News

Japanese Box Office, January 2-3

Nodame Cantabile Saishū Gakushō Zen-Pen (Nodame Cantabile: The Final Score Part I), the first film in a launched in December.

One Piece Film Strong World, the 10th anime film based on Eiichiro Oda's One Piece pirate manga, fell to #4, after being at #3 last week. It added US$2,611,102 on 194 screens to its total of US$39,439,879.

Tsuri Baka Nisshi 20: Final (Free and Easy 20: Final), the film based on Juzo Yamasaki and Kenichi Kitami's Tsuri Baka Nisshi (Diary of a Fishing Fool) comedy manga, moved up to #5 after debuing at #6 on the Kogyo Tsushinsha chart (#7 on Rentrak Theatrical's chart) last weekend. It earned US$1,105,212 on 176 screens for a total-to-date of US$3,102,237. The movie was announced last April as the last in the venerable movie franchise. Rentarō Mikuni has been playing a salaryman (company employee) who escapes everyday tedium by fishing, while Toshiyuki Nishida plays his boss. The two have starred in these films almost every year since 1988.

Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider Double & Decade: Movie War 2010 fell from #5 to #6 (#7 on Rentrak Theatrical's chart). It earned US$955,342 on 293 screens to add to its US$13,414,727 total.

Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (Layton Kyōju to Eien no Utahime), an animated movie reprised their respective roles of Layton and Luke in the movie.

James Cameron's Avatar science-fiction action movie stayed at #1 after debuting last weekend, earning a weekend box office take of US$7,351,042, for a two-week total of US$35,050,720.

Source: Kogyo Tsushinsha

Images © 2009 Fuji TV, Kodansha, Amuse, TOHO, FNS27
© Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Fuji TV, Toei Animation
© 2009 One Piece Production Committee

Update: The Japanese film distributor Toei has announced on January 5 that One Piece Film Strong World was seen 3.01 million times in 24 days. It is the fastest Toei film to sell 3 million tickets since 2000. The previous record-holder, 2008's Aibo, reached the 3-million mark in 32 days. Source: Oricon