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Doraemon 2023 Film Jumps Back to #1, My Happy Marriage Drops to #2
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The film opened in Japan on March 3 and sold 542,000 tickets and earned 663 million yen (about US$4.87 million) in its first three days.
The film is set in a perfect, utopian world in the sky, where everyone lives happily. Adventurers have equated the land with other mythical cities, such as Atlantis or Ryūgū-jō. Doraemon and Nobita set out on an adventure to find the utopia with the help of a gadget that is brand-new for the film, the time zeppelin equipped with a time warp function.
Takumi Dōyama (Genbanojō, Doraemon episodes) directed the film. Ryota Kosawa (Always: Sunset on Third Street, Great Pretender) penned the script — his first for a Doraemon film. The television anime's current cast members reprised their roles for the film. Ren Nagase of the idol group King & Prince made his voice acting debut as the "perfect cat robot" Sonya in the film.
The film opened on March 17 and ranked at #1 in its opening weekend. The film sold 479,700 tickets to earn 654 million yen (about US$4.97 million) in its first three days.
Ren Meguro from the idol group Snow Man stars as Kiyoka, while Mio Imada stars as Miyo. Ayuko Tsukahara directed the film, with a script by Tomoe Kanno.
Agitogi and Tsukioka launched the novel series in January 2019. Yen Press licensed the light novels. The novels are also inspiring an upcoming television anime adaptation by Kinema Citrus.
The film opened on March 17 and ranked at #2 in its opening weekend. The film sold 345,000 tickets to earn 542 million yen (about US$4.12 million) in its first three days.
The film opened in Japan on March 18 after a countrywide screening on March 17 at 6:00 p.m. The film is playing in IMAX, 4DX, and Dolby Cinemas.
Anno directed, wrote, and produced the film. Shotaro Ishinomori is credited as the original creator. Katsuro Onoue is credited as associate director, with Ikki Todoroki as assistant director. Famed designers Mahiro Maeda, Ikuto Yamashita, and Yutaka Izubuchi — who have collaborated with Anno on many previous projects such as Evangelion — were the designers for the film. Isao Tsuge was the costume designer. Taku Iwasaki (Read or Die, Jormungand, Gurren Lagann) composed the music.
Sousuke Ikematsu plays Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider, while Minami Hamabe plays Ruriko Midorikawa.
The film is now the 26th highest-earning film of all time in Japan, as well as the 12th highest-earning anime film.
The film ranked at #1 in its opening weekend. The film sold 847,000 tickets and earned 1,295,808,780 yen (about US$9.50 million) over its opening weekend.
The film opened in Japan on December 3. The movie has IMAX screenings in 40 cinemas all over Japan, and Dolby Atmos screenings in 34 cinemas. The movie added Dolby Cinema screenings on December 10.
Inoue personally directed the film at Toei Animation and wrote the script. Among the listed staff members are character designer/animation director Yasuyuki Ebara (Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress) and technical directors Katsuhiko Kitada (Attack on Titan episodes, Major: Yūjō no Winning Shot), Naoki Miyahara (Digimon Adventure, Popin Q), Toshio Ōhashi (LayereD Stories 0), and Yū Kamatani (Looking for Magical DoReMi, Precure Super Stars!).
Daiki Nakazawa directed the CG, and Yūta Ogura produced the CG. Kazuo Ogura directed the art. Yota Tsuruoka directed the sound with Koji Kasamatsu.
The film stars a returning cast from SSSS.GRIDMAN and SSSS.DYNAZENON.
Akira Amemiya returned to direct the film at studio Trigger. Other returning staff members include scriptwriter Keiichi Hasegawa, character designer Masaru Sakamoto, and composer Shiro Sagisu.
The SSSS.Gridman anime was the first anime in the "Gridman Universe." The 12-episode series premiered in October 2018. The anime was a collaboration between the anime studio Trigger and Tsuburaya Productions — the creator of the Ultraman franchise and the original 1993-1994 live-action tokusatsu (special-effects) series Denkō Chōjin Gridman. Crunchyroll and Funimation streamed the anime as it aired, and Funimation also streamed an English dub for the anime.
The SSSS.Dynazenon anime premiered in April 2021. Funimation streamed the anime as it aired in Japan. A SSSS.Gridman compilation film premiered in Japan on January 20, and screened for two weeks. A SSSS.Dynazenon compilation film premiered on March 10, and also screened for two weeks.
The screenings opened on February 3 in 418 theaters in Japan. The film ranked at #1 in its opening weekend. The film sold 813,000 tickets and earned 1,158,765,410 yen (about US$8.75 million) in its first three days in Japan. The film began screening in MX4D, 4DX, and Dolby Cinema on February 25.
The screenings include episodes 10 and 11 of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc, as well as the first Swordsmith Village Arc episode. The screenings will play in theaters in over 95 countries and territories.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc will premiere on television in April with a one-hour special.
Director Haruo Sotozaki, character designer and chief animation director Akira Matsushima, the animation studio ufotable, and the main cast are all returning for the new arc.
The film opened in Japan on March 3 and sold 207,000 tickets and earned 255 million yen (about US$1.87 million) in its first three days.
Mei Hata played heroine Maaya Kisaragi, while Naniwa Danshi idol unit member Kyōhei Takahashi played Sui Chigira.
Takehiko Shinjō directed the film, with a script by Haruka Ōkita. Shochiku is distributing the film. Naniwa Danshi performed the film's theme song "Special Kiss."
Kodansha USA Publishing licensed the manga and is releasing it digitally.
The anime film adaptation of Shinichi Ishizuka's Blue Giant manga fell off the top 10 in its sixth weekend, but it still earned 55,409,690 yen (about US$424,300 yen) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 852,826,120 yen (about US$6.53 million).
The Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle- Rule the Stage (Bad Ass Temple vs. Matenrō) compilation film ranked at #3 in the mini-theater ranking in its opening weekend.
Makoto Shinkai's Suzume (Suzume no Tojimari) film is out of the top 10 for its 20th weekend, but it still earned 46,127,300 yen (about US$353,000) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 14,310,602,380 yen (about US$109 million).
Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2, link 3, link 4), Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web, comScore via KOFIC
