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1st Mononoke Film Opens at #7 at Japanese Box Office
posted on by Adriana Hazra
The film opened on July 12. It sold 1,065,000 tickets and earned 1.629 billion yen (about US$10.28 million) in its first three days. The film sold 1.46 million tickets in its first four days, including Monday (which was the Marine Day holiday in Japan), and earned 2.2 billion yen (about US$13.89 million) in that time.
Shinsuke Satō is again directing the new film.
The film covers the manga's Shi Ka (Zi Xia) arc and the Battle of Bayou — the first time Shin (Xin) and Ō Ki (Wang Qi) stood on the battlefield together, to fend off the invasion by the mighty Chō (Zhao) from the north. Anne (Anne Watanabe) returns to the cast as the pivotal character Shi Ka (Zi Xia). Other cast members include Kataoka Ainosuke VI as Fuu Ki (Feng Ji), Kōji Yamamoto as Chō Sō (Zhao Zhuang), Yuki Yamada as Man Goku (Wan Ji), Eri Murakawa as You Li (Yū Ri), Hinako Sakurai as Dong Mei (Tō Bi), and Yūki Araki as Kyō.
Kento Yamazaki, Ryō Yoshizawa, Takao Osawa, and Kanna Hashimoto all reprised their respective characters Shin (Xin), Ei Sei (Yin Zheng), Ō Ki (Wang Qi), and Ka Ryō Ten (He Liao Diao), respectively, from the two previous films. Nana Seino, Hiroshi Tamaki, and Kōichi Satō from the second film also reprised their respective characters Kyо̄ Kai, Sho Hei Kun (Lord Changping), and Ryo Fui (Lu Buwei).
Shinsuke Satō (live-action Gantz, Death Note Light up the NEW world, Bleach) returned as director. Hara and Tsutomu Kuroiwa (One Piece Film Gold, live-action Black Butler, GANTZ:O) returned to write the script.
The project will have three films. The second film titled Gekijōban Mononoke Second Chapter: Hinezumi (also could be romanized as "Kaso," meaning "fire rat"), will premiere in Japan on March 14, 2025.
Gekijōban Mononoke: Karakasa was previously slated to open last year, but was delayed. Alongside the announcement of the delay in February 2023, the film's staff also announced that Takahiro Sakurai would no longer reprise the role of the Medicine Seller as originally planned. Hiroshi Kamiya instead voices the protagonist the Medicine Seller in the film.
Kenji Nakamura returned to direct the Mononoke film, with production at Twin Engine. Kitsuneko Nagata was the character designer, and Yūichi Takahashi adapted those designs for animation and served as chief animation director. Taku Iwasaki composed the music. EOTA animated the film.
The film opened on July 19. It earned 178,821,570 yen (about US$1.17 million) in its first three days.
The group members are starring in the film's voice cast.
The group leader's entertainment persona Nana Mori is credited as the chief production supervisor and planning producer of the anime, and his off-stage persona Masato Kashiwabara is credited with the original story. Naoki Matsuura (Liar Liar) directed the anime at LIDEN FILMS, and Chika Suzumura (Burn The Witch) wrote the script. Yumi Nakamura (Liar Liar, Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku) designed the characters.
The film opened in theaters in Japan on June 28. It ranked at #2 in terms of ticket sales (but #1 in weekend earnings) in its opening weekend and sold 135,000 tickets earning 227 million (about US$1.40 million) in its first three days.
Yūmi Kawai and Mizuki Yoshida star in the film. Kawai plays Fujino, a fourth grader who draws four-panel comics in the school newspaper. Yoshida plays Kyomoto, Fujino's classmate who has been skipping school.
Kiyotaka Oshiyama (Flip Flappers) directed the anime, and was also in charge of the screenplay and character designs. Oshiyama's Studio Durian produced the film. Singer urara is performing the film's theme "Light song" by composer Haruka Nakamura.
The Eiga Kamen Rider Gatchādo the Future Daybreak/ Bakujo Sentai Bunbunjā Gekijō Būn! Promise the Circuit double feature tokusatsu films ranked at #5 in their opening weekend.
"Kuro no Shinryaku" (Dark Invasion), the first film for Yamato yo Towa ni: Rebel 3199 (Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 3199), the next project in the Space Battleship Yamato remakes, dropped off the top 10 in its second weekend.
Soreike! Anpanman: Baikinman to Ehon no Lulun (Baikinman and Lulun of the Picture Book), the 35th film in the Anpanman franchise, dropped off the top 10 in its fifth weekend.
Source: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2)
