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2nd Sumikko Gurashi Film Ranks at #2, SAO Progressive Drops to #5 at Japanese Box Office

Eiga Sumikko Gurashi: Aoi Tsukiyo no Mahō no Ko (The Magical Child of the Blue Moonlit Night), the second film in San-X's Sumikko Gurashi franchise, opened at #2. The film sold about 200,000 tickets to earn about 250 million yen (about US$2.22 million) in its first three days.

The film opened in Japan on November 5.

Takahiro Ōmori (Durarara!!, Natsume's Book of Friends, Princess Jellyfish) directed the film. Reiko Yoshida (Violet Evergarden, Lu over the Wall, K-ON!) penned the script, and Kaori Hino (Modest Heroes, Napping Princess) returned from the first film as the art director. Fanworks returned to animate the film, and Asmik Ace is distributing.

In the film's story, the main characters go on a camping trip one day in the fall, and that night they recall a legend: that once every five years, on the night of a large and blue full moon, magical creatures will visit the town. The characters look up, only to see a large and blue moon overhead.

Sumikko Gurashi debuted in 2012 as slightly negative characters who like to stay in the corner of a room. The characters include "Shirokuma," a polar bear who is sensitive to cold; "Penguin?" (with a question mark in its name), a penguin who is unsure if it is actually a penguin; "Tonkatsu," a piece of pork cutlet that was left uneaten; "Neko," a shy cat; and "Tokage," who hides his nature as one of the last dinosaurs.

The live action film adaptation of Fumi Yoshinaga's What Did You Eat Yesterday? (Kinō Nani Tabeta?) manga opened at #3. The film sold 100,000 tickets and earned about 145 million yen (about US$1.28 million) from Saturday to Sunday.

The film premiered in Japan on November 3.

Seiyo Uchino and Hideotshi Nishijima reprised their roles from the manga's live-action television series adaptation as Kenji Yabuki and Shirō Kakei, respectively. Kazuhito Nakae and Naoko Adachi also returned from the live-action series as director and scriptwriter, respectively. Other cast members including Kōji Yamamoto, Hayato Isomura, Makita Sports, Misako Tanaka, and Meiko Kaji returned as their characters Daisaku Kohinata, Wataru Inoue, Hiroshi Miyake, Kayoko Tominaga, and Hisae Kakei, respectively.

The manga centers on a hard-working middle-aged gay couple in Tokyo and the food they share together at the dinner table.

The Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Aria of a Starless Night anime film dropped from #1 to #5 in its second weekend. The film earned 141,584,334 yen (about US$1.25 million) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 725,605,041 yen (about US$6.43 million).

A new film titled Sword Art Online the Movie -Progressive- Kuraki Yūyami no Scherzo (Scherzo of a Dark Dusk) will open in 2022.

The first movie opened in Japan on October 30 in standard and IMAX theaters, and topped the box office in its first weekend.

Funimation will present the film in both standard and IMAX theaters in the United States and Canada on December 3 and in Australia and New Zealand on December 9. The movie will also screen soon in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Latin America. The film will open in over 40 countries and territories around the world. Odex will screen the film in Southeast Asia this year.

Ayako Kohno (unit director on Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic, High School Fleet, The Seven Deadly Sins the Movie: Prisoners of the Sky) directed the film at A-1 Pictures, and Kento Toya (Sword Art Online: Alicization - War of Underworld, The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments) designed the characters. Yasuyuki Kai served as action director, and Yuki Kajiura returned to compose the music.

Eiga Tropical-Rouge! Precure: Yuki no Princess to Kiseki no Yubiwa! (Tropical-Rouge! Precure the Movie: The Snow Princess and the Miraculous Ring), the new anime film for the Tropical-Rouge! Precure anime, dropped from #4 to #7 in its third weekend. The film earned 51,421,480 yen (about US$455,700) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 441,641,290 yen (about US$3.91 million).

The film ranked at #1 in its opening weekend, earning 169,625,170 yen (about US$1.48 million) and selling about 141,000 tickets in its first two days.

The film opened in Japan on October 23.

The film takes place in the wintry land of Shantia, with Manatsu and the others invitied to the land by its princess Sharon. But as they arrive, a mysterious monster attacks Shantia, and it is closed off to outsiders.

Junji Shimizu (Futari wa Pretty Cure: Max Heart) directed the film, and Yoshimi Narita (Yes! Precure 5) penned the script. Shiho Terada returned from Tropical-Rouge! Precure to compose the music. Ken Ueno (Heartcatch Precure! Hana no Miyako de Fashion Show…Desu ka!?) was the character designer and chief animation director. Takashi Kurahashi was the art director, and Naomi Kiyota was the color designer. Yusuke Osone was the CGI director. Kenji Takahashi was the director of photography. Masahiro Murakami is credited as production manager. The film's theme song is titled "Shantia ~Shiawase no Kuni~" (Shantia ~Land of Happiness~).

Uchū no Hō: Elohim-hen (The Laws of the Universe: Elohim Chapter), the newest film in The Laws of the Universe film series by controversial religious organization Happy Science (Kōfuku no Kagaku), dropped off the top 10 list in its fifth weekend, but still earned 26,623,920 yen (about US$235,900) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 741,732,850 yen (about US$6.57 million).

The theatrical screening of the final three episodes of the Sōkyū no Fafner THE BEYOND anime ranked at #1 in the mini-theater ranking in its opening weekend. The screenings opened in Japan on Friday.

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