Japan Box Office: Whisper of the Heart Live-action Film Makes Its 4th Place Debut
The long-awaited live-action film adaptation of Aoi Hiiragi’s romantic coming of age manga Mimi wo Sumaseba / Whisper of the Heart was finally released in 352 theaters across Japan on October 14, then earned a bit disappointing 109 million yen (732,400 USD) on 79,000 admissions on its first Saturday and Sunday to make its fourth place debut. The total three-day box office gross from Friday through Sunday was 147 million yen (987,730 USD) on 108,000 admissions.
The film’s critical reception has been less than favorable. It ranks only seventh in Filmarks’ first day satisfaction ranking with an average rating of 3.38/5.0 based on 927 reviews.
The Yuichiro Hirakawa (The Promised Neverland live-action film)-directed film was originally scheduled to be released in Japan on September 18, 2020, but has been postponed for two years due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is difficult to determine whether this two-year delay is one of the factors contributing to this disappointing outcome.
Toei Animation’s One Piece Film Red has stayed on No.1 on the Japanese box office for an amazing 11 consecutive weekend. The film earned 233 million yen (1.56 million USD) on 168,000 admissions in its 11th weekend, which was about the same as the previous weekend’s numbers. Its total gross in Japan has reached 17.1 billion yen (114.8 million USD) on 12.31 million admissions.
Uta no Prince-sama The Movie: Maji LOVE ST☆RISH TOURS, the second concert film from the Uta no Prince-sama anime franchise, has still continued its phenomenal box office run. In its seventh weekend, the film ranked sixth, two positions up from the last weekend’s eighth. Meanwhile, Eiga Delicious Party Pretty Cure: Yumemiru Okosama Lunch! (Delicious Party Pretty Cure the Movie: Dreamy Children’s Lunch!), the 31st feature film in Toei Animation’s long-running magical girl anime franchise, ranked ninth in its fourth weekend, down three positions.
Mainly due to the small number of theaters showing the film (43 theaters across Japan), WATATEN!: An Angel Flew Down to Me: Precious Friends, the all-new anime feature film adaptation of Nanatsu Mukunoki’s four-panel yuri comedy manga, didn’t appear in the overall box office top 10 ranking. However, the film was well received by audiences, ranking second in Filmarks’ first day satisfaction ranking with an average rating of 4.04/5.0 based on 68 reviews.
Both of To Me, The One Who Loved You and To Every You I’ve Loved Before, based on Yomoji Otono’s sci-fi romance novels, quickly disappeared from the top 10 in their second weekend.
Weekend box office Top 10 in Japan (October 15-16, 2022)
(ticket sales basis)
1 (1). “One Piece Film Red” – 17.1 billion yen
2 (new). “Karada Sagashi” – 210 million yen
3 (2). “The Divine Protector―Master Salt Begins” – 400 million yen
4 (new). “Whisper of The Heart” – 147 million yen
5 (3). “Chinmoku no Parade” – 2.5 billion yen
6 (8). “Uta no Prince-sama The Movie: Maji LOVE ST☆RISH TOURS”
7 (4). “Seven Secretaries: The Movie”
8 (5). “The Bad Guys” – 140 million yen
9 (6). “Delicious Party Pretty Cure the Movie: Dreamy Children’s Lunch!”
10 (7). “Sore ga Iru Mori” – 340 million yen
“Whisper of The Heart” trailer:
“WATATEN!: An Angel Flew Down to Me: Precious Friends” trailer:
Sources: Eiga.com, Pixiin, Filmarks
©Aoi Hiiragi/KODANSHA
©2022 “Whisper of the Heart” Production Committee
©Nanatsu Mukunoki, Ichijinsha/Wataten Production Committee
