Eiga Chiikawa: Ningyo no Shima no Himitsu (Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island), the first anime film adaptation of Nagano‘s Chiikawa manga, dropped from #2 to #4 in its 11th weekend in Japan’s box office from last Friday to Sunday. The film earned 178,447,600 yen (about US$1.12 million). 

The film has sold a total of 11.76 million tickets, and earned a cumulative total of 17,169,165,400 yen (about US$108 million). The film is currently the biggest film in Japan this year, and now ranks 14th in Japan’s all-time box office ranking.

Eiga Chiikawa: Ningyo no Shima no Himitsu opened on July 24 and ranked at #1 for its opening weekend. The film earned 990 million yen (about US$6.05 million) on its opening day. The film sold 1,508,500 tickets and earned 2,240,333,500 yen (about US$13.70 million) in its first three days.

The film’s 4DX screenings began on September 5. One-day-only cheering screenings for the film took place on September 11. Penlight screenings took place on September 23.

The film is based on the manga’s arc posted on X (formerly Twitter) from March to November 2023, nicknamed the “Siren Arc” or “Island Arc.”

Nagano is credited for the original story and also wrote the film’s script. Under Nagano‘s supervision, Kei Oikawa (Uma Musume Pretty Derby 3 seasons, Hinamatsuri, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO!, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax) directed the film at Cygames Pictures. QTORY inc. managed the production, and TOHO is distributing the film.

Eiga Meitantei Precure! Fushigi na Niwa to Futari no Himitsu (Detective Precure! The Movie: The Mysterious Garden and the Secret of 2 People) — the film for Star Detective Precure!, the 23rd main anime entry in the Precure franchise — dropped from #3 to #5 in its third weekend. The film earned 117,562,850 yen (about US$742,100) from Friday to Sunday. The film has sold a total of 860,000 tickets and earned a cumulative total of 1,088,603,930 yen (about US$6.87 million).

The film opened in Japan on September 18. It sold 358,000 tickets to earn 446 million yen (about US$2.82 million) in its first three days. In its first six days until September 23, the film sold 606,000 tickets and earned 746 million yen (about US$4.71 million).

The cast members who voice the film’s original characters are Akari Kitō as Karin, a 14-year-old girl who holds the key to the story; Nobunaga Shimazaki as Alan, a fairy who watches over Karin; and Kōki Uchiyama as Rain, a fairy who requests the Detective Precures’ help.

Hanako Ueda (You and Idol Precure♪, Summer Time Rendering, My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON episode director) directed the film. Yoshimi Narita (Eiga HappinessCharge PreCure! Ningyō no Kuni no Ballerina, Eiga Precure All Stars New Stage 3: Eien no Tomodachi, Eiga Tropical-Rouge! Precure: Yuki no Princess to Kiseki no Yubiwa! films) wrote the script, Erika Fukasawa (Eiga Kimi to Idol Precure♪ Omatase! Kimi ni Todokeru Kirakkilive!) and Misaki Umase (You and Idol Precure♪) composed the music, and Emiko Miyamoto (Eiga Precure All Stars F, Precure Super Stars! original character designer) designed the characters and was also the film’s chief animation director. 

Yūka Masui and Chihaya Yoshitake perform the film’s ending theme song “FIRST PRISM.” Ami Ishii performs the insert song “First Step.”

Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie: Walpurgisnacht: Rising (Gekijōban Mahō Shōjo Madoka Magica: Walpurgis no Kaiten), the official sequel to the Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 3: Rebellion film, rejoined the list at #7 in its sixth weekend. The film earned 135,516,600 yen (about US$855,400) from Friday to Sunday, and has earned a cumulative total of 2,342,576,920 yen (about US$14.78 million).

The film got IMAX screenings in Japan on August 28, the same day it opened in theaters. The film sold 535,000 tickets and and earned 939,647,100 yen (about US$5.95 million) in its first three days.

Yukihiro Miyamoto (Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story, Arakawa Under the Bridge) directed the film.

Shion Wakayama voices the new magical girl Shichōka and Tomoyo Kurosawa voices Selma Therese.

The anime film features a returning staff from the original anime series and films, including original creators Magica Quartet, chief director Akiyuki Simbo, scriptwriter Gen Urobuchi of Nitroplus, original character designer Ume Aoki, animation character designer Junichirō Taniguchi, composer Yuki Kajiura, alternate space designer Gekidan Inu Curry, and animation studio SHAFT.

NOTHING NEW and director Kōhei Kadowaki‘s We Are Aliens (Ware Ware wa Uchūjin) anime film did not make the top 10 but surpassed 100 million yen in box office revenue as of October 2. It has sold 97,401 tickets and earned 156,708,200 yen (about US$990,200) as of October 4. The film opened in Japan on September 25.

Shingo Yamashita‘s Cosmic Princess Kaguya! (Chō Kaguya-hime!) anime film dropped off the top 10 in its third week after returning to theaters on September 18 with a new MX4D, 4DX, SCREENX, ULTRA 4DX, and Dolby Atmos screening. 

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

Series follows young woman who begins experiencing strange phenomena at an apartment complex in Seoul

Horang’s horror webtoon The Ghost of Bongcheon-Dong is being adapted into a live-action film.

Lotte Entertainment announced on October 7 that Arin — a member of K-pop girl group OH MY GIRL — and Chan-young Yoon will star in the film. Production began on October 5.

Based on Horang’s short horror webtoon of the same name, The Ghost of Bongcheon-Dong follows Su-yeon, a young woman who begins experiencing strange phenomena at an apartment complex in Bongcheon-dong, Seoul, built on land where shamans once performed rituals. She becomes possessed by a ghost and is drawn into a centuries-old curse surrounding the area.

Arin will play Su-yeon, while Yoon will portray Tae-oh, a young man who can see ghosts.

Horang originally published the webtoon in 2011 as part of the horror comic collection The Vault of Horror: A Collection of Nightmares. The story became one of Horang’s best-known horror comics and was later remastered and included in Horang’s Nightmare in 2020.

Lotte Entertainment has not yet announced a release date.

Fans can read the official English version of the remastered webtoon on WEBTOON.

Source: NEWSIS (Jong-hee Lee)

Series centers on prince who secretly hunts, eats monsters to avoid assassination

Anime studio WHITE FOX announced on Friday it is producing a television anime adaptation of Daken‘s How I Became King by Eating Monsters (Monster no Niku wo Kutteitara Ōi ni Tsuita Ken) light novel series. The anime will debut in 2027.

Original novel illustrator Shiba and manga artist Karin Suzuragi both drew illustrations to celebrate the announcement.

Cross Infinite World is releasing the original light novel series in English, and it describes the story:

The first prince of the kingdom of Farune, Mars, is only twelve years old, yet he lives in fear of assassination. In order to avoid the deadly poison in nearly all of his meals, he slips out of the castle into the nearby monster-infested forest, where, battling monsters and his own hunger, he has to hunt for his meals in order to stave off starvation. Then, one night, as he’s searching for his next bite of monster meat, a red-haired woman shouldering a greatsword appears before him and says to him, “You have promise. Become my apprentice.” How is he supposed to tell her that this must be some sort of mistake? But there’s a secret that only she knows, and that he’s stumbled upon: eating monsters makes you stronger! With her training and his newfound power, Mars will finally overcome all those pesky assassination attempts. However, that doesn’t end things; no, it’s only the beginning of a nationwide—even continent-spanning—series of wars and plots with him right in the middle!

Cross Infinite World released the sixth novel volume digitally on September 30.

Daken launched the original story on the “Shōsetsuka ni Narō” website in January 2022, and the latest update was in January 2023. Micro Magazine‘s GCN Bunko label started publishing the story in compiled volume format in September 2023 with illustrations by Shiba. The company will publish the seventh volume on October 20.

Karin Suzuragi (Danganronpa 2: Chiaki Nanami’s Goodbye Despair Quest, Isekai Cheat Magician) launched a manga adaptation of the novel series in January 2024 in Hakusensha‘s Young Animal Zero magazine. Hakusensha will publish the third compiled volume on October 29.

Daken‘s Tsuihо̄ Sareta Shо̄nin wa Kin no Chikara de Sekai wo Sukū light novel series is also slated to get an upcoming television anime adaptation. Seven Seas Entertainment is releasing Daken‘s The Suspects of Necromancy and The Wicked Princess and Her Twelve Eyes light novel series in English. Yen Press is releasing Daken‘s Who Killed the Hero? light novel series.

Sources: Monster no Niku wo Kutteitara Ōi ni Tsuita Ken anime’s website, Comic Natalie