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The First Slam Dunk Film Stays at #1, Suzume at #2

The First Slam Dunk, the new anime film of Takehiko Inoue's Slam Dunk basketball manga, stayed at #1 for its fourth weekend. The film sold 302,000 tickets over the weekend and earned 461,741,060 yen (about US$3.47 million) from Friday to Sunday. The film has sold a total of 3,407,275 tickets for a cumulative total of 5,067,029,010 yen (about US$38.0 million).

The film ranked at #1 in its opening weekend. The film sold 847,000 tickets and earned 1,295,808,780 yen (about US$9.50 million) over its opening weekend.

The film opened in Japan on December 3. The movie has IMAX screenings in 40 cinemas all over Japan, and Dolby Atmos screenings in 34 cinemas. The movie added Dolby Cinema screenings on December 10.

Inoue personally directed the film at Toei Animation and wrote the script. Among the listed staff members are character designer/animation director Yasuyuki Ebara (Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress) and technical directors Katsuhiko Kitada (Attack on Titan episodes, Major: Yūjō no Winning Shot), Naoki Miyahara (Digimon Adventure, Popin Q), Toshio Ōhashi (LayereD Stories 0), and Yū Kamatani (Looking for Magical DoReMi, Precure Super Stars!).

Daiki Nakazawa directed the CG, and Yūta Ogura produced the CG. Kazuo Ogura directed the art. Yota Tsuruoka directed the sound with Koji Kasamatsu.

Makoto Shinkai's Suzume (Suzume no Tojimari) film stayed at #2 in its seventh weekend. The film sold 299,000 tickets over the weekend, and earned 398,069,210 yen (about US$2.99 million) from Friday to Sunday. The film has now sold a cumulative total of 7.45 million tickets for 10,014,715,330 yen (about US$75.34 million).

The film opened at #1 on November 11 and sold 1.33 million tickets to earn 1.88 billion yen (about US$13.49 million) in its first three days.

The film sold 38.7% more tickets and earned 47.4% more than Shinkai's acclaimed your name. film, which earned 1,277,960,000 yen (about US$12.51 million at the time) in its first three days. It also sold 14.8% more tickets and earned 14.4% more than Shinkai's previous film Weathering With You, marking the strongest opening three days of Shinkai's films.

Actress Nanoka Hara voices the heroine Suzume Iwato in the film. SixTONES idol group member Hokuto Matsumura (live-action Liar × Liar film's Tōru, live-action xxxHOLiC film's Shizuka Doumeki) made his voice acting debut in the film as Sōta Munakata, a young man who embarks on a journey with Suzume as the "Door-Closing Master."

Shinkai (your name., Weathering With You) directed the film and wrote the screenplay. He is also credited with the original story. Masayoshi Tanaka (your name., Weathering With You) designed the characters. Kenichi Tsuchiya (your name., Garden of Words) was the animation director. Takumi Tanji (Children Who Chase Lost Voices) was the art director. CoMix Wave Films and Story Inc. produced the movie. TOHO is distributing the film. RADWIMPS scored the film. Seattle-based Hollywood film composer Kazuma Jinnouchi (Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, RWBY: Ice Queendom) scored the film alongside RADWIMPS. TikTok performer Toaka performed one of the film's theme songs "Suzume."

The live-action film based on Hikaru Nakamura's Black Night Parade comedy manga ranked at #4 in its opening weekend. The film sold 128,000 tickets and earned 165,363,930 yen (about US$1.24 million) over the weekend, and sold 164,000 tickets for 209,912,700 yen (about US$1.57 million) over its first three days.

The film opened in Japan on December 23.

The story follows Miharu Hino, a young man who could not get into college or a steady gig, so he ends up spending every day at his part-time convenience store job. However, this man who is good for nothing somehow lands a job via "Black Santa Claus" at a company that delivers terrible presents to naughty children. ("Black companies" is a Japanese slang for exploitative workplaces.)

Yūichi Fukuda (live-action Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, Gintama, HK/Hentai Kamen) directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Tetsuo Kamata.

The live-action film adaptation of Takatoshi Yamada's Dr. Koto Shinryojo (Dr. Koto's Clinic) manga dropped from #4 to #5 in its second weekend. The film earned 152,697,680 yen (about US$1.14 million) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 1,018,724,870 yen (about US$7.66 million).

The film opened in Japan on December 16. Isamu Nakae directed the film, with a script by Noriko Yoshida. Hidetaka Yoshioka reprised his role as the film's titular doctor from the earlier 2003 and 2006 live-action television series.

Crunchyroll previously streamed the 2003 and 2006 live-action series under the title Dr. Coto's Clinic, and it describes the story:

In this drama set on Shikina Island, a far-flung island of the Japanese archipelago located more than six hours from the Japanese main islands, the young physician Kensuke Goto arrives at the island and has to deal with the island's inhabitants, uneager to accept him, at a clinic lacking sufficient medical equipment. Here's a human drama showing how Dr. Coto values the dignity of human life while unflinchingly facing disease with a serious attitude.

The anime film of Mizuki Tsujimura's Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Kagami no Kojō) novel ranked at #6 in its opening weekend. The film earned 111,448,950 yen (about US$838,500) over the weekend, and earned 146,437,130 yen (about US$1.10 million) over its first three days.

The film opened in Japan on December 23.

Keiichi Hara (Colorful, Miss Hokusai, The Wonderland) directed the film at A-1 Pictures. Miho Maruo, who wrote the script for Hara's Miss Hokusai and The Wonderland films, penned the script. Keigo Sasaki (Blue Exorcist, ERASED, The Seven Deadly Sins) designed the characters, and was also the chief animation director. Russian artist Ilya Kuvshinov, who drew the character designs for The Wonderland, was credited for visual concept and castle design. Harumi Fuuki, who has composed the music for Hara's prior films, returned for this new film. Shochiku is distributing the film.

Doubleday released the novel in English in April 2021, and it describes the story:

In a tranquil neighbourhood of Tokyo, seven teenagers wake to find their bedroom mirrors are shining.

At a single touch, they are pulled from their lonely lives to a wondrous castle filled with winding stairways, watchful portraits and twinkling chandeliers. In this new sanctuary, they are confronted with a set of clues leading to a hidden room where one of them will be granted a wish. But there's a catch: if they don't leave the castle by five o'clock, they will be punished.

As time passes, a devastating truth emerges: only those brave enough to share their stories will be saved.

The Kamen Rider Geats x Revice Movie Battle Royale crossover film ranked at #7 in its opening weekend.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Scarlet Bond (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken: Guren no Kizuna-hen), the franchise's anime film, dropped from #6 to #10 in its fifth weekend. The film earned 40,092,410 yen (about US$301,600) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 1,139,769,650 yen (about US$8.57 million).

The film opened in Japan on November 25, and ranked at #2 and sold 225,000 tickets for 297 million yen (about US$2.14 million) in its opening weekend. It sold 313,000 tickets for 416 million yen (about US$3.19 million) in its first three days.

Fuse, the author of the original light novel series, drafted the film's brand-new original story. The story centers on a new country named Raja, located to the west of Tempest. Rimuru and his companions get involved in a long-running conspiracy that swirls around a woman with a mysterious power. Rimuru and his commander Benimaru also encounter another ogre survivor named Hiiro, who used to hold Benimaru in high regard.

Crunchyroll will screen the film in all major global territories (excluding Asia) in early 2023. The film's rollout overseas will start in December, and will eventually include the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, France, Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South and Central America.

One Piece Film Red dropped off the top 10 in its 21st weekend. The Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: First Kiss wa Owaranai anime film also dropped off the top 10 in its second weekend.

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