Taisuke Fujigaya as Gōta Araki, a teacher who becomes a masked hero to puts down delinquents. In the show Araki transfers to a new high school and is handed the second year's Class C, which has problem students led by a powerful student nicknamed "M4." Araki wants to reach out to the students without resorting to using the power of the mask, but he reluctantly puts it on to bring the students in line and rehabilitate them. The film ranked #6 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 43,460,964 yen (US$427,656) on 143 screens for a new total of 279,823,438 yen (US$2,753,462).
Tiger & Bunny The Movie -The Rising- fell from #8 to #9 in its fifth weekend. The film reunites the core cast of the Tiger & Bunny television series, as well as Yūichi Nakamura as Golden Ryan, Barnaby Brooks Jr.'s new partner in the film. The story revolves around a mystery that happens on the day of the "Justice Day" festival that celebrates Sternbild's legendary goddess. Viz Media announced that it will screen in the United States starting March 14. The film also ranked #5 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 51,014,256 yen (US$501,980) on 94 screens for a new total of 578,523,966 yen (US$5,692,676).
THE IDOLM@STER MOVIE: Kagayaki no Mukōgawa e! ranked #10 on Box Office Mojo's chart in its seventh weekend and earned 28,266,161 yen (US$278,139) on 67 screens for a new total of 603,545,219 yen (US$5,938,884). In the film, the producer works his very hardest to help the 765 Production idols prepare themselves at a training camp for their first arena concert. He also reveals that there are new girls joining the team as back-up dancers for the arena concert. These girls are all idols featured in GREE's The IDOLM@STER: Million Live mobile game that started service last year. The idol Haruka is also named the leader of the group, and she is held in high esteem by the new girls, whose futures will be decided after the concert.
Sources: Kogyo Tsushinsha, Box Office Mojo
follow-up of Japanese Box Office, March 1-2
