News

Kingdom, Shin-chan, Sound! Euphonium Debut in Top 5 at Japanese Box Office

Meitantei Conan: Konjō no Fist (Detective Conan: Fist of Blue Sapphire), the 23rd Detective Conan anime film, stayed at the top of the Japanese box office ranking in its second weekend. The film sold 678,000 tickets and earned 886 million yen (about US$7.91 million) over the weekend, and has cumulatively sold 2.75 million tickets and earned 3.5 billion yen (about US$31.28 million).

The film sold 1,458,263 tickets to earn 1,886,292,700 yen (about US$16.85 million) in its first three days. The film also debuted at #1 at the Japanese box office for the weekend of April 13-14.

The opening weekend earnings surpassed last year's film, Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer. The film sold 1,289,000 tickets in its first three days in April 2018 to earn 1.67 billion yen (about US$15.6 million). The movie is the highest-earning film in the franchise. In Japan, the film has earned 9.18 billion yen (about US$82 million), and is the eighth highest-grossing anime film in Japan of all time, and the 46th highest-grossing film in Japan in general. As of November 16, the film had earned 11 billion yen worldwide.

Detective Conan: Fist of Blue Sapphire is set in Singapore, and is the first Detective Conan film set outside of Japan. Singapore's famous Marina Bay Sands is the site of a murder case in the film. The plot involves a large gem known as the "Blue Sapphire," which sank to the bottom of the ocean at the end of the 19th century. The film centers on Kaitō Kid, Makoto Kyōgoku, and Conan Edogawa. Makoto, an undefeated karate master with 400 wins, confronts Kid as Kid tries to steal the Blue Sapphire. Meanwhile, Kaitō Kid brings Conan to Singapore against his will.

Tomoka Nagaoka (assistant director on Detective Conan: The Crimson Love Letter) directed the film. Takahiro Okura (Detective Conan: The Crimson Love Letter) penned the script. Katsuo Ono returned to compose the music. Hiroomi Tosaka, the vocalist for Sandaime J Soul Brothers from Exile Tribe, performed the film's theme song "Blue Sapphire."

The live-action film of Yasuhisa Hara's Kingdom manga sold 506,861 tickets to earn 690,219,500 yen (about US$6.17 million) in its first three days from Friday through Sunday. The film ranked at #2 for the Saturday-Sunday weekend. Toho is aiming for the film to earn 4 billion yen (about US$35.7 million).

Shinsuke Satō (live-action Gantz, Death Note Light up the NEW world, Bleach) directed the film. Sony Pictures Japan produced the film. ONE OK ROCK performed the theme song "Wasted Nights" for the film.

Kento Yamazaki reprised his role as protagonist Shin (Xin) from the manga's earlier live-action short.

Hara's historical manga centers around the slave boy Xin and his dream of becoming a great general for the state of Qin. Xin helps Ying Zheng, the young Qin king who shares his desire to unify China, rise to power within the state. Xin does all he can to become a superior commander of an army capable of defeating the Seven Warring States.

Eiga Crayon Shin-chan Shinkon Ryokō Hurricane ~Ushinawareta Hiroshi~ (Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Honeymoon Hurricane, Lost Hiroshi), the series' 27th film, sold 242,000 tickets and earned 289 million yen (about US$2.58 million) to rank at #3 in its opening weekend. The film earned 78.7% of the opening weekend earnings of the previous year's franchise film. The film opened in Japan on April 19.

The anime is set in Australia and follows the Nohara family on an inexpensive and family-friendly honeymoon trip that Misae discovered. Instead of the romantic trip they envisioned, Misae, Hiroshi, and their children get wrapped up in a dangerous adventure. Hiroshi is the center of the story and becomes the key to a treasure. Hiroshi is taken away soon after the family's arrival in Australia. The remaining family members must rescue him while dealing with a mysterious masked group and treasure hunters.

The film is Yumiko Kobayashi's first for the franchise in the title role. She took over the role of protagonist Shinnosuke Nohara in the television anime last July after previous voice actress Akiko Yajima departed from the role.

Masakazu Hashimoto, who directed three previous Crayon Shin-chan films, returned to direct the film. Kimiko Ueno also returned to write the script with Munenori Mizuno (Doraemon, Midnight Crazy Trail). Shin-Ei Animation, TV Asahi, ADK, and Futabasha are credited for production.

Kyoto Animation's Gekijōban Hibike! Euphonium: Chikai no Finale (Sound! Euphonium The Movie: Oath's Finale), the second of two planned new films in the Sound! Euphonium franchise, earned 93,022,800 yen (about US$831,500) from Friday to Sunday to rank at #5 in its opening weekend. The film opened in Japan on April 19.

Tatsuya Ishihara returned from the series to direct the film, and main writer Jukki Hanada also returned to pen the script. Shoko Ikeda returned from the series as character designer, and Akito Matsuda returned as composer. Lantis is credited for music production. Shochiku is distributing the film.

In the film's story, Kumiko is now a second year and one of the senior players of the euphonium section. With new underclassmen joining the concert band, Kumiko will have to learn new things in order to deal with awkward and difficult underclassmen. She and third-year trumpeter Tomoe Kabe have been chosen to lead the new underclassmen members. Among the new members to Kumiko's bass section are euphonist Kanade Hisaishi, whose appearances are deceiving; tuba player Mirei Suzuki, who cannot adapt to her new environment; tuba player Satsuki Suzuki, who wants to get along with Mirei; and double bassist Motomu Tsukinaga, who cannot talk about himself. Between the Sunrise Festival, chair placement auditions, and the competition, a number of problems quickly begin to arise.

Liz and the Blue Bird (Liz to Aoitori), the first of the two new films, opened in Japan last April. Eleven Arts screened the film in Japanese with English subtitles and an English dub in the United States last November.

Eiga Doraemon no Nobita no Getsumen Tansaki (Doraemon the Movie: Chronicle of the Moon Exploration), the Doraemon franchise's 39th film, dropped from #2 to #6 in its eighth weekend. The film earned 41,445,900 yen (about US$370,400) from Friday to Sunday, and it has earned a cumulative total of 4,739,882,100 yen (about US$42.36 million).

The film stayed at #1 for six consecutive weeks, and is the first film in the current film series to do so since the film series began in 2004.

The film opened on 382 screens on March 1 and sold 645,000 tickets for 757 million yen (about US$6.77 million) to top the Japanese box office in its opening weekend. From March 2-3, the film earned 82.6% of the earnings from last year's Eiga Doraemon: Nobita no Takarajima film in its opening weekend. Eiga Doraemon: Nobita no Takarajima holds the record as the highest-grossing film in the current 14-installment Doraemon film series after earning a total of 5.37 billion yen (about US$48.1 million) at the box office. Each Doraemon film in the past three years has set a new franchise box-office record.

The film's story relates to the Japanese folkloric belief that a rabbit resides on the moon. The film is set on the moon and centers on strong friendships bound together by the "ability to believe." Luna is a mysterious girl who lives on the far side of the moon. Diabolo and his subordinate Goddard stand in the way of Nobita and his friends on their moon exploration journey.

Shinnosuke Yakuwa (Doraemon the Movie: Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016, Doraemon the Movie: Nobita in the New Haunts of Evil - Peko and the Five Explore) directed the film, which is his first work directing from an original script. Naoki Prize-winning mystery author Midzuki Tsujimura (Tsunagu, Kagami no Kojō) wrote the script, and she also wrote a novel adaptation, which debuted on November 16. Dai Hirai performed the theme song "The Gift."

The live-action film adaptation of Mineo Maya's Tonde Saitama (Fly Me to Saitama) manga dropped from #5 to #7 in its ninth weekend. The film earned 45,088,100 yen (about US$403,000) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 3,427,068,800 yen (about US$30.62 million)

After opening on February 22, the film sold 191,000 tickets for 259,038,800 yen (about US$2.33 million) on Saturday and Sunday to top the Japanese box office in its opening weekend.

Hideki Takeuchi (live-action Nodame Cantabile, Thermae Romae) directed the film, and Tomokazu Tokunaga (live-action Densha Otoko) wrote the script. Hanawa performed the film's theme song "Saitama-ken no Uta" (The Song of Saitama Prefecture).

There are two parts to the film: a "legend part" that focuses on Rei and Momomi, and a "modern part" that focuses on a certain Saitama family through whom the legend is told. In the story, those who live in Saitama Prefecture are ruthlessly persecuted by those who live in Tokyo, so the citizens of Saitama Prefecture hide this fact from others. High school student Momomi Dannoura is the son of the governor of Tokyo, and he is also the student council president at Hokuhodo Academy, the top high school in Tokyo. One day, he meets Rei Asami, a mysterious transfer student who has returned from America. Rei and Momomi are captivated by each other, but Momomi knows Rei is from Saitama Prefecture. The manga tells the story of two people split by a prefectural border, a Saitama "Romeo and Juliet." The couple try to elope and start a revolution to liberate Saitama Prefecture.

Eiga Precure Miracle Universe, the newest movie in the Precure franchise, dropped out of the top 10 in its sixth weekend.

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