The Japanese box office continues to be dominated by the latest installment in the Detective Conan franchise, while a new animated film based on a popular snack brand makes a splash. Here’s a look at the current standings:
“Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback” Holds Strong
Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback (also known as Case Closed: One-Eyed Flashback) has maintained its number-one position for the third consecutive weekend. The 28th film in the Detective Conan series, it continues the franchise’s impressive box office streak.
Box Office Numbers
During the weekend of May 2-4, 2025, the film earned 1.422 billion yen (approximately $9.9 million USD) with 969,000 admissions. This represents a decrease of only 15% from the previous weekend, demonstrating the film’s staying power.
A Billion-Yen Phenomenon
As of May 6, 2025, One-Eyed Flashback has grossed a total of 10.4 billion yen (approximately $72.34 million USD) with 7.26 million admissions. This makes it the third consecutive Detective Conan film to surpass the 10 billion yen mark, following Black Iron Submarine (2023) and The Million-dollar Pentagram (2024). One-Eyed Flashback reached this milestone in just 19 days.
Ranking Among the Best
One-Eyed Flashback now holds the #43 spot in the all-time Japanese box office rankings, surpassing The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2004) and Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time (2021).
A Record-Breaking Opening
In its opening weekend (April 18-20, 2025), One-Eyed Flashback earned $24.1 million (¥3.43 billion) from 2.31 million admissions, setting a new opening-weekend record for the franchise. It opened on 522 screens, the widest release in the history of Detective Conan films. The film’s opening day alone brought in over 1.05 billion yen (about $6.75 million USD), selling 630,000 tickets and surpassing the previous record by over 9%.
Story and Setting
The film is set in the snowy mountains of Nagano Prefecture and involves a series of mysterious events and murders. The story focuses on Inspector Kansuke Yamato of the Nagano Prefectural Police and private detective Kogoro Mouri.
Theme Song
The theme song for One-Eyed Flashback is “Twilight!!!” performed by King Gnu.
“Tabekko Dōbutsu THE MOVIE” Enters the Top 5
Tabekko Dōbutsu THE MOVIE, a new film based on the popular animal-shaped butter biscuits, debuted at #5 in its opening weekend. The movie was released on May 1, 2025.
About Tabekko Dōbutsu
Tabekko Dōbutsu biscuits have been a beloved snack in Japan for nearly half a century. First released in 1978, the biscuits are shaped like animals and labeled with their English names. They are now sold in over 20 countries worldwide.
Story and Characters
Tabekko Dōbutsu THE MOVIE features the Dream Animals Lion, Elephant, Hippo, Monkey, Rabbit, Cat, Giraffe, Crocodile, and Chick. The story involves these “cute” characters embarking on a grand adventure to save the world from destruction. A new character, Pegasus, also appears in the film.
Production
The film is directed by Hitoshi Takekiyo at Marza Animation Planet. Tetsuhiro Ikeda wrote the script, and Gin Hashiba composed the music.
Voice Cast
The voice cast includes:
- Akari Takaishi as Pegasus
- Genta Matsuda as Lion
- Kōshi Mizukami as Elephant
- Inori Minase as Cat
- Shōta Aoi as Hippo
- Shingo Fujimori as Monkey
- Ari Ozawa as Rabbit
- Kurumi Mamiya as Chick
- Nao Tōyama as Giraffe
- Fumihiko Tachiki as Crocodile
Premise
The movie’s plot revolves around the Tabekko Dobutsu embarking on a “Pegasus-chan rescue mission”.
Other Notable Films
Other films in the Japanese box office top 10 include:
- A Minecraft Movie
- Thunderbolts*
- Shinsou wo Ohanashishimasu
- Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Art World Tales: This film, the 44th in the Doraemon franchise, has been in the top 10 for nine weekends.
- Ya Boy Kongming! the Movie: The live-action adaptation of the manga Ya Boy Kongming! debuted at #5 but has since fallen out of the top 10.
Detective Conan’s Continued Success
The Detective Conan franchise’s ongoing success is evident in One-Eyed Flashback‘s record-breaking performance. The film’s popularity highlights the enduring appeal of the series, which has been captivating audiences for over 25 years. With its thrilling mysteries, engaging characters, and stunning animation, Detective Conan continues to be a force to be reckoned with in the Japanese box office.
