News

Japanese Box Office, May 11-12

Meitantei Conan: Zekkai no Private Eye (Detective Conan: Private Eye in the Distant Sea), the 17th Detective Conan (Case Closed) film, stayed at #1 during its fourth weekend. The movie is set on a state-of-the art Aegis vessel with the full cooperation of Japan's real-life Ministry of Defense and Maritime Self-Defense Force. The corpse of a Self-Defense Force member has been found — minus the left arm — and a spy has infiltrated the Aegis vessel. The heroine Ran is put in jeopardy, and Conan is forced to stand up against the dangerous Spy "X." Kobun Shizuno is returning from the last few Detective Conan films to direct the latest one at TMS and V1 Studio. The television anime's cast members are reprising their respective roles. The film earned 155,134,297 yen (US$1,526,676) on 344 screens for a new total of 3,046,356,266 yen (US$29,979,192).

Kenchō Omotenashi-ka, the live-action film based on a novel by Library War/Toshokan Sensō author Hiro Arikawa, debuted at #3. The novel revolves around a prefectural office's newly-established hospitality division, and new member Fumitaka (played by Ryo Nishikido ) is charged with planning area promotion. However, Fumitaka quickly realizes he must struggle through a lot of red tape to be able to accomplish his goals. The film ranked at #4 on Box Office Mojo's chart and earned 123,743,435 yen (US$1,217,759) on 293 screens.

The live-action film adaptation of Hiro Arikawa Toshokan Sensō/Library Wars novels fell from #3 to #5 during its third weekend. The film stars V6 idol group member Junichi Okada (Tales from Earthsea, From Up On Poppy Hill) as Atsushi Dōjō, and Nana Eikura (Mei-chan no Shitsuji, Boku wa Imōto ni Koi o Suru) as Iku Kasahara. Shinsuke Sato (Gantz, Oblivion Island: Haruka and the Magic Mirror, The Princess Blade, Sand Chronicles) directed the film. The film earned 97,428,019 yen (US$958,789) on 311 screens for a new total of 1,171,702,546 yen (US$11,530,724).

This year's Crayon Shin-chan film, Eiga Crayon Shin-chan: Bakauma—! B-Kyū Gourmet Survival!!, fell from #4 to #7 in its fourth weekend. In the story, B-grade cuisine is in danger of being wiped out without a special sauce, and it is up to the mischievous kindergartener Shin-chan to ferry the sauce to safety. Masakazu Hashimoto (Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva, Tari Tari) is directing his first Crayon Shin-chan movie after storyboarding 2008's Crayon Shin-chan: Chō Arashi o Yobu Kinpoko no Yūsha and 2011's Crayon Shin-chan: Arashi o Yobu Ōgon no Spy Daisakusen. Yoshio Urasawa (Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, Fushigi Yugi) and Kimiko Ueno (Kuromajyo-san ga Tōru!!) wrote the screenplay. The film earned 74,222,982 yen (US$730,428) on 330 screens for a new total of 1,074,318,917 yen (US$10,572,372).

The live-action Kamen Rider x Super Sentai x Uchū Keiji Super Hero Taisen Z film fell from #6 to #8 during its third weekend. The film earned 71,294,736 yen (US$701,611) on 289 screens for a new total of 793,568,761 yen (US$7,809,510).

The anime film adaptation of Hikaru Nakamura's Saint Young Men manga debuted at #9. The anime film and Nakamura's original manga imagine if the Enlightened One Buddha (voiced by actor Gen Hoshino) and the Son of God Jesus (SAKEROCK band leader Mirai Moriyama) shared a low-rent apartment in Tokyo's Tachikawa area. The two holy beings have landed on Earth and now experience the mortal life in Japan. Noriko Takao (episode director on Clannad, K-ON!, Lucky Star) is directing at A-1 Pictures off a screenplay by Rika Nezu (live-action Kimi ni Todoke, live-action Absolute Boyfriend). The film earned 49,930,836 yen (US$491,369) on 75 screens.

The Steins;Gate Fuka Ryōiki no Déjà vu film rose from #14 to #10 during its fourth weekend after adding 20 more screens. The film has an original story set after the "true end" of the earlier story. Kanji Wakabayashi is directing the film with supervisor Tarou Deji and chief directors Takuya Satō and Hiroshi Hamasaki. Tatsuya Matsubara and Naotaka Hayashi are supervising the story scenario, and Jukki Hanada is writing the screenplay. Kyuuta Sakai is once again adapting huke's original character designs for anime and overseeing the animation process at WHITE FOX. The main cast is also returning. The film earned 45,622,930 yen (US$448,975) on 38 screens for a new total of 403,609,439 yen (US$3,971,920).

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods fell from #7 to #13 on Box Office Mojo's chart during its seventh weekend after dropping from 313 screens to 31 screens. The film is set between the 517th and 518th installments of Akira Toriyama's original manga. Specifically, it is set during the "lost decade" of story time after the end of the battle with Majin Buu. It features new characters Birusu — the God of Destruction played by Kouichi Yamadera — and his attendant Wisu (Masakazu Morita). The film earned 23,317,689 yen (US$229,469) on 31 screens for a new total of 3,042,017,581 yen (US$29,936,495).

The 2013 Doraemon film, Doraemon: Nobita no Himitsu Dōgu Museum (Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Secret Gadget Museum), fell from Box Office Mojo's chart in its 10th weekend.

Sources: Kogyo Tsushinsha, Box Office Mojo