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Natsume's Book of Friends Anime Film Sells 500,000 Tickets in Japan
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
The staff of Natsume Yujin-cho the Movie: Ephemeral Bond (Natsume Yūjin-Chō: Utsusemi ni Musubu), the anime film of Yuki Midorikawa's Natsume's Book of Friends (Natsume Yūjin-Chō) manga, announced on Sunday that the film has sold more than 500,000 tickets.
The film topped the Japanese box office rankings in its opening weekend on September 29-30, selling 117,473 tickets to earn 172,144,780 yen (about US$1.5 million). The movie is projected to earn over 1 billion yen (about US$8.7 million). The film has earned a cumulative total of 622,235,540 yen (about US$5.56 million) as of October 14.
Aniplex of America will screen the film at the Anime NYC convention on November 16 at 7:45 p.m. EST.
The film features a returning cast. In addition, Kengo Kōra plays Mukuo Tsumura, a young man whom Natsume meets and befriends. Sumi Shimamoto plays Yorie Tsumura, Mukuo's mother. Ayumu Murase plays Daisuke Yūki, Natsume's schoolmate from elementary school. Viking comedy duo member Eiji Kotōge plays Monmonbō, a yōkai who has come to take its name back from Natsume. Viking comedy duo member Mizuki Nishimura plays Roppon-ude, a six-armed yōkai who aims to take Natsume's book.
Midorikawa supervised the film's original story. Animation studio Shuka returned from the television anime's fifth and sixth seasons to animate the film. Takahiro Ōmori again served as chief director, but Hideki Ito was the new director. Sadayuki Murai again handled series composition, Tatsuo Yamada returned for yōkai design, and Makoto Yoshimori again composed the music. Uru performed the film's theme song "remember."
Source: Anime Hack
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