In a recent cinematic update, the Japanese Box Office has witnessed a takeover by various films that have left audiences thrilled and entertained. From the intense warring battles of Kingdom’s 3rd Live-action film to the heartwarming story of How Do You Live?; the Japanese Box Office welcomed many more anime films that earned great success in their hometown of Japan.
It’s no surprise that the live-action adaptation of Kingdom received such high success; any of its adaptations is worthy of praise. No doubt, the Kingdom manga is the best way to enjoy this series, and the anime series has improved with every produced season, with the 4th season being the best yet.
Japanese movie-goers had plenty of options to choose from for an entertaining weekend at the theatres. From serious watches like Hayao Miyazaki’s, How Do You Live? to lighthearted movies like Crayon Shin-Chan and Transformers: Rise of the Beast. How successful were these movies? Let’s find out.
Updates on the Japanese Box Office
Let’s have a look at the movies that claimed top spots at the Japanese Box Office.
Kingdom Live-Action
“Kingdom: Unmei no Honō (Flames of Destiny),” the third live-action adaptation of Yasuhisa Hara’s Kingdom manga, continues to dominate the Japanese box office, securing the number 1 spot for the fourth consecutive weekend. Impressively, the film sold 213,100 tickets, earning an impressive 313,818,750 Yen (around US$2.14 million) over the weekend.
The film’s overall success is equally impressive, having sold a total of 2,899,000 tickets and earning a remarkable cumulative total of 4,168,937,700 Yen (around US$28.53 million). It began with a strong opening on July 28, selling 703,530 tickets and earning 1,050,708,610 Yen (around US$7.39 million) in just its first three days.
This achievement makes the film the most successful opening weekend among all three Kingdom films, and it also claims the title for the highest opening ticket sales among all live-action films in Japan in 2023.
How Do You Live?
Hayao Miyazaki’s latest masterpiece, “The Boy and the Heron” (or How Do You Live?), continues its successful journey at the Japanese box office. In its sixth weekend, the film rose from the third to the second position. During this time, the film sold an impressive 203,400 tickets and earned 306,631,700 Yen (around US$2.09 million) from Friday to Sunday alone.
The film’s remarkable success remains, with an overall total of 4,645,000 tickets sold, earning an impressive 6,982,848,900 Yen (around US$47.79 million). The film’s opening was nothing short of extraordinary, selling 1.003 million tickets and earning around US$13.2 million in its initial three days. It even beat the achievements of Miyazaki’s acclaimed Academy Award-winning film “Spirited Away.”
Crayon Shin-Chan
In a lively display of the Crayon Shin-chan franchise’s evolution, “Shin Jigen! Crayon Shin-chan The Movie Chōnōryoku Dai Kessen: Tobetobe Temakizushi” marks the franchise’s debut into the world of 3DCG anime films. After a promising #2 rank in its opening weekend, the film moved to #5 in its third weekend.
Over the weekend, it earned 190,737,560 Yen (around US$1.30 million), making an impressive cumulative total of 1,676,928,330 Yen (around US$11.47 million) from ticket sales amounting to 1,382,700. This achievement follows a seven-year journey from conception to production, showcasing the dedication to creating the 31st movie of the beloved Crayon Shin-chan franchise.
SandLand
Akira Toriyama’s “Sand Land” manga adaptation made its debut in the anime film world with a notable #6 opening on Friday. Premiering at this year’s Comic-Con International San Diego on July 22, the film gained early attention. Its recognition further increased as it received a special mention for the best-animated feature film category at the 27th annual Fantasia International Film Festival in July.
Transformers: Beast Kakusei
In its third weekend, “Transformers: Beast Kakusei” (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), the first installment of Paramount Pictures’ planned live-action Transformers trilogy, slipped from its sixth-place position to claim the eighth spot at the Japanese box office.
Over the weekend, from Friday to Sunday, the film earned 97,418,340 Yen (around US$667,200), adding to its total earnings of 1,077,958,120 Ten (around US$7.38 million). The film’s initial release on August 4 secured the sixth rank in its debut weekend. The movie made its debut in North America on June 9, a nearly year-long delay from its original scheduled date of June 24, 2022.
Its opening weekend in the United States earned an impressive sum of around US$60.5 million, as it entertained audiences across 3,678 theaters.
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