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2nd Gundam Hathaway Film Drops to #2 in Japan, Milky☆Subway Opens at #4
posted on by Adriana Hazra
The film opened on January 30 and ranked at #1 after its first weekend. The film sold 511,500 tickets and earned 849,068,760 yen (about US$5.43 million) in its first three days. It was delayed from a planned 2025 release.
The main cast and most of the staff returned from the first film, but Yuichi Kuboki joined Takako Suzuki as a color key artist. Yoshinori Sayama (Macross Plus, Cowboy Bebop, Mobile Suit Gundam UC) is credited for display designs after contributing to the first film. Yoshihisa Ōyama was the new film's compositing director of photography, and Manabu Kamitōno directed the visual effects. American R&B artist SZA's 2022 song "Snooze" serves as the opening theme song for the film. SennaRin performs the insert song "ENDROLL" with Yōhei Kawakami of Alexandros. Rock band Guns N' Roses' iconic 1988 song "Sweet Child o' Mine" is the film's ending theme.
The first film opened in Japan in June 2021, after previously being delayed three times.
Ginga Tokkyū Milky☆Subway Kakueki Teisha Gekijō Iki (Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express: Local Train to the Theater), the re-edited film for Yōhei Kameyama's Milky☆Subway: The Galactic Limited Express (Ginga Tokkyū Milky☆Subway) anime, opened on Friday and ranked at #4 after its first weekend. The film sold 109,500 tickets and earned 151,305,440 yen (about US$988,200) in its first three days.
The film is a re-edited version of the anime's 12 episodes with additional new content.
Momoka Terasawa and Anna Nagase returned for the film as Chiharu and Makina, respectively. The anime's additional cast also reprised their roles in the film. Yōhei Kameyama once again directed, wrote, and produced the sequel, and he also handled the character designs, modeling, animation, editing, and other duties mostly himself. Bit Grooove Promotion is credited as the film's sound company.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle - Akaza Sairai, the first film in the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle trilogy, re-entered the top 10 at #5 in its 30th weekend. The film earned 119,374,800 yen (about US$779,700) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 39,324,500,100 yen (about US$256 million).
The film had sold a total of 23,042,671 tickets for 33,056,606,000 yen (about US$224 million) as of September 15, its 60th day in the Japanese box office. This made it the second highest-earning film of all time at the Japanese box office, surpassing Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's 2001 film Spirited Away.
The film is now the highest-earning anime film of all time worldwide, as well as the highest-earning Japanese film of all time worldwide. The film had sold 89,177,796 tickets for 106,370,568,950 yen (about US$685 million) worldwide as of November 16. This feat makes it the first Japanese film to earn over 100 billion yen (about US$644 million) worldwide.
Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, the October 2020 film from the same franchise, is currently the highest earning film in Japan, with a 40.75 billion yen (about US$277 million in current conversion) total take in Japan.
The anime film of Keigo Higashino's The Camphorwood Custodian (Kusunoki no Bannin) novel dropped from #3 to #8 in its second weekend. The film earned 44,745,260 yen (about US$292,200) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 237,400,500 yen (about US$1.55 million).
The film opened on January 30 and sold 94,500 tickets and earned 124,985,320 yen (about US$800,400) in its first three days.
Sword Art Online and ERASED director Tomohiko Ito directed the film at A-1 Pictures and Psyde Kick Studio. Aniplex is distributing the film.
Taku Kishimoto (Haikyu!!, 91 Days, Sakamoto Days) penned the film's script. Blue Period manga creator Tsubasa Yamaguchi designed the characters alongside Akiko Itagaki (Lonely Castle in the Mirror assistant character design). Hiroshi Takiguchi was the art director. Yūgo Kanno (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, Ajin, Psycho-Pass) composed the film's music. Uru performs the theme song "Katawara nite Tsukiyo" (Moonlit Night By My Side).
The novel's story centers on Reito, a young man who was unreasonably fired from his job, and in revenge has committed a crime and gets arrested. He tries to appeal to the investigator to no avail, and he is sent to the prosecutor's office, where he waits for his indictment. Suddenly, a lawyer appears and tells Reito that he can be released if he follows his client's order.
Reito takes the gamble and accepts the condition, and the client turns out to be his late mother's half-sister, Chifune Yanagisawa. Chifune has only one order for Reito: to become the camphorwood tree custodian at Tsukigō shrine. Reito becomes the camphorwood tree custodian and meets different people who visit the temple grounds for different reasons.
The re-release of The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya commemorating the anime's 20th anniversary opened at #10.
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, the film based on the Reze Arc of Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man manga, left the top 10 again its 21st weekend.
Ensemble Stars! Dream Live 9th Tour 'Trapezium #Orion' rose back from #3 to #2 in the mini theater rankings.
Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2, link 3), comScore via KOFIC
