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Dōkyūsei/Classmates Boys-Love Anime Film Tops 200 Million Yen
posted on by Egan Loo
The anime film of Asumiko Nakamura's Dōkyūsei (Classmates) boys-love manga has sold 135,730 tickets for 201,492,100 yen (about US$1.8 million) in 43 days of theatrical screenings. It expanded from the current 41 theaters to an eventual 60 theaters for a second run starting on Saturday.
The film opened on 30 screens at #9 in the Japanese box office on February 20. It sold 23,395 tickets for 34,308,700 yen (about US$305,611) on 30 theaters in its first weekend.
Original manga creator Nakamura commented on Twitter that she is very happy the film had such a wonderful staff, and that she would like to see the film again and again.
The story begins during music class before the chorus festival, when male student Hikaru Kusakabe notices that the bespectacled honor student Rihito Sajō is not singing. Although he thinks that Rihito just doesn't like singing, he finds him practicing alone in the classroom after school. Without even thinking, Hikaru calls out to him.
Kenji Nojima (Sailor Moon Crystal, Psycho-Pass) and Hiroshi Kamiya (Shirokuma Café, Durarara!!) star in the anime as Rihito Sajō and Hikaru Kusakabe, respectively. Hideo Ishikawa plays Manabu Hara.
Shōko Nakamura (Penguindrum, Kill la Kill episode director) directed the film at A-1 Pictures with character designs by Akemi Hayashi. Chieko Nakamura served as the art director and Ritsuko Utagawa handled color design. Guitarist Kōtarō Oshio and vocalist Yuki Ozaki from the band Galileo Galilei (anohana, Haikyu!! Second Season) performed the film's theme song "Dōkyūsei." Oshio also composed the film's music.
Aniplex of America has streamed an English-subtitled trailer, and will release the film in American theaters on May 6.
Nakamura published the original manga in Japan in 2006 in one compiled volume. The series was followed by the spinoff Sora to Hara and sequels Sotsugyōsei (Graduates) and O.B.. Digital Manga Guild has licensed Dōkyūsei and Sotsugyōsei in English, although the company has not yet released Sotsugyōsei.
Source: Animate.tv
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