News: The 3rd Live-Action Kingdom Movie Slides to Fourth Place, The Boy and the Heron Downs to Fifth Place

The third live-action film based on Yasuhisa Hara’s Kingdom manga, Kingdom: Unmei no Honō (Flames of Destiny), dropped from #3 to #4 at the Japanese box office in its sixth weekend. The film earned 164,009,360 yen (about US$1.11 million) from Friday to Sunday, bringing its cumulative total to 4,915,601,020 yen (about US$33.52 million) from a total of 3,435,000 tickets sold.

The film, which opened on July 28, had a strong first weekend, selling 703,530 tickets to earn 1,050,708,610 yen (about US$7.39 million) in its first three days. It now holds the record for the best opening weekend among all three Kingdom films and the best ticket sales opening for a live-action film in Japan in 2023. The film covers the Shi Ka (Zi Xia) arc and the Battle of Bayou from the manga, marking the first time Shin (Xin) and Ō Ki (Wang Qi) stand together on the battlefield to defend against the invasion from the north by the powerful Chō (Zhao).

The film introduced new cast members, including Anne (Anne Watanabe) as the pivotal character Shi Ka (Zi Xia), 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), and Hinako Sakurai as Dong Mei (Tō Bi). The previous films’ cast members, including Kento Yamazaki, Ryō Yoshizawa, Takao Osawa, and Kanna Hashimoto, reprised their respective roles.

Shinsuke Satō returned as the director, while Hara and Tsutomu Kuroiwa worked on the script.

Hayao Miyazaki’s latest feature film, The Boy and the Heron (Kimi-tachi wa Dō Ikiru ka, or literally How Do You Live?), dropped from #4 to #5 at the Japanese box office in its eighth weekend. The film earned 164,245,500 yen (about US$1.12 million) from Friday to Sunday, bringing its cumulative total to 7,736,903,300 yen (about US$52.76 million). The Boy and the Heron is now the 88th highest-grossing film in Japan and the 22nd highest-grossing anime film in Japan.

During its first three days, the film sold 1.003 million tickets and earned about US$13.2 million. In its Friday-Monday long weekend, the film sold 1.353 million tickets and earned 2.149 billion yen (about US$15.53 million). The film opened simultaneously on IMAX and surpassed the opening records of Miyazaki’s previous films, Spirited Away and The Wind Rises. It also set a three-day opening record for IMAX screenings. The film is the first Studio Ghibli production to receive a simultaneous IMAX release and is also screening in Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema, and DTS:X formats. GKIDS holds the North American distribution rights.

Miyazaki is credited with the original work, directing, and writing the script. Takeshi Honda serves as the animation director, while Joe Hisaishi composed the music. Toshio Suzuki is the producer, and Kenshi Yonezu performs the theme song “Chikyūgi” (Globe).

Shin Jigen! Crayon Shin-chan The Movie Chōnōryoku Dai Kessen: Tobetobe Temakizushi, the Crayon Shin-chan franchise’s first 3DCG anime film, dropped from #6 to #8 in its fifth weekend. The film earned 83,034,080 yen (about US$566,300) from Friday to Sunday, with a cumulative total of 2,170,802,910 yen (about US$14.80 million).

The film opened on August 4 and ranked #2 in its opening weekend, selling 322,000 tickets and earning 401 million yen (about US$2.8 million). The story follows kindergartener Shinnosuke, who gains telekinetic superpowers after a white light from space passes through Earth. A man named Mitsuru Hiriya also obtains psychic powers and tries to destroy the Earth. Amidst the fear in Japan, Shinnosuke becomes a new hero. The film is the franchise’s 31st installment and took seven years to complete. Hitoshi Ōne directed the film and wrote the screenplay, while Shirogumi Inc. handled the animation.

The live-action film adaptation of Toshio Ozawa’s G Men manga dropped from #2 to #9 in its second weekend. The film earned 86,222,200 yen (about US$588,000) from Friday to Sunday, bringing its cumulative total to 392,330,180 yen (about US$2.67 million).

The film, which opened on August 25, revolves around Shōta Kadomatsu, a high school student dreaming of getting a girlfriend. He transfers to Takehana High School, an all-boys school right next to four all-girls schools, where students are rumored to have a high chance of finding a girlfriend. However, Shōta is placed in Class G, filled with troublemakers and outcasts, who are ignored by girls. Tōichirō Rutō directed the film based on a script by Masato Katō and Maruo Maruichirō. Ozawa’s G Men manga was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Champion from 2014 to 2018, with 18 volumes published.

The anime film adaptation of Akira Toriyama’s SAND LAND manga continues to perform well in its third weekend, earning 51,925,200 yen (about US$354,100) from Friday to Sunday, with a cumulative total of 437,757,870 yen (about US$2.98 million).

Additionally, Studio Trigger’s re-screening of Gurren Lagann the Movie –Childhood’s End– dropped from #1 to #3 in the mini-theater ranking in its second weekend.

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