As of late April 2025, the Japanese box office is seeing a mix of familiar favorites and new contenders vying for the top spot. The latest “Detective Conan” film continues its impressive run, while a live-action adaptation of “Ya Boy Kongming!” has just entered the charts. Here’s a closer look at the current box office landscape in Japan.
“Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback” Holds Strong at Number One
The 28th feature film in the “Detective Conan” series, titled “Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback” (also known as “Case Closed: One-eyed Flashback”), is maintaining its dominance at the Japanese box office. During the weekend of April 25-27, 2025, the film earned 1.669 billion yen (approximately $11.74 million USD) with 1.136 million admissions. This is according to Kogyo Tsushinsha. Although this represents a 51.5% decrease from its opening weekend, the film’s performance remains strong, holding the number one position for the second consecutive week.
A Record-Breaking Debut
“One-eyed Flashback” had a record-breaking opening, surpassing all previous films in the “Detective Conan” franchise. In its first three days, the film grossed 3,438,626,700 yen (about $24.15 million USD) and sold 2,314,690 tickets. It opened in 522 theaters across Japan, marking the widest release in the history of “Detective Conan” features. This impressive start beat out other newcomers during the Golden Week holiday period.
Chasing Records
While the second-weekend gross was about 86.88% of the previous film, “Case Closed: The Million-dollar Pentagram,” the cumulative total for “One-eyed Flashback” after two weeks reached 6.3 billion yen (approximately $44.33 million USD) with 4.31 million ticket sales. This is about 200 million yen less than “The Million-dollar Pentagram” earned in the same period. However, “Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback” has surpassed ¥6.34 billion ($44.2 million USD) in just 10 days and is aiming to reach the ¥10 billion milestone, which would mark the third consecutive film in the franchise to achieve this feat.
A Long-Standing Franchise
“Detective Conan” is a beloved anime series in Japan, with a dedicated fan base that spans generations. The manga series by Gosho Aoyama launched in 1994 and is still ongoing. The anime television adaptation has aired over 1,100 episodes. The annual “Detective Conan” films are a major draw, often incorporating real-life locations that become tourist destinations for fans.
Special Screenings
To celebrate the success of “One-eyed Flashback,” special “cheer screenings” are scheduled to begin on May 16 in select theaters. Additionally, screenings with synchronized penlight effects will be introduced on May 23, enhancing the immersive experience for viewers.
“Ya Boy Kongming!” Live-Action Film Debuts
A new contender has entered the box office arena: the live-action film adaptation of the manga “Ya Boy Kongming!” (known as “Paripi Koumei” in Japan). The film opened in 311 theaters on April 25, 2025, and debuted in fifth place.
A Sequel to the TV Drama
The “Ya Boy Kongming!” film is a sequel to the 2023 live-action TV drama series. The series aired for 10 episodes on Fuji TV from September to November 2023. The movie continues the story of Zhuge Kongming, the legendary Chinese strategist who is reincarnated in modern Shibuya.
The Story
The story centers on Zhuge Kongming, who finds himself in present-day Shibuya and aims to help Eiko Tsukimi, an aspiring singer, achieve her dreams through music and his strategic prowess. The film sees Kongming and Eiko participating in a major music battle festival.
Cast and Crew
The film features returning cast members from the TV drama, including Moka Kamishiraishi as Eiko Tsukimi and Osamu Mukai as Zhuge Kongming. Shūhei Shibue, who directed the TV drama, returns as director for the film, with Nonji Nemoto writing the script. The theme song for the film, “Count on me,” is performed by EIKO, played by Moka Kamishiraishi.
A Manga Adaptation
The “Ya Boy Kongming!” manga, written by Yuto Yotsuba and illustrated by Ryo Ogawa, was first serialized on Kodansha’s Comic Days website from December 2019 to November 2021. It then moved to Weekly Young Magazine. The manga has also inspired an anime television series, which was streamed from March to June 2022 and aired on television from April to June of the same year.
Other Films in the Top 10
While “Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback” and “Ya Boy Kongming!” are making headlines, other films are also performing well at the Japanese box office. These include:
- Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Art World Tales: The 44th film in the “Doraemon” franchise, released on March 7, has earned approximately $30 million USD to date, becoming Japan’s highest-grossing film of 2025 for a time. In its seventh weekend, it went down to second place.
- ME & ROBOCO: The Movie: An anime film based on the comedy manga by Shuhei Miyazaki, which debuted in fourth place but disappeared from the top 10 in its second weekend.
Box Office Trends
The Japanese box office in 2025 continues to be dominated by anime films and adaptations. “Detective Conan” and “Doraemon,” both long-running and beloved franchises, demonstrate the enduring popularity of anime among Japanese audiences. The success of “Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram” in 2024, which became the highest-grossing Japanese film of the year, further solidifies this trend.
Looking Ahead
The Japanese box office is expected to remain competitive in the coming months, with several highly anticipated films set to be released. It will be interesting to see if “Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback” can maintain its momentum and achieve another ¥10 billion milestone. Also, it remains to be seen how “Ya Boy Kongming!” performs in the coming weeks.
