News

Fate/stay night Trilogy's Final Film Debuts at #1 at Japanese Box Office

The third film in the Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel film trilogy Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel III. spring song opened at #1 and sold 270,000 tickets for 474,890,600 yen (about US$4.48 million) in its opening weekend. The film opened in Japan on August 15, after being postponed from its original March 28 opening in order to curb the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The first Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel film, Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel I. presage flower, opened at #1 at the Japanese box office by both attendance and box office earnings in October 2017. The film sold a total of 980,000 tickets to earn 1.5 billion yen (about US$13.5 million).

The first film screened in the United States in November-December 2017. The film then screened in Canada in January 2018. The English dub of the first film debuted in theaters in the United States in June 2018. Aniplex of America released the film on Blu-ray Disc in November 2018.

The second film, Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel II. lost butterfly, opened in January 2019. The film began playing in the United States and Canada in March 2019.

Fathom Events had planned to screen the first two films as a double feature on April 23 in North America, and had planned to screen the third film on May 7. However, the company announced in March it was postponing the screenings. Aniplex of America also announced that it is canceling the North American premiere of the third film, which was scheduled to be held at The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles on April 17 at 7:00 p.m.

The Eiga Doraemon: Nobita no Shin Kyōryū (Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's New Dinosaur) anime film dropped from #1 to #2 in its second weekend. The film earned 286,484,050 yen (about US$2.70 million) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 1,659,811,650 yen (about US$15.67 million).

The film opened at #1 in 377 theaters in its first weekend. The film sold 630,000 tickets for 761 million yen (about US$7.13 million) from August 7-9. (Monday was a holiday in Japan.) The film sold 334,000 tickets for 413 million yen (about US$3.86 million) on Saturday and Sunday. The film opened in Japan on August 7, after being postponed from its original March 6 opening in order to curb the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The film's story begins with Nobita meeting two twin dinosaurs named Kyu and myu. Despite the film's similarity in title to Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Dinosaur, the first film in the franchise, the story is completely different. The new film is the franchise's 40th, and it marks the 50th anniversary of the original manga.

Kazuaki Imai, an episode director on the Doraemon television anime, and the director of 2018's Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Treasure Island film, directed the 40th film. Genki Kawamura also returned from the 2018 film to pen the new film's script. Mr. Children performed the theme songs "Birthday" and "Kimi to Kasaneta Monologue" for the film. The film is the franchise's first to feature two theme songs, and it is also the first work for which Mr. Children have written two songs.

The live-action film of Hiroyuki Nishimori's gag comedy manga Kyou Kara Ore Wa!! dropped from #2 to #3 in its fifth weekend. The film earned 238,313,600 yen (about US$2.25 million) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 4,076,089,850 yen (about US$38.49 million).

The film opened in Japan on July 17. The film sold 605,000 tickets and earned 787,588,600 yen (about US$7.34 million) to rank at #1 in its opening weekend. Audiences for the film were about 40% men and 60% women, with ages ranging from teenagers to senior citizens. The Eiga.com website projects that the film will earn about 5 billion yen (about US$46.64 million).

The film's cast members reprised their roles from the live-action series. Yūichi Fukuda (live-action Gintama, HK/Hentai Kamen, Super Salaryman Mr. Saenai) returned from the series to direct the film. The film also inspired a television special that premiered on the same day the film opened.

Fukuda directed the 10-episode live action series, which premiered on NTV's Nichiyō Drama time slot in October 2018. The new series marked the first live-action adaptation for the manga in about 21 years.

The live-action film of Wataru Watanabe's Yowamushi Pedal manga opened at #5 after a delay caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The film earned 247,875,980 yen (about US$2.34 million) in its opening weekend.

The story of the original manga centers around Sakamichi Onoda, an otaku at Sōhoku High School in Chiba. He loves anime and games so much, that he would ride his commuter bicycle to and from Tokyo's Akihabara shopping district in a 90-kilometer (about 60-mile) round trip over steep slopes after school. Onoda's life changes when he encounters his high school's cycling team, and he ends up joining the competitive sport of bicycle racing.

Watanabe launched the original Yowamushi Pedal manga in Akita Shoten's Weekly Shōnen Champion magazine in 2008, and Akita Shoten published the manga's 66th compiled book volume on April 8. The manga has over 25 million copies in circulation. Yen Press is releasing the manga in English.

The first season of the television anime adaptation premiered in 2013. The second season premiered in Japan in 2014 and ended in March 2015. Yowamushi Pedal New Generation, the series' third season, premiered in January 2017. Yowamushi Pedal Glory Line, the fourth season, premiered in January 2018. Crunchyroll streamed all four seasons as they aired.

The manga also inspired several anime movies, an original video anime, a live-action television adaptation, and 14 stage play productions.

The live-action film of Io Sakisaka's Love Me, Love Me Not (Omoi, Omoware, Furi, Furare) manga opened at #6. The film earned 205,238,250 yen (about US$1.93 million) in its opening weekend.

The film stars Minami Hamabe as Akari Yamamoto, Takumi Kitamura as Rio Yamamoto, Riko Fukumoto as Yuna Ichihara, and Eiji Akaso as Kazuomi Inui. Takahiro Miki directed the film, and Miki and Yōko Yonaiyama wrote the script.

The manga is also inspiring an anime film adaptation. The film was previously slated to open on May 29, but TOHO and the film's production committee delayed the film's opening due to the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and they have not yet revealed a new opening date for the film.

Viz Media published the first manga volume on March 3.

Sakisaka (Strobe Edge, Blue Spring Ride) launched the manga in Shueisha's Bessatsu Margaret in June 2015, and ended it in May 2019. Shueisha published the manga's 12th and final compiled book volume in June 2019.

The live-action film of Kenji Inoue and Kimitake Yoshioka's Grand Blue Dreaming comedy manga dropped from #4 to #7 in its second weekend. The film earned 43,873,320 yen (about US$414,400) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 287,870,110 yen (about US$2.71 million)

The film opened in Japan on August 7 at #4. The film was originally scheduled to open on May 29, but concerns over the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) forced a delay.

The film stars Ryō Ryūsei (Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū, Orange, left in image at right) as Iori Kitahara, a freshman college student who is aiming for his ideal college life, and Inukai (Kamen Rider Build, Natsuzora, right) as Kōhei Imamura, a fellow freshman who meets Iori through a bizarre circumstance.

Tsutomu Hanabusa (live-action 3D Kanojo Real Girl, Kakegurui, Asahinagu) directed the film with the production company "THEFOOL," and Warner Bros. Japan is distributing. sumika performed film's theme song "Zekkyō Serenade" (Shouting Serenade).

The new installment of the Toei Manga Matsuri omnibus film series revival opened at #9. The film earned 24,640,400 yen (about US$232,700) in its opening weekend.

Toei had planned to open the film on April 24, but delayed the film due to government declarations against the outbreak of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The omnibus includes the second film for the Butt Detective (Oshiri Tantei) anime titled Oshiri Tantei: Tentō Mushi Iseki no Nazo. Another segment is Kamen Rider Den-O: Pretty Den-O Tōjō! (Masked Rider Den-O: Pretty Den-O Appears!), the Kamen Rider Den-O franchise's first film in 10 years. The other segments are Eiga Fushigi Dagashiya Zenitendō and Recycle Zoo: Mamore! Mokuyōbi wa Shigen Gomi no Hi.

This year's omnibus will also include a second film for the Butt Detective (Oshiri Tantei) anime, and will also include films for Kamen Rider Den-O, Fushigi Dagashiya Zenitendō and Recycle Zoo.

Last year's installment of the omnibus film series was the first new one in 29 years. That installment opened in Japan last April. Like this year's installment, last year's also featured Butt Detective and the Recycle Zoo cardboard-animated series. The April 2019 screening also showcased the Bakutsuri Bar Hunter and Uchi no 3 Shimai anime.

Toei screened the Toei Manga Matsuri film series from 1969 through 1990 during long break periods such as the summer or winter break to advertise its properties for children. The films not only featured anime, but also live-action properties and other genres. The omnibus films have screened anime shorts such as Mazinger Z Vs. Devilman, as well as shorts for Dr. Slump, Kinnikuman, and Captain Tsubasa. The film series has also screened Captain Harlock: Mystery of the Arcadia, the first Dragon Ball film (Dragon Ball Movie 1: Curse of the Blood Rubies), and even screened Disney films such as 101 Dalmatians and Snow White.

The Shōjo☆Kageki Revue Starlight Rondo Rondo Rondo compilation film stayed at #1 in the mini-theater ranking in its second weekend.

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