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Live-Action Trillion Game Film Stays at #1, Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- Rises to #4
posted on by Adriana Hazra
The film opened in Japan on February 14. The film sold 438,000 tickets and earned 616,191,900 yen (about US$4.08 million) in its first three days.
The film features an original story where Trillion Game has become one of the largest corporations in Japan and is set to take on its next venture with the opening of Japan's first casino resort.
The film features a returning cast, including Ren Meguro from idol group Snow Man as protagonist Haru Tennōji, and Hayato Sano as Manabu "Gaku" Taira. Mio Imada, Riko Fukumoto, and Kouji Kikkawa reprise their roles as Yurika Kokuryuu, Rinrin Takahashi, and Kazuki Kedouin, respectively.
Other returning cast members include Kōsuke Suzuki as Tōru Hebishima, Kenjirō Tsuda as Kunugi, Terunosuke Takezai as Tadanori Nagase, Yoshitaka Hara as Shingo Sakura, Akari Akase as Mizuki, and Jun Kunimura as Kazuma Kokuryū.
Yoshiaki Murao returned to direct the film, and Daisuke Habara returned to write the script. Hideaki Kimura composed the music.
The film has now surpassed the total all-time Japanese earnings of 1982 Mobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space anime film, which earned 2.3 billion yen (about US$14.88 million in current conversion) at the Japanese box office. This makes the Gundam GQuuuuuuX film the second highest-earning film in the Gundam franchise in Japan, with Mobile Suit Gundam Seed FREEDOM holding the all-time high of 4,796,455,740 yen (about US$31.05 million) as of its initial run's final weekend in May 2024. If Gundam Seed FREEDOM's special edition screenings later in 2024 are included, that film has earned a cumulative total of 5.38 billion yen (about US$35.5 million).
The Gundam GQuuuuuuX film opened in Japan on January 17, and debuted at #1 at the Japanese box office in its opening weekend. It sold 352,500 tickets and earned 598,832,300 yen (about US$3.83 million) in its first three days.
The Gundam GQuuuuuuX film added immersive MX4D and 4DX screenings and also added "special footage" that teases the story after the film on February 22.
The film opened in Japan on December 20. It sold 198,000 tickets in its first weekend, including advanced screenings, earning 295 million yen (about US$1.87 million) from Thursday through Sunday.
The movie is based on Kazuhisa Sakaguchi's 2013 novel of the same name, which centers on Rantaro's teacher Hansuke Doi losing a battle against Sonnamon and Zatto Konnamon becoming a teacher at Ninjutsu Academy. Yasuhiro Mamiya voices Happōsai Hieta, replacing the late Shōzō Iizuka, who voiced the character in the anime series. In addition, Naniwa Danshi members Ryūsei Ōnishi and Jōichirō Fujiwara appear in the film as guest voice actors.
Masaya Fujimori (Doraemon movies) returned from the previous film to direct the new one at Ajia-do, the same animation studio for the television series. Original novel writer Sakaguchi wrote the screenplay.
The story of the film, including the winner of the Third Division Rap Battle onscreen, can be different at each screening. The storyline will change depending on the realtime polling of the audience members via their smartphones. The interactive film has 48 story routes, 16 new songs, and seven possible endings.
The Division All Stars perform the film's opening theme song "Hypnosis Mic -Division Battle Anthem-+."
Takanori Tsujimoto (Resident Evil: Vendetta) directed the film at Polygon Pictures, and Yūichirō Momose — a developer of the franchise's story setting, characters, and game events — wrote the script. Kazui returned as the character designer. TOHO NEXT is distributing the film. (A-1 Pictures animated the previous television anime with a different main staff.)
King Records' Hypnosis Mic rap-themed project features voice actors who rap in the personas of original characters, and it launched in September 2017. Hypnosis Mic's first full album Enter the Hypnosis Microphone launched in April 2018. The group earned the top spot as the most popular voice actor Twitter account in Japan for 2018. The project includes multiple manga tie-ins, a mobile game, stage plays, and live events.
The film opened in theaters in Japan on January 24. The film ranked at #3 in its opening weekend. The film sold 160,000 tickets and earned 225,933,800 yen (about US$1.46 million) in its first three days.
Kento Yamazaki (live-action Alice in Borderland, Kingdom, Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., Orange, HYOUKA, Your Lie in April) plays the protagonist Kurō Kumogakure, and Minami Hamabe (Godzilla Minus One, Shin Kamen Rider, live-action Kakegurui, Saki, The Promised Neverland) plays the heroine Ayaka Noguchi. Yūichi Fukuda (live-action Gintama, Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku, Saint Young Men, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. films) wrote and directed the film. Creepy Nuts performs the theme song "doppelgänger."
The film opened in Japan on January 17, and debuted at #2, selling 232,500 tickets and earning 306,817,000 yen (about US$1.96 million) in its first three days.
Colorful Palette, a subsidiary of Craft Egg, and Sega collaborated on the film, which is getting a global release.
The original story follows Ichika Hoshino, who hears a Miku song that she has never heard before at a CD shop and sees a Hatsune Miku whom she had never seen before. Ichika calls out to Miku, who surprised by the voice, disappears shortly after making eye contact. Miku later appears on Ichika's smartphone to tell her that she would like to reach others with her songs, but no matter how much she sings, her songs cannot reach them. After seeing Ichika reach others' hearts with her live street performance, Miku asks for her help.
Saki Fujita reprises her role as Hatsune Miku from other works in the franchise. Ruriko Noguchi stars as Ichika Hoshino. The cast also includes returning members from the franchise.
Hiroyuki Hata (Lapis Re:LiGHTs) directed the anime at P.A. Works. Yoko Yonaiyama (Ya Boy Kongming!) wrote the screenplay. Yuki Akiyama (IRODUKU: The World in Colors) designed the characters and was a chief animation director, along with Masatoshi Tsuji (chief animation director for Summer Time Rendering), who was also a sub-character designer. Satoshi Hōno (Aggretsuko) composed the music.
Thunderbolt Fantasy: Tōriken Yūki Saishūshō, the "final chapter" movie for the Thunderbolt Fantasy puppet show franchise, opened at #1 in the mini-theater rankings.
Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2, link 3), comScore via KOFIC
