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Sumikko Gurashi Film Debuts at #3, Re:Zero at #6

Eiga Sumikko Gurashi: Tobidasu Ehon to Himitsu no Ko (Sumikko Gurashi The Movie - The Unexpected Picture Book and the Secret Child), the anime film of San-X's "Sumikko Gurashi" (Living in the Corner) characters, ranked #3 in its opening weekend. The film opened in Japan last Friday, November 8 in 114 theaters. The film sold 104,000 tickets and earned 121 million yen (about US$1.11 million) over the weekend, but sold 114,280 tickets and earned 132,873,500 yen (about US$1.22 million) from Friday to Sunday. The Eiga.com website estimates that the film will eventually earn 1 billion yen (about US$9.18 million).

Mankyū (Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls Theater, Jaku-San-Sei Million Arthur) directed the film at Fanworks. Takashi Sumita (Europe Kikaku) penned the script. Kaori Hino (Napping Princess, In This Corner of the World) was the art director.

The film's story begins when the Sumikko Gurashi characters find a mysterious picture book in the basement of a cafe they always go to. The film will feature new locales, items, and characters.

Re:Zero Hyōketsu no Kizuna (Frozen Bonds), the original video anime (OVA) for the Re:Zero franchise, ranked at #6 in its opening weekend. The anime opened in Japan last Friday, November 8 in 79 theaters.

The OVA adapts the meeting between Emilia and Puck. The original Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Zenjitsu-tan: Hyōketsu no Kizuna prequel novel was included with the first Blu-ray Disc home video release of the television anime series in Japan.

The first OVA episode in the franchise, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Memory Snow, opened in Japanese theaters in October 2018 at #8. The episode featured a returning cast and staff.

The 25-episode Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- anime adaptation premiered in April 2016. The television anime is getting a second season.

Saenai Heroine no Sodate-kata fine, the anime film based on Fumiaki Maruto's Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend light novel series, dropped from #6 to #10 in its third weekend. The film earned 58,575,910 yen (about US$537,700) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 404,907,490 yen (about US$3.71 million).

The film opened at #5 in Japan. It earned 136,362,600 yen (about US$1.25 million) on Saturday and Sunday. The film opened on October 26 on 121 screens.

Kanta Kamei served as chief director at CloverWorks, and Akihisa Shibata (episode director for the two previous seasons) was the director. Fumiaki Maruto returned to write the script, and Tomoaki Takase returned to design the characters. Aniplex is distributing the film.

Star Twinkle Precure: Hoshi no Uta ni Omoi wo Komete (Star ☆ Twinkle Precure the Movie: Put Your Feelings into the Song of Stars), the anime film companion to the Star ☆ Twinkle Precure anime series, dropped off the top 10 in its fourth weekend, but it still earned 40,850,500 yen (about US$375,100) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 570,618,800 yen (about US$5.23 million).

The theatrical screening of the Sōkyū no Fafner THE BEYOND anime's fourth, fifth, and sixth episodes ranked at #1 in the mini-theater ranking in its opening weekend. The live-action film based on Ken Koyama's Little Miss P (Seiri-chan) manga also opened at #5 in the mini-theater ranking. Both films opened in Japan last Friday, November 8.

Sources: Eiga.com, Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2), comScore via KOFIC