News

Japanese Box Office, April 26-27

The 18th Detective Conan film, Detective Conan: Ijigen no Sniper (Detective Conan: Sniper From Another Dimension), fell from #1 to #2 in its second weekend. The film, revolves around a sniping incident case in Tokyo, features the appearance of Shuichi Akai, Subaru Okiya, and FBI agent Jodie Starling. The film ranked #3 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 465,023,588 yen (US$4,548,395) on 341 screens for a new total of 1,631,415,414 yen (US$15,956,874).

Thermae Romae II, the second live-action film adaptation of Mari Yamazaki's Thermae Romae manga, opened this week at #3. Hiroshi Abe is returning as the time-travelling bath architect Lucius Modestus along with Masachika Ichimura as Hadrian, Kazuki Kitamura as Ceionius, Kai, Shishido as Antonius, and Aya Ueto as Mami Yamakoshi. The film ranked #2 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 491,391,213 yen (US$4,806,297).

Eiga Crayon Shin-chan: Gachinko! Gyakushū no Robo Tō-chan (Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Fight! Robo-Dad's Counterattack) fell from #3 to #6 in its second weekend. In the kindergartner "Shin-chan's" 22nd movie, his father comes back from a massage with the body of a robot, a form that is involved in a conspiracy of restless Japanese dads. The film guest stars Emi Takei and Crocket and features a theme song by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. The film also ranked #6 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 200,242,574 yen (US$1,958,572) on 329 screens for a new total of 621,842,788 yen (US$6,082,244).

Crows Explode, the third live-action film inspired by Hiroshi Takahashi's Crows fighting manga,fell from #5 to #7 in its third week. The film introduces the new cast at Suzuran Boys' High School after Genji Takiya and Tamao Serizawa have graduated. Masahiro Higashide (live-action xxxHOLiC) plays the protagonist — a transfer student named Kaburagi "Desperado" — and Taichi Saotome (Prince of Tennis: Eikoku-shiki Teikyū-jō Kessen!) plays first-year student Ryōhei "Joker" Kagami, who aims to reach the top of the Suzuran pecking order. The film also ranked #7 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 76,127,991 yen (US$744,607) on 307 screens for a new total of 815,753,172 yen (US$7,978,881).

The live-action film adaptation of Ayu Watanabe's L DK shōjo manga fell from #6 to #9 in its third weekend. The story follows Aoi (Ayame Gōriki), a high school girl who lives by herself. Through one circumstance after another, she ends up living under the same roof with the "prince" of her school, Shūsei (Kento Yamazaki). (The manga's title is a wordplay on "LDK," the abbreviation for "living room, dining room, kitchen" in Japanese apartment ads.) The film also ranked #9 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 40,732,114 yen (US$398,400) on 194 screens for a new total of 243,358,008 yen (US$2,380,284).

The Heisei Rider vs. Showa Rider Kamen Rider War feat. Super Sentai film fell from #7 to #10 in its fifth weekend. The film features more than 30 Riders, including 15 Showa-era Riders led by Kamen Rider 1 and 15 Heisei-era Riders such as those from the ongoing Kamen Rider Gaim television series. Hiroshi Fujioka, who played the original Kamen Rider 1, returned to the part after 38 years. The film also ranked #10 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 25,413,868 yen (US$248,573) on 293 screens for a new total of 897,124,426 yen (US$8,774,774).

Eiga Doraemon: Shin Nobita no Daimakyō - Peko to 5-nin no Tankentai (Doraemon the Movie: New Nobita's Great Demon ~Peko and the Exploration Party of Five~ fell from #7 to #12 on Box Office Mojo's chart in its eighth weekend and earned 21,972,680 yen (US$214,914) on 337 screens for a new total of 3,419,638,380 yen (US$33,447,483). 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.

Sources: Kogyo Tsushinsha, Box Office Mojo