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Japanese Box Office, March 10-11

Doraemon: Nobita to Kiseki no Shima ~Animal Adventure~, this year's Doraemon film, stayed at No. 1 during its second weekend. The story takes the robot cat Doraemon, his owner Nobita, and their friends to an island paradise full of animals that would have otherwise gone extinct. The film guest stars Nana Mizuki, Kouichi Yamadera, Masako Nozawa, and Atsuko Tanaka. The film earned US$5,305,991 on 359 screens for a gross-to-date of US$13,174,442.

The manga-based Liar Game: Reborn (Liar Game -Saisei-) live-action film fell from No. 2 to No. 3 during its second weekend. Shota Matsuda (Hana Yori Dango [2005]) reprises his lead role as the genius Akiyama from Shinobu Kaitani's Liar Game psychological thriller manga. Mikako Tabe (Kimi ni Todoke) plays the heroine Yū in a new game, while Mana Ashida (Usagi Drop/Bunny Drop) goes against typecasting as Alice, a member of the Liar Game organization. The film earned US$3,276,786 on 318 screens for a new total of US$10,731,242.

Always: Sunset on Third Street '64, the third live-action film based on Ryohei Saigan's nostalgic San-chōme no Yūhi - Yūyake no Uta manga directed by Takashi Yamazaki (live-action Space Battleship Yamato, Returner, Ballad) fell from No. 7 to No. 8 during its eighth weekend. The original manga, a 1990-1991 television anime series adaptation, and the first two live-action films followed the lives of people in a Tokyo neighborhood as the iconic Tokyo Tower rises above them. The film ranked at No. 9 on Box Office Mojo and earned US$408,098 on 473 screens for a gross-to-date total of US$40,223,131.

Takashi Miike's live-action adaptation of CAPCOM's Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban) video game franchise fell from No. 12 to No. 14 in its fifth weekend. The film takes place in a parallel Japan, where a large increase in harsh crimes has led to a new court system. Under this new system, the defense attorney and public prosecutor have three days to battle cases out in open court to determine guilt or innocence of the accused, placing priority on speed instead of thorough investigation. The film earned US$189,019 on 275 screens for a new total of US$6,145,395.

The live-action film adaptation of Masaharu Noritsuke's Afro Tanaka comedy manga fell from No. 13 to No. 15 during its fourth weekend. Shota Matsuda (Liar Game, Hana Yori Dango [2005]) stars as an odd, Afro-haired young man named Hiroshi Tanaka who faces his greatest challenge at the age of 24: his first potential girlfriend (live-action Sazae-san special and Kaitō Royale's Nozomi Sasaki). The film earned US$121,619 on 72 screens for a new total of US$1,872,727.

The live-action film adaptation of Hikaru Nakamura's Arakawa Under the Bridge manga fell from No. 16 to No. 18 in its sixth weekend. In the story, an upper-class young man named Ko "Riku" Ichinomiya (Kento Hayashi) meets a beautiful homeless girl named Nino (Mirei Kiritani) from the banks of Arakawa River, where many of Tokyo's most unusual denizens live. The film earned US$17,145 on 24 screens for a new total of US$3,301,814.

Sources: Kogyo Tsushinsha, Box Office Mojo