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2026 Doraemon Film Opens at #1, 2nd That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Film at #3

The 2026 Doraemon film, Eiga Doraemon: Shin Nobita no Kaitei Kiganjō (Doraemon the Movie: New Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil), opened at #1 in Japan last weekend. The film sold 621,000 tickets and earned 779,681,350 yen (about US$4.96 million) in its first three days.

The new and 45th 2D anime film (not counting the 3D CG Stand By Me Doraemon films) remakes the classic 1983 film Doraemon the Movie: Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil.

Tetsuo Yajima (Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle, Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us, Pokémon XY) returns after directing episodes of the Doraemon television anime and contributing in other capacities to Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's New Great Adventure into the Underworld, Doraemon the Movie: Nobita and the Steel Troops: The New Age, and Eiga Doraemon: Nobita no Chikyū Symphony. Another veteran of the television anime, Isao Murayama (Witchy Precure!, Star Twinkle Precure, Bakugan), wrote the new film's screenplay.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea (Gekijō-ban Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken: Sōkai no Namida-hen), the second anime film in the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken) franchise, opened at #3 in Japan. The film sold 225,000 tickets and earned 301,175,600 yen (about US$1.91 million) in its first three days.

Crunchyroll has acquired the worldwide theatrical rights to the film. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Crunchyroll will screen the film in theaters with dates to be announced.

The film has returning cast members from the television anime.

New cast members for the film include Saori Ōnishi as Yura, Koichi Domoto as Zodon, and Kōji Yusa as Djeese. Hinatazaka46 members Nao Kosaka and Kaho Fujishima voice shrine maidens Mio and Yori respectively, both original characters for the film.   

8-Bit produced the film's animation.

TRUE performs the theme song "Utopia." Cast member Saori Ōnishi (Yura) sings the insert song "Sōkoku" (Blue Moment) and the six-member unit ARCANA PROJECT sings another insert song "Renainō" (Talent for Romance). STEREO DIVE FOUNDATION and ASH DA HERO member ASH collaborated on the insert song "Harmonics."

Shin-Gekijōban Gintama: Yoshiwara Daienjō (Gintama New Film Version: Yoshiwara in Flames), the new compilation film for the anime based on Hideaki Sorachi's Gintama manga, dropped from #3 to #6 in its third weekend. The film earned 141,526,044 yen (about US$898,000) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 1,066,840,138 yen (about US$6.76 million).

The film opened on February 13. It sold 262,700 tickets and earned 405,617,328 yen (US$2.64 million) in its first three days.

The film covers episodes 139-146 of the anime and features newly animated scenes, as well as characters who did not originally appear in the arc. Kappei Yamaguchi voices the anime-original character Enkaku, Hōsen's close aide.

Naoya Ando (Paradox Live The Animation) directed the film based on a script by Taku Kishimoto (Fruits Basket, Haikyu!!) at BN Pictures. Yōichi Fujita (Gintama, Mr. Osomatsu) supervised. Shinji Takeuchi (Fairy Tail, Gintama) served as character designer and chief animation director.

Rock band SUPER BEAVER performed the film's theme song "Sanzen" (Sparkling).

Shingo Yamashita's Cosmic Princess Kaguya! (Chō Kaguya-hime!) anime film dropped from #5 to #8 in its second weekend after the film's limited one-week theatrical screening run in Japan was extended. The film also stayed at #1 in its second weekend in the mini-theater rankings. The film earned 168,281,500 yen (about US$1.06 million) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 616,663,800 yen (about US$3.91 million).

The film's limited theatrical run started on February 20. Tickets quickly sold out, with some theaters having to increase the number of screenings to more than 10 times a day.  The film earned a total of 223,485,400 yen (about US$1.43 million) in Japanese theaters in its first three days after its run was extended.

Netflix began streaming the film on January 22.

Yamashita (Pokémon: Twilight Wings, opening animation for Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, 2022 Urusei Yatsura) made his feature-length directorial debut with the film in a collaboration between his Studio Chromato and Studio Colorido. Hechima (The Idolmaster Gakuen) and Akihiro Nagae (Drifting Home) designed the characters, with the former in charge of the Tsukuyomi designs and the latter handling the real-world character designs.

Saori Hayami as Yachiyo performs the theme song "Ex-Otogibanashi" ("Ex-Fairy Tale"), composed by Ryo (supercell).

The film features songs by Vocaloid producers Ryo (supercell), kz (Livetune), 40mP, HoneyWorks, Aqu3ra, and yuigot.

Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe (Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senkō no Hathaway - Circe no Majo), the second film of the Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway (Kidō Senshi Gundam Senkō no Hathaway) anime project, dropped from #6 to #10 in its fifth weekend. The film earned 78,530,800 yen (about US$498,300) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 2,303,090,620 yen (about US$14.61 million).

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.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle - Akaza Sairai, the first film in the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle trilogy, left the top 10 again in its 33rd weekend, but the film still earned 54,723,300 yen (about US$347,200) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 39,702,929,100 yen (about US$251 million).

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, the film based on the Reze Arc of Tatsuki Fujimoto's Chainsaw Man manga, was not on the top 10 in its 24th weekend, but the film still earned 42,993,400 yen (about US$272,800) yen from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 10,684,902,100 yen (about US$67.80 million).

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, dropped off the list in its fourth weekend.

Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2, link 3), comScore via KOFIC