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Aria the Crepuscolo Film Opens at #10

Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train stayed at #2 (in number of tickets sold) in its 21st weekend. The film sold 97,000 tickets over the weekend and earned 162,614,700 yen (about US$1.49 million) from Friday to Sunday, an increase of 4.5% over the previous weekend. It has now sold a total of 27.87 million tickets and earned a cumulative total of 38,446,447,150 yen (about US$352.2 million).

After 12 consecutive weeks at #1 in the box office in Japan, Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train dropped to #2 during the January 9-10 weekend, its 13th weekend. The film ranked at #1 again in its 14th and 15th weekend, fell back down to #2 in its 16th weekend, and stayed at #2 in its 17th weekend. The film ranked at #3 in its 18th and 19th weekends.

The film has surpassed Hayao Miyazaki's 2002 Spirited Away, its last rival for all-time highest earnings in Japanese box office history. (Spirited Away earned 30.8 billion yen in its original run, but has since earned a total of 31.68 billion yen after last summer's revival screenings.) The film has also surpassed Spirited Away as the #1 highest-earning Japanese film of all time worldwide.

Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train began screening in 38 IMAX theaters in Japan on October 16. The film had the highest opening weekend globally for the October 16-18 weekend. The film sold 3,424,930 tickets and earned 4,623,117,450 yen (about US$43.85 million) in Japan in its first three days. The film sold 910,507 tickets and earned over 1,268,724,700 yen (about US$12.03 million) on its opening day alone, making it the highest weekday opening day in Japan ever. Mugen Train began holding immersive MX4D and 4DX screenings on Saturday, December 26.

The main staff members of the previous television anime returned for the sequel film. TOHO and Aniplex are handling the film's distribution in Japan. Funimation and Aniplex of America will screen the film in theaters in North America in early 2021.

The Detective Conan: The Scarlet Alibi (Meitantei Conan: Hiiro no Fuzai Shōmei) compilation film released in anticipation of the upcoming Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet (Meitantei Conan: Hiiro no Dangan) film dropped from #3 to #4 in its fourth weekend. The film earned 84,561,550 yen (about US$774,900) from Friday to Sunday. It has earned a cumulative total of 916,953,550 yen (about US$8.40 million).

The film opened at #2 at the Japanese box office. The film earned 251,886,500 yen (about US$2.38 million) in its first four days, and it sold 92,000 tickets and earned 126,468,400 yen (about US$1.19 million) over the weekend. (The film opened on Thursday, a holiday in Japan.)

The compilation film combines footage from various television anime episodes that center on the Akai family. The film was originall slated only for a three-week limited theatrical run from February 11 to March 4, but its run was later extended to March 5 and beyond. The ending of the compilation film contains a video "secret message from Shuichi Akai" that will lead up to The Scarlet Bullet film, as well as a new trailer for The Scarlet Bullet itself. The titular character Conan narrates the compilation in a newly recorded and edited audio track.

Meitantei Conan: Hiiro no Dangan is the 24th film in the franchise. The film was slated to open on April 17 last year, but was delayed from its original date due to concerns about the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The film will now open on April 16 this year and have a simultaneous release in 22 countries and territories outside of Japan.

The live-action film of Renjuro Kindaichi's Liar x Liar manga dropped from #4 to #5 in its third weekend. The film earned 60,564,540 yen (about US$555,100) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 584,529,860 yen (about US$5.35 million).

The film ranked at #2 in its opening weekend. The film sold 109,000 tickets in its opening weekend, and earned 205,898,980 yen (about US$1.96 million) from its first Friday to Sunday. The film opened on February 19.

Hokuto Matsumura and Nana Mori star in the film as protagonists Tōru and Minato, respectively. Saiji Yakumo (live-action Ankoku Joshi, Touken Ranbu) directed the film, with a script by Yuichi Tokunaga (live-action Kaguya-sama: Love is War).

Kodansha Comics is releasing the manga digitally in English.

Kindaichi (Jungle wa Itsumo Hare Nochi Guu) launched the manga in Dessert in 2010, and ended the series in 2017. Kodansha published 10 compiled book volumes for the manga. The manga ranked #10 in Takarajimasha Inc.'s Kono Manga ga Sugoi guidebook ranking in 2012, and was nominated for the 39th annual Kodansha Manga Awards in 2015.

Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle (Gekijōban Pocket Monster Koko), the 23rd anime film in the Pokémon franchise, rose from #9 to #7 in tickets sold in its ninth weekend. The film earned 33,989,600 yen (about US$311,400) from Friday to Sunday. It has earned a cumulative total of 1,738,598,150 yen (about US$15.92 million)

The film ranked at #2 and earned 378,195,750 yen (about US$3.66 million) in its opening weekend. The film opened on December 25 in Japan. TOHO had originally planned to open the film earlier last year on July 10, but the staff delayed the film due to the spread of COVID-19.

The film will then open in the West in 2021.

Tetsuo Yajima returned from 2018's Pokémon the Movie: The Power of Us film at OLM, and co-wrote the film's script with Pokémon series writer Atsuhiro Tomioka.

Studio 4°C's anime film of Akihiro Nishino's Poupelle of Chimney Town (Entotsu-chō no Poupelle) picture book dropped from #7 to #9 in tickets sold in its 11th weekend. The film earned 30,538,700 yen (about US$279,800) from Friday to Sunday. It has sold a total of 1.63 million tickets and earned a cumulative total of 2,325,558,250 yen (about US$21.31 million).

The film ranked at #4 and earned 322,998,700 (about US$3.13 million) in its opening weekend. The film opened in Japan on December 25.

Yusuke Hirota (CGI director for Berserk films, Harmony) directed the film, with Nishino serving as production supervisor, original creator, and writer, while Atsuko Fukushima (Genius Party, Robot Carnival) designed the characters.

Aria the Crepuscolo, the new theatrical anime film project celebrating the Aria anime's 15th anniversary, ranked at #10 in its opening weekend. The film opened on March 5 in 77 theaters.

Junichi Satō, who directed all previous Aria anime, returned as chief director and scriptwriter, while Takahiro Natori, an episode director and storyboarder from previous Aria anime, was the new director at J.C. Staff. Yōko Itō (Amanchu!, Skate-Leading Stars) was the character designer and chief animation director. Choro Club and Takeshi Senoo returned from previous Aria anime to provide the music. Shochiku produced the film, and Shochiku ODS Jigyō-shitsu is distributing.

The franchise will have a new anime project titled Aria the Benedizione. The anime will be the third and final project in the "Blue Curtain Call" series that includes Aria the Avvenire and Aria the Crepuscolo.

The Gintama: The Final anime film dropped out of the top 10 in its ninth weekend, but it still earned 27,115,480 yen (about US$248,400), and has earned a cumulative total of 1,817,636,340 yen (about US$16.65 million).

Tokyo 7th Sisters: Bokura wa Aozora ni Naru, the anime film of Donuts' Tokyo 7th Sisters smartphone game, stayed at #2 in the mini-theater ranking in its second weekend.

Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2), Eiga.com, comScore via KOFIC