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The First Slam Dunk Film Stays at #1 for 5 Consecutive Weeks, Suzume Stays at #2

The First Slam Dunk, the new anime film of Takehiko Inoue's Slam Dunk basketball manga, stayed at #1 for its fifth weekend. The film sold 276,000 tickets over the weekend and earned 362,069,750 yen (about US$2.70 million) from Friday to Sunday. The film has sold a total of 4.61 million tickets for a cumulative total of 6,274,474,330 yen (about US$46.8 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 eighth weekend. The film sold 199,000 tickets over the weekend, and earned 244,893,650 yen (about US$1.83 million) from Friday to Sunday. The film has now sold a cumulative total of 8.51 million tickets for 11.35 billion yen (about US$84.8 million). It is now the #30 highest-grossing film of all time in Japan, and the #11 highest-grossing anime film of all time in Japan.

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 adaptation of Takatoshi Yamada's Dr. Koto Shinryojo (Dr. Koto's Clinic) manga rose from #5 to #4 in its third weekend. The film earned 89,219,530 yen (about US$666,500) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 1,376,067,580 yen (about US$10.3 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.

The anime film of Mizuki Tsujimura's Lonely Castle in the Mirror (Kagami no Kojō) novel stayed at #6 in its second weekend. The film earned 52,687,780 yen (about US$393,600) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 392,196,110 yen (about US$2.93 million).

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.

One Piece Film Red returned to the top 10 at #7 in its 22nd weekend. The film earned 40,522,760 yen (about US$302,700) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 18,892,667,510 yen (about US$141.1 million). The film topped Japan's box office for 2022 in terms of yen earned and tickets sold.

One Piece Film Red opened in Japan on August 6. The movie has become the franchise's highest-selling and highest-earning film installment, in terms of both the number of tickets sold and yen earned at the box office. The anime is both the #6 all-time highest-earning anime film in Japan and the #9 all-time highest-earning film in Japan.

The film centers on a new character named Uta, Shanks' daughter. Kaori Nazuka is the speaking voice of Uta, while Ado is the character's singing voice. Ado also performs the film's theme song "Shinjidai" ("New Genesis"). Goro Taniguchi (Code Geass, One Piece: Defeat The Pirate Ganzak! special) directed One Piece Film Red. Tsutomu Kuroiwa (One Piece Film Gold, One Piece: Heart of Gold, GANTZ:O, live-action Black Butler) wrote the screenplay, and One Piece manga creator Eiichiro Oda himself served as executive producer.

The film will end its run in theaters in Japan on January 29.

The live-action film based on Hikaru Nakamura's Black Night Parade comedy manga dropped from #4 to #8 in its second weekend. The film earned 39,316,820 yen (about US$293,700) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 442,742,720 yen (about US$3.31 million).

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 Kamen Rider Geats x Revice Movie Battle Royale dropped from #7 to #9 in its second 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, stayed at #10 in its sixth weekend. The film earned 24,196,700 (about US$180,600) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 1,241,893,170 yen (about US$9.27 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 started 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.

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