#Japan Box Office: Rurouni Kenshin Live-action Films Dominate No.1 & No.2 Places

Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning, the second and final part of the two-part “Final Chapter” series inspired by Nobuhiro Watsuki’s action jidaigeki manga, earned 363 million yen (3.31 million USD) on 247,600 admissions on its first Saturday and Sunday, 500 million yen (4.57 million USD) on 350,000 admissions in its first three days, becoming the top-grossing film of the weekend of June 5-6 in Japan.

Following in second was Rurouni Kenshin: The Final, the first part of the two-part series, which finally reached No.1 in the Japanese box office for the first time last weekend. The film made 190 million yen (1.73 million USD) on 73,000 admissions in its seventh weekend, bringing its domestic total to 3.4 billion yen (31 million USD). According to the film’s official Twitter, this is the first time in the history of Japanese cinema that the two films in the same series dominated the top and second place at the box office.

In its eighth weekend, the Detective Conan anime franchise’s 24th feature film Meitantei Conan: Hiiro no Dangan / Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet ranked third, one position up from the previous weekend. The film has earned 6.7 billion yen (61.23 million USD) on 4.83 million admissions.

It is expected to become the third top-grossing film in the Conan anime franchise soon, by surpassing the 21st film The Crimson Love Letter‘s domestic gross of 6.89 billion yen (63 million USD). However, it seems impossible to reach the box office record of 9.18 billion yen (84 million USD) set by the second top-grossing film, Zero the Enforcer in 2018.

Kakegurui: Zettai Zetsumei Russian Roulette (Kakegurui The Movie: Russian Roulette in Desperate Situation), the second live-action film inspired by Homura Kawamoto (story) and Toru Naomura (art)’s gambling themed manga Kakegurui, was released in 218 theaters in Japan on June 1, 2021, and made its eighth place debut. The first film released in May 2019 ranked sixth in its opening weekend.

Fate/Grand Order the Movie Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot – Paladin; Agateram, the second part of the anime film project based on the Fate/Grand Order smartphone RPG, kept its same 10th position in its fourth weekend. Meanwhile, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time finally disappeared from the box office top 10 in its 13th weekend. The film’s domestic gross has reached 8.67 billion yen (79.25 million USD) on 5.67 million admissions in 91 days since its release in Japan on March 8, 2021.

 Weekend box office in Japan (June 5-6, 2021)

 (ticket sales basis)

 1 (new). “Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning” – 500 million yen yen

 2 (1). “Rurouni Kenshin: The Final” – 3.4 billion yen

 3 (4). “Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet” – 6.7 billion yen

 4 (2). “Jigoku no Hanazono” – 500 million yen

 5 (5). “Ustukushiki Yuwaku – Gendai no Gahi-” – 470 million yen

 6 (3). “Inochi no Teishaba” – 380 million yen

 7 (6). “Cruella” – 80 million yen

 8 (new). “Kakegurui: Zettai Zetsumei Russian Roulette”

 9 (new). “Mune ga Narunowa Kimi no Sei”

 10 (10). “Fate/Grand Order the Movie Divine Realm of the Round Table: Camelot – Paladin; Agateram” – 150 million yen

Source: Eiga.com, Pixiin, Oricon News 

©Nobuhiro Watsuki/SHUEISHA

©2020 “Rurouni Kenshin Final Chapter The Final/The Beginnng” Production Committee 

©Homura Kawamoto, Toru Naomura/SQUARE ENIX, Drama “Kakegurui” Production Committee, MBS