News
Japanese Box Office, December 29–30
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
One Piece Film Z stayed at #1 during its third weekend. The film features "Z" (Zetto), the Straw Hat pirate crew's "strongest enemy yet" who was designed by original One Piece manga creator Eiichiro Oda. Oda served as the executive producer of this film, as he did for the 10th feature film, 2009's One Piece Film Strong World. The film earned US$5,439,671 on 302 screens for a new total of US$51,471,959.
The live-action film adaptation of Kanan Minami's Kyō, Koi o Hajimemasu shōjo romance manga stayed at #3 in its fourth weekend. Emi Takei (live-action Rurouni Kenshin's Kaoru, Ai to Makoto's Ai) stars as the old-fashioned "Showa-era girl" Tsubaki Hibino opposite Tori Matsuzaka (We Can't Change the World. But, We Wanna Build a School in Cambodia, Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, .hack//The Movie), who plays a "modern" boy named Kyōta. Takeshi Furusawa (Ghost Train, Another) directed the film. The film earned US$1,365,930 on 301 screens for a gross-to-date of US$15,462,294.
The film version of the 2011 live-action television series based on the classic supernatural adventure anime Humanoid Monster Bem (Yōkai Ningen Bem) rose from #7 to #5 during its third weekend. Key cast and staff from the television show returned for the film, including KAT-TUN's Kazuya Kamenashi (playing the title character), model/actress Anne (playing Bera), and child actor Fuku Suzuki (playing Berro), as well as writer Masafumi Nishida (Tiger & Bunny) and director Shunsuke Kariyama. The film ranked at #6 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned US$1,043,651 on 331 screens for a new total of US$7,842,861.
Blue Exorcist anime film opened at #7. The story focuses on Rin Okumura, a boy raised by a famous exorcist named Father Fujimoto. After an argument between the two, Rin discovers he is the son of Satan. In the film, Rin encounters a new demon, the cute-looking Usamaro (played by Rie Kugimiya). Box Office Mojo did not list the film on its charts.
The Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Wizard & Fourze: Movie Taisen Ultimatum film fell from #6 to #8 during its fourth weekend. The film ranked at #7 on Box Office Mojo and earned US$849,400 on 298 screens for a new total of US$10,569,327.
The Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (Evangelion Shin Gekijō-ban Q) film rose from #9 to #8 on Box Office Mojo's chart during its seventh weekend. The film is the third in Hideaki Anno and Khara's four-part remake of Gainax's Neon Genesis Evangelion anime series. The film earned US$820,129 on 127 screens for a new total of US$58,119,825.
Ōoku: Eien - Emonnosuke・Tsunayoshi Hen, the second live-action film adaptation of Fumi Yoshinaga's Ōoku: The Inner Chambers manga, fell from #8 to #12 in its second weekend. The second film covers volumes 4-6 of the manga. Masato Sakai (Honey and Clover's Shuuji, Buddha: The Great Departure, Aoi Bungaku Series) plays the Ōoku member Emonnosuke, and Miho Kanno (Tomie's title character) plays the female shogun Tsunayoshi Tokugawa. Fuminori Kaneko, a director best known for the live-action Kisarazu Cat's Eye and Ikebukuro West Gate Park television series, is returning from the previous film and television drama adaptation to direct the film, and Minako Kamiyama is handling the scripts. The film ranked at #11 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned US$574,034 on 308 screens for a total of US$3,433,737.
The Inazuma Eleven Go vs. Danbōru Senki W film fell from #11 to #12 on Box Office Mojo's chart during its fifth weekend. The crossover film between the two Level 5 franchises earned US$393,369 on 270 screens for a gross-to-date of US$6,609,880.
Takashi Miike's live-action adaptation of Yūsuke Kishi's Aku no Kyōten (Lesson of the Evil) psychological suspense novel is no longer listed on Box Office Mojo's chart.
Sources: Kogyo Tsushinsha, Box Office Mojo
follow-up of Japanese Box Office, December 22-23
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