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New City Hunter, Code Geass Films Debut at #4, #5
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes, the new anime film adaptation of Tsukasa Hojo's City Hunter manga, ranked at #4 in its opening weekend. The film sold 180,000 tickets to earn 257 million yen (about US$2.32 million) on Saturday and Sunday, and sold 320,000 tickets and earned 450 million yen (about US$4.06 million) from Friday to Monday. (Monday was a holiday in Japan.)
The film opened in Japan last Friday in 251 theaters.
Director Kenji Kodama, who has directed most of the previous City Hunter anime, returned as the chief director. Yoichi Kato (Aikatsu!, Yo-kai Watch, Monster Strike the Animation) penned the script. Kumiko Takahashi (Birdy the Mighty, Cardcaptor Sakura) was the character designer and Taku Iwasaki (Gurren Lagann, Gatchaman Crowds) composed the music. Sunrise animated the film.
The returning cast members include:
- Akira Kamiya as Ryo Saeba
- Kazue Ikura as Kaori Makimura
- Harumi Ichiryūsai (Youko Asagami) as Saeko Nogami
- Tesshō Genda as Umibozu
- Mami Koyama as Miki
TM Network's song "Get Wild," the ending theme song for the first City Hunter television anime, was also the ending song for the film.
The new film moves the setting to present-day Shinjuku.
The Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection (Code Geass: Fukkatsu no Lelouch) sequel anime film ranked at #5 in its opening weekend. Film journalist Hirō Ōtaka reported on Tuesday that the film earned 286.65 million yen (about US$2.59 million) from Saturday to Monday.
The film opened in Japan last Saturday.
Funimation will screen the film in North America on May 5 (subtitled), and on May 7-8 (dubbed).
Director Goro Taniguchi confirmed that many of the key staff members returned for the movie, and specifically emphasized that the story is complete in one film, which serves as a finale.
Leo Ieiri performs the opening theme song "Kono Sekai de" (In This World), and Unione performs the ending theme song "Revive.". In addition, Ali Project performs the insert song "Utsukushiki Kemonotachi no Tame no" (For the Beautiful Creatures).
The story begins in the world two years after Zero Requiem.
The live-action film of Tow Ubukata's Jūni-nin no Shinitai Kodomo-tachi (Twelve Children Who Want to Die) novel dropped from #4 to #7 in its third week. The film earned 133,629,300 yen (about US$1.20 million) from Friday to Sunday. The film has earned a cumulative total of 1,081,206,700 yen (about US$9.78 million).
The film opened in Japan on January 25, and earned 339,218,900 yen (about US$3.08 million) to rank #2 in its opening weekend.
The story is a locked-room mystery where 12 kids go into an abandoned hospital to give up on life. In the room where they meet, a boy is already lying dead, and no one knows who he is. The novel was nominated for the Naoki Prize for 2016.
Yukihiko Tsutsumi (live-action 20th Century Boys, Beck, Ikebukuro West Gate Park) directed the film, and Yutaka Kuramochi wrote the script. Filming took place from late July to late August. Utena Kobayashi composed the music. The Royal Concept performed the film's theme song "On Our Way."
Bungeishunju published the original novel in October 2016. Takatoshi Kumakura launched a manga adaptation of the novel in Kodansha's Good! Afternoon magazine in June 2017 and ended it last November. Kodansha released the third and final compiled book volume on January 7.
Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel II. lost butterfly, the live-action Touken Ranbu film, and Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie Over the Rainbow all dropped off the top 10. Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel II. lost butterfly still earned 57,369,900 yen (about US$518,900) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 1,429,918,296 yen (about US$12.93 million). Touken Ranbu still earned 33,614,000 yen (about US$304,000) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 644,456,900 yen (about US$5.82 million). Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie Over the Rainbow earned 25,690,000 yen (about US$232,300) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 911,530,600 yen (about US$8.24 million).
Sources: Eiga.com, Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2), comScore via KOFIC
