Live-Action Silent Service Film Opens at #2

The live-action film of Yumi Tamura‘s Don’t Call It Mystery (Mystery to Iu Nakare or Do not say mystery) manga stayed at #1 in its third week. The film sold 305,000 tickets for 393,622,120 yen (about US$2.62 million) from Friday to Sunday, and has sold a total of 2,055,000 tickets for a cumulative total of 2,776,253,860 yen (about US$18.52 million).

The film centers on the manga’s “Hiroshima Arc,” which appears in the manga’s second to fourth volumes. The “Hiroshima Arc” begins when Kunō travels to Hiroshima, and gets involved in a fight for the Kariatsumari family’s inheritance.

The film opened on September 15, and sold 609,600 tickets to earn 850,483,760 yen (about US$5.71 million) in its first three days, ranking #1 in its opening weekend. Masaki Suda reprised his role as protagonist Totonō Kunō from the manga’s live-action series.

Hiroaki Matsuyama, Tomoko Aizawa, and Ken Arai all return from the series as director, scriptwriter, and music composer, respectively.

The manga follows mystery-solving college student Totonō Kunō. At the beginning of the story, the police bring him in for questioning on suspicion of the murder of his classmate.

The live-action film of Kaiji Kawaguchi‘s The Silent Service manga ranked at #2 in its opening weekend. The film sold 274,000 tickets for 370,136,800 yen (about US$2.46 million) in its first three days.

The film opened in Japan on September 29. Osawa and Shinzō Matsuhashi produced the live-action film, Kōhei Yoshino is directed, and Hikaru Takai wrote the script. B’z, with singer Ado as vocalist, are contributing the film’s theme song “Dignity.”

In the story, Shiro Kaieda is appointed the captain of Japan’s first nuclear submarine, jointly built by Japan and the United States in top secret. However, he and his 76 crew members go rogue in this story that delves into themes of nuclear war, international politics, and world peace.

Kawaguchi serialized the manga in Kodansha‘s Morning magazine from 1988 to 1996. The manga already inspired a television anime special from Sunrise in 1996, followed by Sunrise‘s two-part original video anime from 1997 to 1998. Central Park Media offered the anime on videotape and later DVD.

Eiga Precure All Stars F, the 20th anniversary film in the Precure All Stars crossover anime film series, stayed at #3 in its third week. The film earned 137,795,540 yen (about US$919,500) from Friday to Sunday, The film has sold a total of 840,000 tickets to earn a cumulative total of 1,027,508,510 yen (about US$6.85 million).

Eiga Precure All Stars F opened on September 15, and features all 77 Precure magical girls, from the franchise‘s first installment in Futari wa Pretty Cure, to the latest ongoing installment Soaring Sky! Precure (Hirogaru Sky! Precure).

The film sold about 357,000 tickets to earn 437,456,060 yen (about US$2.93 million) at the Japanese box office in its opening three-day weekend. This is the highest opening weekend box office for the Precure franchise.

Maaya Sakamoto and Atsumi Tanezaki play characters that were newly created for the film. Sakamoto plays Cure Supreme/Prim, while Tanezaki plays Pūka.

The last time that the film series gathered characters from the entire franchise‘s history was 2018’s Hugtto! Precure Futari wa Precure All Stars Memories.

A new Precure film will open in 2024.

The live-action Gran Turismo film, adapted from the PlayStation video game series, dropped from #6 to #8 in its third weekend. The film earned 65,078,680 yen (about US$434,200) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 524,789,750 yen (about US$3.50 million).

The film ranked at #4 in its opening weekend, and earned 174,899,710 yen (about US$1.17 million) in its first three days in Japan.

Columbia Pictures developed the film. Jason Hall (American Sniper) penned the script. Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan from PlayStation Productions are producers alongside Doug Belgrad and Dana Brunetti. The film stars David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Archie Madekwe, Darren Barnet, Geri Halliwell Horner, and Djimon Hounsou.

The City Hunter franchise‘s new anime film City Hunter The Movie: Angel Dust (Gekijо̄ban City Hunter: Tenshi no Namida) dropped from #7 to #9 in its fourth weekend. The film earned 58,150,586 yen (about US$388,000) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 892,312,582 yen (about US$5.95 million).

The film ranked at #1 in its opening weekend. The film sold 210,000 tickets for 324,949,388 yen (about US$2.21 million) in its first three days. The film open in Japan on September 8.

Returning voice actors include Akira Kamiya as Ryo Saeba, Kazue Ikura as Kaori Makimura, Harumi Ichiryūsai as Saeko Nogami, Tesshō Genda as Umibōzu, and Mami Koyama as Miki. Also returning in the film are the three Kisugi thief sisters from the Cat’s Eye anime. Keiko Toda and Chika Sakamoto are returning from the original Cat’s Eye television anime as Hitomi and Ai. Rica Fukami plays Rui. (Toshiko Fujita, who played Rui in the original Cat’s Eye anime, passed away in December 2018.)

City Hunter franchise director Kenji Kodama directied the new film at Sunrise and The Answer Studio Co., Ltd. Yasuyuki Mutō (Deadman Wonderland) wrote the screenplay. Aniplex is distributing the film.

The film revolves around the past of Ryo Saeba and the death of his old partner Hideyuki Makimura. It will also revolve around Angel Dust, which was also important in the original series.

Hayao Miyazaki‘s latest feature film The Boy and the Heron (Kimi-tachi wa Dō Ikiru ka, or literally How Do You Live?) dropped from #9 to #10 at the Japanese box office in 12th weekend. The film earned 41,877,100 yen (about US$279,400) from Friday to Sunday. The film has earned a cumulative total of 8,333,397,800 yen (about US$55.60 million).

It is now the #75 highest-grossing film in Japan, and the #20 highest-grossing anime film in Japan. It surpassed Tales from Earthsea, Yo-kai Watch: The Movie, and the live-action Hana Yori Dango Final film.

The film sold 1.003 million tickets and earned about US$13.2 million in its first three days in Japan. The film sold 1.353 million tickets and earned 2.149 billion yen (about US$15.53 million) in its Friday-Monday long weekend (July 17 was the Marine Day holiday in Japan).

The film opened simultaneously on IMAX with its general release in Japan on July 14. The film earned more than Miyazaki’s celebrated Academy Award-winning 2001 film Spirited Away in its first four days, and earned 50% more than his 2013 film The Wind Rises. The film exceeded US$1.7 million from 44 IMAX screens, which is a new three-day opening record, according to entertainment news website Deadline.

The film is the first Studio Ghibli film to get a simultaneous IMAX release. The film is also screening in Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema, and DTS:X.

GKIDS licensed the film, and it will release it in North American theaters later this year.

Miyazaki is credited with the original work, in addition to directing the film and writing the script. Takeshi Honda (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, Rebuild of Evangelion films) is the animation director. Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro) composed the music. Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki is the producer. Kenshi Yonezu (Chainsaw Man, My Hero Academia, March comes in like a lion) performs the theme song “Chikyūgi” (Globe).

Gekijо̄ban IDOLiSH7 LIVE 4bit BEYOND THE PERiOD, the theatrical anime concert for the IDOLiSH7 multimedia franchise, dropped off the top 10 in its 20th weekend. Kingdom: Unmei no Honō (Flames of Destiny), the third live-action film based on Yasuhisa Hara‘s Kingdom manga, also dropped off the top 10 in its 10th weekend.

Studio Trigger‘s re-screening of Gurren Lagann the Movie – The Lights in the Sky Are Stars, the second of two compilation films of Gainax‘s Gurren Lagann anime, dropped from #2 to #4 in the mini-theater ranking in its second weekend.

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