Japan Box Office Top 10: Doraemon: Nobita’s Sky Utopia Makes Impressive No.1 Debut
Doraemon: Nobita’s Sky Utopia, the 42nd anime feature film in the nationally popular Doraemon franchise, finally released in 380 theaters across Japan on March 3, 2023, earning an impressive 663 million yen (5.16 million USD) with 542,000 admissions in its first three-day weekend, making its No.1 debut as expected.
The opening weekend gross was a huge 149% of that of the franchise’s previous 41st film Doraemon: Nobita’s Little Star Wars 2021, released in March 2022 and earning 2.69 billion yen (20.91 million USD) from its total domestic run. This figure was almost the same as the two-day weekend gross of the 36th film Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016, which earned 4.12 billion yen (32 million USD) in total, so this 42nd film can also be expected to exceed the four billion yen mark.
Meanwhile, the film ranked third in Filmarks’ first-day satisfaction ranking with an average rating of 3.9/5.0 based on 323 reviews.
Coming in second was the live-action film adaptation of Kujira Anan’s And Yet, You Are So Sweet romance shoujo manga. The film starring Kyohei Takahashi (Johnny & Associates’ seven-member boy idol group Naniwa Danshi member) was released in 223 theaters and earned 255 million yen (1.98 million USD) on 207,000 admissions in its first three-day weekend. The film was off to a good start with a final gross of one billion yen.
On the other hand, it ranked only fourth in Filmarks’ first-day satisfaction ranking with an average rating of 3.7/5.0 based on 293 reviews.
Last week’s No.1 film, THE FIRST SLAM DUNK ranked third in its 14th weekend, bringing its total to 11.6 billion yen (90.1 million USD) on 7.97 million admissions.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Swordsmith Village- dropped to fourth in its fifth weekend, two positions down from last weekend. The 110-minute feature film edition’s cumulative total gross has reached 3.5 billion yen (27.21 million USD) on 2.47 million admissions.
RELATED: Demon Slayer -To the Swordsmith Village- Journeys Past 3.5 Billion Yen in Japan
Thanks to great word-of-mouth feedback from the audience, the anime film adaptation of Shinichi Ishizuka’s jazz-themed manga BLUE GIANT moved up three places and ranked sixth in its third weekend, higher than its first week’s eighth place! The film has earned 320 million yen (2.49 million USD) in total so far.
In its 17th weekend, Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume ranked eighth, one position down from last weekend, bringing its total to 14.04 billion yen (109.1 million USD).
RELATED: Suzume Anime Film Passes 14 Billion Yen as It Travels Up Japan’s All Time Box Office
Weekend box office Top 10 in Japan (March 3-5, 2023)
(ticket sales basis)
1 (new). “Doraemon: Nobita’s Sky Utopia” – 663 million yen
2 (new). “And Yet, You Are So Sweet” – 255 million yen
3 (1). “THE FIRST SLAM DUNK” – 11.6 billion yen
4 (2). “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Swordsmith Village-” – 3.5 billion yen
5 (new). “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
6 (9). “BLUE GIANT” – 320 million yen
7 (3). “Yudo”
8 (7). “Suzume” – 14.04 billion yen
9 (4). “Shylock no Kodomo-tachi” – 540 million yen
10 (new). “The Fabelmans”
“Doraemon: Nobita’s Sky Utopia” trailer:
“And Yet, You Are So Sweet” trailer:
Sources: Eiga.com, Pixiin, Filmark
©Fujiko Production, SHOGAKUKAN, TV Asahi, Shin-Ei, ADK 2023
©2023 “And Yet, You Are So Sweet” Production Committee ©Kujira Anan/KODANSHA
