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Suzume Becomes Highest-Selling Anime Film of All Time in China, Korea

The Mainichi news website reported on Saturday that according to Chinese movie data app Maoyan Professional, Makoto Shinkai's Suzume (Suzume no Tojimari) film has earned more than 720 million yuan (US$105 million) as of three weeks after its opening in China, and has become the highest-selling Japanese anime in the country of all time. The film has sold 21.64 million tickets in mainland China as of Friday.

Similarly, the official Twitter account for the film revealed on Saturday that Suzume has sold more tickets in South Korea than any other Japanese film. The film has sold 4,482,051 tickets in South Korea, and is the highest-earning film that opened in 2023 so far. According to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC), the film has so far earned US$35,783,322.

Suzume and your name. are two of the top three Japanese films of all time in South Korea. The other film in the top three is The First Slam Dunk. KOFIC reports that The First Slam Dunk has so far earned US$35,761,923. The First Slam Dunk was the highest-earning anime film in the country of all time before Suzume surpassed it.

Suzume opened at #1 in Japan on November 11 and has earned a cumulative total of 14,310,602,380 yen (about US$109 million) as of March 26, surpassing the 14.23 billion yen (about US$108 million in current conversion) lifetime Japanese box office earnings of Shinkai's previous film Weathering With You (Tenki no Ko).

Actress Nanoka Hara voices the heroine Suzume Iwato in the film. SixTONES idol group member Hokuto Matsumura (live-action Liar × Liar film's Tōru, live-action xxxHOLiC film's Shizuka Doumeki) made his voice acting debut in the film as Sōta Munakata, a young man who embarks on a journey with Suzume as the "Door-Closing Master."

Shinkai (your name., Weathering With You) directed the film and wrote the screenplay. He is also credited with the original story. Masayoshi Tanaka (your name., Weathering With You) designed the characters. Kenichi Tsuchiya (your name., Garden of Words) was the animation director. Takumi Tanji (Children Who Chase Lost Voices) was the art director. CoMix Wave Films and Story Inc. produced the movie. TOHO is distributing the film. Seattle-based Hollywood film composer Kazuma Jinnouchi (Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, RWBY: Ice Queendom) scored the film alongside RADWIMPS. TikTok performer Toaka performed one of the film's theme songs "Suzume."

Sources: The Mainichi, Suzume film's Twitter account, KOFIC