Tokyo’s cinematic landscape continues to showcase a dynamic blend of new releases and enduring fan favorites, as the live-action film “My Special One” debuted at number six, while “Utano☆Princesama The Movie: TABOO NIGHT XXXX” maintained its position at number seven in the latest Japanese box office rankings for the weekend of June 20-22.
“My Special One” Makes a Romantic Debut
The live-action adaptation of Momoko Koda’s romantic comedy manga series, “My Special One” (known as “Kimi ga Tokubetsu” in Japan), opened in 248 theaters on June 20 and secured a sixth-place debut. The film also garnered a positive reception on Filmmarks, ranking third in its first-day satisfaction survey with an average rating of 4.04 out of 5.0 based on 417 reviews. This reflects a continuing trend in the Japanese film market where live-action adaptations of popular manga series frequently find success with audiences.
“Utano☆Princesama” Franchise Maintains Strong Presence
Meanwhile, “Utano☆Princesama The Movie: TABOO NIGHT XXXX,” the third concert film in the highly popular “Uta no Prince-sama” anime franchise, held onto its seventh position for its seventh consecutive weekend in the Top 10. The film, which features the four-member group QUARTET NIGHT, debuted in 135 theaters on May 9. As of June 17, its cumulative gross had reached 967,428,780 yen (approximately 6.64 million USD) with 500,000 tickets sold. This consistent performance underscores the robust and dedicated fanbase of the “Uta no Prince-sama” multimedia franchise, which originated as a PlayStation Portable game in 2010 and has since expanded into multiple anime series, films, and music releases. Previous films in the franchise, such as “Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love Kingdom” (2019) and “Uta no Prince-sama: Maji Love ST☆RISH Tours” (2022), have also achieved significant box office success, with the latter earning over two billion yen (15.55 million USD) during its theatrical run.
Broader Trends in the Japanese Film Market
The Japanese box office in 2024 saw domestic films, particularly anime, continuing their strong performance. Japanese movies earned a record 158 billion yen in 2024, a 5% increase over 2023. Anime titles consistently dominate the highest-grossing lists, with films like “Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram” and “Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle” surpassing 10 billion yen in 2024. In fact, out of 31 domestic films that grossed over 10 billion yen in 2024, 14 were anime. This highlights a significant preference among Japanese audiences for domestic productions, a trend that has become more pronounced in the post-COVID era, with foreign films’ share of box office revenue stagnating.
