2013 Top Grossing Films
Total Gross / Admissions :: Film :: Days in Release :: Distributor

¥11.90 billion ($122.3 million) / 9.59 million :: The Wind Rises :: 128 :: Toho
¥10 billion ↨
¥8.97 billion ($91.4 million) / 7.06 million :: Monsters University :: Tracking Ends :: Disney
¥6.85 billion ($76.9 million) / 5.67 million :: One Piece Film Z :: Final Estimate :: Toei
¥6.11 billion ($67.7 million) / 4.96 million :: Les Miserables :: Final Estimate :: Toho-Towa
¥5 billion ↨
¥4.21 billion ($46.2 million) / 3.09 million :: Ted :: Final Estimate :: Toho-Towa
¥4 billion ↨
¥3.96 billion ($43.2 million) / 3.64 million :: Doraemon: Nobita's Secret Gagdet Museum :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥3.61 billion ($36.9 million) / 3.01 million :: Detective Conan: Private Eye in the Distant Sea :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥3.26 billion ($33.9 million) / 2.67 million :: Midsummer Formula :: Tracking Ends :: Toho
¥3.24 billion ($33.7 million) / 2.77 million :: The After-Dinner Mysteries :: Tracking Ends :: Toho
¥3.09 billion ($32.1 million) / 2.64 million :: Like Father, Like Son :: 58 :: Gaga
¥3.08 billion ($32.0 million) / 2.96 million :: Pokemon: ExtremeSpeed Genesect - Mewtwo Awakens :: Tracking Ends :: Toho
¥3.00 billion ($31.0 million) / 2.35 million :: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods :: Final Estimate :: Toei
¥3 billion ↨
¥2.93 billion ($31.6 million) / 2.40 million :: Wreck-It Ralph :: Final Estimate :: Disney
¥2.82 billion ($32.4 million) / 2.21 million :: 007: Skyfall :: Final Estimate :: Sony
¥2.64 billion ($28.3 million) / 2.12 million :: Platinum Data :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥2.60 billion ($26.7 million) / 1.77 million :: Iron Man 3 :: Tracking Ends :: Disney
¥2.40 billion ($25.0 million) / 1.86 million :: Despicable Me 2 :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
¥2.16 billion ($22.4 million) / 1.72 million :: SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 1 :: 24 :: Toho
¥2.15 billion ($23.9 million) / 1.73 million :: Strawberry Night :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥2.13 billion ($22.2 million) / 1.73 million :: The King of Apology :: 58 :: Toho
¥2.09 billion ($21.7 million) / 1.63 million :: The Lone Ranger :: Tracking Ends :: Disney
¥2.03 billion ($22.3 million) / 1.49 million :: A Good Day to Die Hard :: Final Estimate :: Fox
¥2 billion ↨
¥1.98 billion ($20.4 million) / 1.52 million :: Fast and Furious 6 :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
¥1.96 billion ($20.3 million) / 1.42 million :: World War Z :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
¥1.84 billion ($21.3 million) / 1.28 million :: Life of Pi :: Final Estimate :: Fox
¥1.83 billion ($19.3 million) / 1.51 million :: Ataru: The First Love & The Last Kill :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥1.82 billion ($18.6 million) / 1.49 million :: The Kiyosu Conference :: 16 :: Toho
¥1.81 billion ($19.0 million) / 1.44 million :: Shield of Straw :: Final Estimate :: Warner Bros.
¥1.77 billion ($20.2 million) / 1.46 million :: Today, I Started Loving You :: Final Total :: Toho
¥1.75 billion ($18.9 million) / 1.25 million :: Oz: The Great and Powerful :: Final Estimate :: Disney
¥1.71 billion ($18.0 million) / 1.38 million :: Library Wars :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥1.68 billion ($17.3 million) / 1.23 million :: Magi Madoka Magica: The Rebellion Story :: 30 :: Warner Bros.
¥1.66 billion ($17.2 million) / 1.37 million :: The Girl in the Sunny Place :: 44 :: Asmik Ace/Toho
¥1.64 billion ($18.9 million) / 1.16 million :: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey :: Tracking Ends :: Warner Bros.
¥1.58 billion ($16.2 million) / 1.28 million :: Gintama: The Final Chapter :: Final Estimate :: Warner Bros.
¥1.55 billion ($16.9 million) / 1.42 million :: Tokyo Family :: Final Estimate :: Shochiku
¥1.50 billion ($15.6 million) / 1.37 million :: A Boy Called H :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥1.48 billion ($15.4 million) / 1.02 million :: Pacific Rim :: Tracking Ends :: Warner Bros.
¥1.40 billion ($14.9 million) / 1.13 million :: Oblivion :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
¥1.30 billion ($13.3 million) / 1.13 million :: Crayon Shin-chan: Gourmet Survival Class :: Final Estimates:: Toho
¥1.25 billion ($13.9 million) / 0.99 million :: Brain Man :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥1.21 billion ($13.5 million) / 1.02 million :: Hunter X Hunter: The Phantom Rouge :: Final Total :: Toho
¥1.20 billion ($12.6 million) / 1.03 million :: Kamen Rider Wizard in Magic Land :: Tracking Ends :: Toei
¥1.18 billion ($12.9 million) / 1.02 million :: Aibou Series: X-Day :: Final Estimate :: Toei
¥1.17 billion ($13.3 million) / 0.99 million :: Humanoid Monster, Bem :: Final Total :: Toho
¥1.14 billion ($13.0 million) / 1.03 million :: Kamen Rider X Kamen Rider Fourze & Wizard :: Final Total :: Toei
¥1.14 billion ($11.9 million) / 1.01 million :: Emperor :: Tracking Ends :: Shochiku
¥1.12 billion ($11.6 million) / 0.89 million :: The Great Gatsby :: Tracking Ends :: Warner Bros.
¥1.07 billion ($11.3 million) / 0.87 million :: Jack Reacher :: Tracking Ends :: Paramount
¥1.05 billion ($11.0 million) / 0.98 million :: Pretty Cure All Stars: New Stage 2 :: Final Estimate :: Toei
¥1.05 billion ($10.8 million) / 0.73 million :: Star Trek Into Darkness :: Tracking Ends :: Paramount
¥1.02 billion ($10.8 million) / 0.83 million :: The Complex :: Tracking Ends :: Shochiku
¥1.00 billion ($10.2 million) / 0.81 million :: Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day :: Tracking Ends :: Aniplex
¥1 billion ↑

¥10 Billion Club
01 :: ¥30.40 - Spirited Away (2001)
02 :: ¥26.20 - Titanic (1997)
03 :: ¥22.00 - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
04 :: ¥20.30 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
05 :: ¥19.30 - Princess Mononoke (1997)
06 :: ¥17.35 - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)
07 :: ¥17.30 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
08 :: ¥15.60 - Avatar (2009)
09 :: ¥15.50 - Ponyo (2008)
10 :: ¥13.70 - The Last Samurai (2003)
11 :: ¥13.50 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
11 :: ¥13.50 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
13 :: ¥13.40 - Armageddon (1998)
14 :: ¥12.85 - Jurassic Park (1993)
15 :: ¥12.70 - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
16 :: ¥11.90 [after a ¥25 million 19th-week] - The Wind Rises (2013) [128 days in release]
17 :: ¥11.80 - Alice in Wonderland (2010)
18 :: ¥11.00 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
18 :: ¥11.00 - Finding Nemo (2003)
18 :: ¥11.00 - The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
18 :: ¥11.00 - Antarctic Story (1983)
22 :: ¥10.90 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
23 :: ¥10.80 - Toy Story 3 (2010)
24 :: ¥10.65 - Independence Day (1996)
25 :: ¥10.32 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2004)
26 :: ¥10.10 - Bayside Shakedown (1998)
27 :: ¥10.02 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

$100 Million Club
01 :: $244.0 - Spirited Away (2001)
02 :: $212.0 - Titanic (1997)
03 :: $207.0 - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
04 :: $188.7 - Avatar (2009)
05 :: $165.5 - Princess Mononoke (1997)
06 :: $164.5 - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)
07 :: $163.7 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
08 :: $156.0 - Ponyo (2008)
09 :: $147.8 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
10 :: $142.8 - Alice in Wonderland (2010)
11 :: $130.7 - Toy Story 3 (2010)
12 :: $126.7 - The Last Samurai (2003)
13 :: $125.3 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
14 :: $125.1 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
15 :: $122.3 [after a $0.25 million 19th-week] - The Wind Rises (2013) [128 days in release]
16 :: $117.6 - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
17 :: $114.9 - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
18 :: $111.9 - Arrietty (2010)
19 :: $102.4 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
20 :: $102.4 - Finding Nemo (2003)
21 :: $100.2 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2004)
22 :: $100.0 - Armageddon (1998)

Most-Attended Films of All-Time
01 :: 23.50 million - Spirited Away (2001)
02 :: 19.50 million - Tokyo Olympiad (1965)
03 :: 16.83 million - Titanic (1997)
04 :: 16.20 million - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
05 :: 15.00 million - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
06 :: 14.20 million - Princess Mononoke (1997)
07 :: 14.00 million - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
08 :: 13.00 million - Emperor Meiji and the Great Russo-Japanese War (1958)
09 :: 12.87 million - Ponyo (2008)
10 :: 12.60 million - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)
11 :: 12.55 million - Godzilla Vs. King Kong (1962)
12 :: 12.10 million - The Last Samurai (2003)
13 :: 11.00 million - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
14 :: 10.69 million - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
15 :: 10.10 million - Avatar (2009)
16 :: 9.61 million - Godzilla (1954)
17 :: 9.59 million [after a 20,000 admissions 19th-week] - The Wind Rises (2013) [128 days in release]
18 :: 9.00 million - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
19 :: 8.90 million - Armageddon (1998)
20 :: 8.80 million - The Sinking of Japan (1973)
21 :: 8.60 million - Finding Nemo (2003)
22 :: 8.55 million - Jurassic Park (1993)
23 :: 8.40 million - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
24 :: 8.34 million - The Return of Godzilla (1955)
25 :: 8.30 million - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
26 :: 8.00 million - Antarctic Story (1983)
27 :: 8.00 million - The Da Vinci Code (2006)

The Wind Rises has been consistent the past few weeks (¥20/30 million gains) due to making the Best Animated Picture long list and extra exposure/advertising with The Tale of Princess Kaguya. But now that it has finally lost some theaters, and The Tale of Princess Kaguya now in theaters, it'll begin to slow to a crawl soon I bet.

I think this may be the last week tracking is available, so the rest of it's run will depend on an Oscar nomination and/or win. A nomination will give it a big boost for a couple weeks, but if it actually manages a win will keep it around well into the Spring or early Summer.

Spirited Away returned to the Top 10 in 4th place (up from 18th) in its 32nd week in release after Oscar Nominations were announced, and remained there for an additional 5 weeks thanks to winning it's Academy Award in 2002. And after being nominated for and winning Best Foreign Film in 2008, Departures almost doubled it's 4+ month total. So needless to say, Oscar recognition can go a very long way.

Likely wins at the Japan Academy Prize in early March certainly won't hurt it either.

Ten Major Domestic Films To Watch This Upcoming Year (Winter to Summer)


>Lupin III Vs. Detective Conan
-Release Date: Dec. 07, 2013
-Distributor: Toho
-The second film in the crossover Lupin III Vs. Detective Conan. The first crossover earned a 19.5% TV rating in 2009, and the film already has a number of sellouts weeks before it opens.

>The Eternal Zero
-Release Date: Dec. 21, 2013
-Distributor: Toho
-Starring: Junichi Okada ('Security Police', 'Kisarazu Cat's Eye'), Mao Inoue ('Rebirth', 'Boys Over Flowers', 'The King of Apology'), Haruma Miura ('Gokusen', 'Crows Zero')
Plot: A young man Kentaro Saeki (Haruma Miura) keeps failing his bar test and does not know what to do any more. His older sister Keiko is a freelance writer. Kentaro and Keiko begin to search for information on their grandfather Kyuzo Miyabe (Junichi Okada) who died in the special forces during World War II.
Their grandfather Kyuzo Miyabe was terrified of death and obsessed with life. Why did he join the special forces? According to his fellow navy soldiers, Kyuzo Miyabe was a genius and also a coward. Kentaro and Keiko then discovers the shocking truth which has been sealed for 60 years.
-Directed by Japan Academy Prize Winner and Japan's top visual director - Takashi Yamazaki ('Always', 'Ballad', 'Space Battleship Yamato)

>Thermae Romae II
-Release Date: Golden Week - April 26, 2014
-Distributor: Toho
-Starring: Hiroshi Abe ('Thermae Romae', 'Hero', 'Trick')
-Plot: The live-action adaptation of Mari Yamazaki's comedy manga follows Lucius, an architect from ancient Rome who ends up traveling through time to modern Japan, bringing the innovations of the time back with him to Rome.

>Partners The Movie 3
-Release Date: Golden Week 2014 (Late April/Early May)
-Distributor: Toei
-Starring: Yutaka Mizutani ('Partners', 'A Boy Called H'), Narimiya Hiroki ('Partners', 'The Floating Castle'), Mitsuhiro Oikawa ('Partners', 'Japan Sinks')

>Untitled Hiromasa Yonebayashi ('Arrietty') Studio Ghibli Film
-Release Date: July 2014
-Distributor: Toho
-Hiromasa Yonebayashi's 'Arrietty' is the most successful film of all-time by a first-time director (domestic or imported), and is being expected to one day to lead the Studio post-Miyazaki.

>Lupin III (Live-Action Film Adaptation)
-Release Date: Summer 2014
-Distributor: Toho
-Starring: Shun Oguri ('Bayside Shakedown', 'Boys Over Flowers', 'Crows Zero'), Meisa Kuroki ('Crows Zero', 'Space Battleship Yamato'), Tetsuji Tamayama ('Nana', 'The Girl in the Sunny Place', 'Crows Zero'), Gou Ayano ('Gantz', 'Rurouni Kenshin'), Tadanobu Asano ('Dearest', 'A Ghost of a Chance', '47 Ronin')
-Based on the popular manga series "Lupin Sansei" by Monkey Punch in 1967. Lupin remains very popular to this day, and the movie announcement generated hundreds of thousands of tweets yesterday.

>All-Round Appraiser Q: Mona Lisa’s Eye
-Release Date: Summer 2014
-Distributor: Toho
-Starring: Haruka Ayase ('Rookies', 'Dearest'), Tori Matsuzaka ('Dr. Ume-chan', 'Wings of the Kirin')
-Plot: Riko Rinda (Haruka Ayase) is an appraiser with her own store "All-Around Appraiser Q". She is hired as a temporary employee by The Louvre for a Mona Lisa exhibition to be held in Japan. Yuto Ogasawara (Tori Matsuzaka) is a magazine editor and follows Riko Rinda for a story. The two soon discover a hidden puzzle of the Mona Lisa.
-Based on the incredibly popular novel, "Case Files of All-Round Appraiser Q IX" by Keisuke Matsuoka. The novel, likely inspired by 'The Da Vinci Code', sold over 3 million copies, making it the most successful novel since Oricon began tracking book sales.

>Doraemon (First CGI Release)
-Release Date: Summer 2014
-Distributor: Toho
-The second Doraemon film to be released in 2014, following the annual March release, is set to be the first film in the most-attended film franchise of all-time in Japan to be developed using CGI.

>Rurouni Kenshin The Great Kyoto Fire Version / Rurouni Kenshin The Last Legend Version
-Release Date: Summer 2014
-Distributor: Warner Bros.
Starring: Takeru Sato '(Rurouni Kenshin', 'Rookies', 'Kamen Rider'), Tatsuya Fujiwara ('Battle Royale', 'Death Note', 'Kaiji'), Emi Takei ('Rurouni Kenshin', 'Breathless Summer')
-Two-Part Sequel to the hit 2012 adaptation of the popular 'Rurouni Kenshin' manga/anime series. The first film remains Warner Bros. biggest earner since the Harry Potter series concluded.

>Attack on Titan (Live-Action Film Adaptation)
-Release Date: 2014 (TBA)
-Distributor: Toho
-Plot/Setting: One hundred years prior to the beginning of the story, giant humanoid creatures called Titans have forced humanity to retreat into a system of concentric walls. Inside these walls, humanity lived in peace for one hundred years, but a sudden attack by a gigantic sixty-meter Titan and a smaller Titan covered in armor plates caused the outermost wall to be breached, forcing mankind to abandon the land between the walls resulting in turmoil and famine.
-Based on the incredibly popular manga/anime series. The manga sales exceeded 13 million in 2013 alone, and since 2009, the series has sold over 20 million copies.

Weekend Forecast [11/30-12/01]
Wknd Revenue, [Theaters], Film (Distributor) Week in Release
01 (--) ¥370 million ($3.7 million) / 3-Day - ¥460 million ($4.6 million), [292], SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 2 (Toho) NEW
02 (01) ¥206 million ($2.1 million), [345], The Tale of Princess Kaguya (Toho) Week 2
03 (02) ¥196 million ($2.0 million), [336], The Kiyosu Conference (Toho) Week 4
04 (--) ¥175 million ($1.8 million), [315], Red 2 (Disney) NEW
05 (--) ¥140 million ($1.4 million) / 3-Day - ¥180 million ($1.8 million), [316], Captain Phillips (Sony) NEW
06 (03) ¥81 million ($805,000), [293], SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 1 (Toho) Week 5
07 (04) ¥44 million ($440,000), [129], Magi Madoka Magica: The Rebellion Story (Warner Bros.) Week 6
08 (05) ¥41 million ($410,000), [323], The Counselor (Fox) Week 3
09 (07) ¥37 million ($370,000), [196], Pretty Cure: The Dress of Hope Tied to the Future! (Toei) Week 6
10 (--) ¥35 million ($350,000), [23], Ghost in the Shell Arise: Border 2 - Ghost Whisperer (Toho Video Division) NEW
11 (06) ¥29 million ($290,000), [26], Persona 3: The Movie (Aniplex) Week 2
12 (08) ¥22 million ($220,000), [256], Don't Lose Heart (Shochiku) Week 3

The first weekend of the new Box-Office Year!

>SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 2 will easily debut on top, but I don't believe it'll match the opening of the first part. Like Part 1, this one also opened on Friday. Usually, when a sequel or second part of a film is release within a few months (four weeks in this case), that film tends to do a bit less. Early morning ticket sales are also below the first film by a sizable margin, but that could change as the day progresses. Sunday is also the 1st of the Month (a discount day), so many are likely waiting for tomorrow, too.

>Red 2 has surprising early ticket sales and looks like it'll beat Captain Phillips as the second best debut this weekend. Bruce Willis remains a steady draw in the market. The latter opened on Friday, so it's already at a small disadvantage over the weekend frame.

>And Ghost in the Shell Arise: Border 2 is playing at 3 more locations than its predecessor from this past June but I don't think that'll matter much, and we'll see a debut on par with the last film.

Escape Plan probably will not do well here as the chirashi gives away one of the plot points. It's much like the Captain Phillips chirashi above, but it's not a surprise in that movie.

It might be capable of reaching ¥500 million ($5 million). Gaga tries to get the most they can out of their releases, so very few of them ever completely disappoint really.

Weekend Estimates [11/30-12/01]
Wknd Revenue, [Theaters], Film (Distributor) Week in Release
01 (--) ¥481 million ($4.8 million), [292], SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 2 (Toho) NEW
02 (01) ¥261 million ($2.6 million), -08%, [345], The Tale of Princess Kaguya (Toho) Week 2
03 (02) ¥201 million ($2.0 million), -22%, [336], The Kiyosu Conference (Toho) Week 4
04 (--) ¥197 million ($2.0 million), [315], Red 2 (Disney) NEW
05 (--) ¥115 million ($1.2 million), [316], Captain Phillips (Sony) NEW
06 (03) ¥106 million ($1.1 million), -34%, [293], SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 1 (Toho) Week 5
07 (04) ¥34 million ($340,000), -64%, [129], Magi Madoka Magica: The Rebellion Story (Warner Bros.) Week 6
08 (08) ¥34 million ($340,000), -37%, [281], It All Began When I Met You (Warner Bros.) Week 2
09 (05) ¥33 million ($330,000), -52%, [323], The Counselor (Fox) Week 3
10 (07) ¥32 million ($320,000), -44%, [196], Pretty Cure: The Dress of Hope Tied to the Future! (Toei) Week 6
11 (06) ¥29 million ($290,000), -51%, [26], Persona 3: The Movie (Aniplex) Week 2
12 (10) ¥20 million ($200,000), -19%, [284], The Girl in the Sunny Place (Asmik Ace/Toho) Week 8
13 (09) ¥13 million ($130,000), -56%, [256], Don't Lose Heart (Shochiku) Week 3

I love when I underestimate openers.

>SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 2 bested Part 1 by 18% in admissions, but since Sunday was a discount day, the increase in gross will be around 5/6%. With some luck, maybe we'll see it open to ¥500 million. Remember, no live-action film last year managed to do it. The film also opened on Friday, so the 3-Day total could be near ¥600 million ($6 million).

>The Tale of Princess Kaguya actually increased by 6% over it's opening weekend admissions! Reviews and WOM are solid, but the discount day yesterday is the biggest factor. In gross it's looking at a single digit second weekend drop.

>Red 2 opens above expectations, and this estimate would give it a slight increase in admissions over the first film. A ¥1 billion ($10 million) total looks good.

>Captain Phillips didn't do too well. I thought the reviews and Hanks acclaimed performance could generate more appeal. Lets see how legs turn out.

>SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 1 held much better than previous first parts of a sequel once they opened. Combined, the two films could be looking at ¥5 billion ($50 million) or slightly more, more than double what the original film earned.

>And Ghost in the Shell Arise: Border 2 isn't playing wide enough to get an estimate, but it will at least make the Top 12, and likely the Top 10 tomorrow.

All the films in the bottom half of the Top 10 are very close, so their rankings above could change entirely.

Best-Selling Manga of 2013 (Nov. 19, 2012 to Nov. 17, 2013)

2013 By Volume (1 million+ copies)
1. 3,147,224 - One Piece 69 Shueisha 2013/03 Eiichiro Oda
2. 3,039,487 - One Piece 70 Shueisha 2013/06 Eiichiro Oda
3. 2,890,263 - One Piece 71 Shueisha 2013/08 Eiichiro Oda
4. 2,354,005 - One Piece 72 Shueisha 2013/11 Eiichiro Oda
5. 1,950,807 - Attack on Titan 9 Kodansha 2012/12 Hajime Isayama
6. 1,915,976 - Attack on Titan 10 Kodansha 2013/04 Hajime Isayama
7. 1,453,879 - Attack on Titan 11 Kodansha 2013/08 Hajime Isayama
8. 1,339,845 - Attack on Titan 8 Kodansha 2012/08 Hajime Isayama
9. 1,299,048 - Attack on Titan 1 Kodansha 2010/03 Hajime Isayama
10. 1,267,129 - Attack on Titan 2 Kodansha 2010/07 Hajime Isayama
11. 1,261,251 - Attack on Titan 7 Kodansha 2012/04 Hajime Isayama
12. 1,250,663 - Attack on Titan 3 Kodansha 2010/12 Hajime Isayama
13. 1,248,339 - Attack on Titan 6 Kodansha 2011/12 Hajime Isayama
14. 1,247,333 - Attack on Titan 5 Kodansha 2011/08 Hajime Isayama
15. 1,241,299 - Attack on Titan 4 Kodansha 2011/04 Hajime Isayama
16. 1,205,558 - Naruto 63 Shueisha 2012/12 Masashi Kishimoto
17. 1,193,383 - Hunter × Hunter 31 Shueisha 2012/12 Yoshihiro Togashi
18. 1,186,245 - Hunter × Hunter 32 Shueisha 2012/12 Yoshihiro Togashi
19. 1,153,948 - Naruto 64 Shueisha 2013/04 Masashi Kishimoto
20. 1,152,347 - Kimi ni Todoke 18 Shueisha 2013/01 Karuho Shiina
21. 1,088,464 - Naruto 65 Shueisha 2013/07 Masashi Kishimoto
22. 1,069,793 - Kimi ni Todoke 19 Shueisha 2013/06 Karuho Shiina
23. 1,054,934 - Naruto 66 Shueisha 2013/09 Masashi Kishimoto

2013 By Series (2 million copies+)
1. 18,151,599 - One Piece Shueisha Eiichiro Oda
2. 15,933,801 - Attack on Titan Kodansha Hajime Isayama
3. 8,761,081 - Kuroko's Basketball Shueisha Tadatoshi Fujimaki
4. 7,151,001 - Magi Shogakukan Shinobu Ohtaka
5. 5,553,933 - Naruto Shueisha Masashi Kishimoto
6. 4,858,699 - Silver Spoon Shogakukan Hiromu Arakawa
7. 4,595,820 - Assassination Classroom Shueisha Yusei Matsui
8. 4,231,475 - Hunter × Hunter Shueisha Yoshihiro Togashi
9. 3,790,151 - Fairy Tail Kodansha Hiro Mashima
10. 3,602,630 - Terra Formars Shueisha Story: Yū Sasuga Art: Kenichi Tachibana
11. 3,428,352 - Kimi ni Todoke Shueisha Karuho Shiina
12. 2,864,734 - Gintama Shueisha Hideaki Sorachi
13. 2,844,248 - Toriko Shueisha Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro
14. 2,805,945 - Kingdom Shueisha Yasuhisa Hara
15. 2,752,588 - Bleach Shueisha Tite Kubo
16. 2,588,910 - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Shueisha Hirohiko Araki
17. 2,543,140 - Space Brothers Kodansha Chūya Koyama
18. 2,487,751 - Saint Young Men Kodansha Hikaru Nakamura
19. 2,329,721 - Blue Exorcist Shueisha Kazue Katō
20. 2,311,857 - Chihayafuru Kodansha Yuki Suetsugu
21. 2,106,452 - Ao Haru Ride Shueisha Io Sakisaka
22. 2,056,211 - Haikyu!! Shueisha Haruichi Furudate
23. 2,010,045 - Ace of Diamond Kodansha Yūji Terajima
24. 2,006,206 - Detective Conan Shogakukan Gosho Aoyama

*ANN

Upcoming announced movies based on these top manga:

-Lupin III Vs. Detective Conan (12/07/2013)
-Hunter X Hunter: The Final Mission (12/27/2013)
-Black Butler -Live-action- (01/18/2014) *just missed 2 million for the year*
-Silver Spoon (Spring 2014)
-Detective Conan: Sniper from a Different Dimension (04/19/2014)
-Attack on Titan -Live-action- (TBA 2014)

Weekend Results [11/30-12/01]

01 (--) SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 2 (Toho) DEBUT
02 (01) The Tale of Princess Kaguya (Toho) Week 2
03 (02) The Kiyosu Conference (Toho) Week 4
04 (--) Red 2 (Disney) DEBUT
05 (--) Captain Phillips (Sony) DEBUT
06 (03) SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 1 (Toho) Week 5
07 (04) Magi Madoka Magica: The Rebellion Story (Warner Bros.) Week 6
08 (07) It All Began When I Met You (Warner Bros.) Week 2
09 (06) Pretty Cure: The Dress of Hope Tied to the Future! (Toei) Week 6
10 (05) The Counselor (Fox) Week 3

>SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 2 opens atop the box-office with a very impressive take of ¥438,547,100 ($4.4 million) and 393,522 admissions over the weekend frame on 290 screens. While it's not the best opening for a live-action film in a year in gross, it is the biggest in admissions thanks to the discount Sunday. And over it's first 3-days, the film has earned ¥602,358,600 ($6.0 million) and 522,659 admissions. The second part of the SPEC prequel is on track to gross between ¥2-2.5 billion ($20-25 million).

>The Tale of Princess Kaguya slips to second place, but grossed ¥267,130,700 ($2.6 million) and 247,117 admissions in it's second weekend, down a mere 6% in gross and up 11% in admissions. After 9-days in release, the film has earned ¥798,654,550 ($8.0 million) and 681,174 admissions. The film should continue to have very long legs like every other Studio Ghibli release, making up for its muted debut by possibly making it to ¥3 billion ($30 million).

>The Kiyosu Conference continues to do very well in its fourth weekend. After 23-days, the film has made ¥2,218,927,900 ($22.6 million) and 1,851,990 admissions. Breaking the ¥3 billion ($30 million) milestone won't be an issue, and it may manage ¥3.5 billion ($35 million).

>Red 2 opens in fourth place, grossing ¥180,504,600 ($1.8 million) and 167,300 admissions on 408 screens. A quite solid debut that will result in about ¥1.1 billion ($11 million).

>Captain Phillips settles for a mediocre fifth place start, grossing ¥123,362,900 ($1.2 million) and 112,789 admissions on 471 screens over the weekend. It, too, should be able to reach ¥1 billion ($10 million), but it'll take awhile.

>SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 1 was most unaffected by its sequel half opening this weekend. After 30-days in release now, it has earned ¥2,400,208,550 ($25.1 million) and 1,931,363 admissions, surpassing the total of the original film.

>Magi Madoka Magica: The Rebellion Story is closing in on becoming Warner Bros.' top-grossing film of 2013. After 37-days, it has grossed ¥1,781,501,800 ($18.3 million) and 1,292,836 admissions. I don't believe it will reach the ¥2 billion ($20 million) mark, but it'll get really, really close.

2013 Top Grossing Films
Total Gross / Admissions :: Film :: Days in Release :: Distributor

¥11.91 billion ($122.4 million) / 9.60 million :: The Wind Rises :: 135 :: Toho
¥10 billion ↨
¥8.97 billion ($91.4 million) / 7.06 million :: Monsters University :: Tracking Ends :: Disney
¥6.85 billion ($76.9 million) / 5.67 million :: One Piece Film Z :: Final Estimate :: Toei
¥6.11 billion ($67.7 million) / 4.96 million :: Les Miserables :: Final Estimate :: Toho-Towa
¥5 billion ↨
¥4.21 billion ($46.2 million) / 3.09 million :: Ted :: Final Estimate :: Toho-Towa
¥4 billion ↨
¥3.96 billion ($43.2 million) / 3.64 million :: Doraemon: Nobita's Secret Gagdet Museum :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥3.61 billion ($36.9 million) / 3.01 million :: Detective Conan: Private Eye in the Distant Sea :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥3.26 billion ($33.9 million) / 2.67 million :: Midsummer Formula :: Tracking Ends :: Toho
¥3.24 billion ($33.7 million) / 2.77 million :: The After-Dinner Mysteries :: Tracking Ends :: Toho
¥3.12 billion ($32.4 million) / 2.66 million :: Like Father, Like Son :: 65 :: Gaga
¥3.08 billion ($32.0 million) / 2.96 million :: Pokemon: ExtremeSpeed Genesect - Mewtwo Awakens :: Tracking Ends :: Toho
¥3.00 billion ($31.0 million) / 2.35 million :: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods :: Final Estimate :: Toei
¥3 billion ↨
¥2.93 billion ($31.6 million) / 2.40 million :: Wreck-It Ralph :: Final Estimate :: Disney
¥2.82 billion ($32.4 million) / 2.21 million :: 007: Skyfall :: Final Estimate :: Sony
¥2.64 billion ($28.3 million) / 2.12 million :: Platinum Data :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥2.60 billion ($26.7 million) / 1.77 million :: Iron Man 3 :: Tracking Ends :: Disney
¥2.40 billion ($25.1 million) / 1.93 million :: SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 1 :: 31 :: Toho
¥2.40 billion ($25.0 million) / 1.86 million :: Despicable Me 2 :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
¥2.22 billion ($22.6 million) / 1.85 million :: The Kiyosu Conference :: 23 :: Toho
¥2.15 billion ($23.9 million) / 1.73 million :: Strawberry Night :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥2.13 billion ($22.2 million) / 1.73 million :: The King of Apology :: Tracking Ends :: Toho
¥2.09 billion ($21.7 million) / 1.63 million :: The Lone Ranger :: Tracking Ends :: Disney
¥2.03 billion ($22.3 million) / 1.49 million :: A Good Day to Die Hard :: Final Estimate :: Fox
¥2 billion ↨
¥1.98 billion ($20.4 million) / 1.52 million :: Fast and Furious 6 :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
¥1.96 billion ($20.3 million) / 1.42 million :: World War Z :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
¥1.84 billion ($21.3 million) / 1.28 million :: Life of Pi :: Final Estimate :: Fox
¥1.83 billion ($19.3 million) / 1.51 million :: Ataru: The First Love & The Last Kill :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥1.81 billion ($19.0 million) / 1.44 million :: Shield of Straw :: Final Estimate :: Warner Bros.
¥1.78 billion ($18.3 million) / 1.29 million :: Magi Madoka Magica: The Rebellion Story :: 37 :: Warner Bros.
¥1.77 billion ($20.2 million) / 1.46 million :: Today, I Started Loving You :: Final Total :: Toho
¥1.75 billion ($18.9 million) / 1.25 million :: Oz: The Great and Powerful :: Final Estimate :: Disney
¥1.72 billion ($17.8 million) / 1.41 million :: The Girl in the Sunny Place :: 51 :: Asmik Ace/Toho
¥1.71 billion ($18.0 million) / 1.38 million :: Library Wars :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥1.64 billion ($18.9 million) / 1.16 million :: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey :: Tracking Ends :: Warner Bros.
¥1.58 billion ($16.2 million) / 1.28 million :: Gintama: The Final Chapter :: Final Estimate :: Warner Bros.
¥1.55 billion ($16.9 million) / 1.42 million :: Tokyo Family :: Final Estimate :: Shochiku
¥1.50 billion ($15.6 million) / 1.37 million :: A Boy Called H :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥1.48 billion ($15.4 million) / 1.02 million :: Pacific Rim :: Tracking Ends :: Warner Bros.
¥1.40 billion ($14.9 million) / 1.13 million :: Oblivion :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
¥1.30 billion ($13.3 million) / 1.13 million :: Crayon Shin-chan: Gourmet Survival Class :: Final Estimates:: Toho
¥1.25 billion ($13.9 million) / 0.99 million :: Brain Man :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥1.21 billion ($13.5 million) / 1.02 million :: Hunter X Hunter: The Phantom Rouge :: Final Total :: Toho
¥1.20 billion ($12.6 million) / 1.03 million :: Kamen Rider Wizard in Magic Land :: Tracking Ends :: Toei
¥1.18 billion ($12.9 million) / 1.02 million :: Aibou Series: X-Day :: Final Estimate :: Toei
¥1.17 billion ($13.3 million) / 0.99 million :: Humanoid Monster, Bem :: Final Total :: Toho
¥1.14 billion ($13.0 million) / 1.03 million :: Kamen Rider X Kamen Rider Fourze & Wizard :: Final Total :: Toei
¥1.14 billion ($11.9 million) / 1.01 million :: Emperor :: Tracking Ends :: Shochiku
¥1.12 billion ($11.6 million) / 0.89 million :: The Great Gatsby :: Tracking Ends :: Warner Bros.
¥1.07 billion ($11.3 million) / 0.87 million :: Jack Reacher :: Tracking Ends :: Paramount
¥1.05 billion ($11.0 million) / 0.98 million :: Pretty Cure All Stars: New Stage 2 :: Final Estimate :: Toei
¥1.05 billion ($10.8 million) / 0.73 million :: Star Trek Into Darkness :: Tracking Ends :: Paramount
¥1.02 billion ($10.8 million) / 0.83 million :: The Complex :: Tracking Ends :: Shochiku
¥1.00 billion ($10.2 million) / 0.81 million :: Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day :: Tracking Ends :: Aniplex
¥1 billion ↑

-Top Opening Weekends-
2014 [Box-Office Year, Dec.-Nov.]
Gross ¥ ($) / Admissions [Screens] - Film (Distributor)

¥1 billion ↨
¥500 million ↨
¥438.6 million ($4.4 million) / 393,522 [290] - SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 2 (Toho)
>¥602.4 million ($6.0 million) / 522,658 [290] (3-Day)
¥300 million ↨
¥200 million ↨
¥180.5 million ($1.8 million) / 167,300 [408] - Red 2 (Disney)
¥123.4 million ($1.2 million) / 112,798 [471] - Captain Phillips (Sony)
>¥156.6 million ($1.6 million) / 136,292 [471] (3-Day)
¥100 million ↨

Chart changes from last year:
>3-Day and 4-Day openings will be included below the opening weekends for Friday/Holiday openers.
>Distributors are now included.
>Different color scheme.

2013 Opening Weekends *FINAL*

That seems like a hefty drop for SPEC 2 from estimates. Or is that not all that unusual for a discount day?

It's not too unusual. I made the overestimation in gross using recent weekends when a discount day fell on a weekend. In admissions, the estimate was 403,000 (17% better than the first part of the film), which was off just 2.3% from the actual 393,522. More people than other recent discount weekends (when the 1st/15th of the month falls on Saturday or Sunday) just came out for it resulting in the gross being lower than the first part of the film.

¥438.6 million ($4.4 million) / 393,522 [290] - SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 2
¥458.0 million ($4.7 million) / 345,901 [290] - SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 1

Weekend Forecast [12/07-08]
01 (--) ¥625 million ($6.2 million), [329], Lupin III Vs. Detective Conan: The Movie (Toho) NEW
02 (01) ¥271 million ($2.7 million), [290], SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 2 (Toho) Week 2
03 (--) ¥190 million ($1.9 million), [334], 47 Ronin (Toho-Towa) NEW
04 (02) ¥182 million ($1.8 million), [344], The Tale of Princess Kaguya (Toho) Week 3
05 (03) ¥124 million ($1.2 million), [336], The Kiyosu Conference (Toho) Week 5
06 (--) ¥115 million ($1.1 million), [301], Ask This of Riku (Toei) NEW
07 (04) ¥108 million ($1.1 million), [315], Red 2 (Disney) Week 2
08 (05) ¥74 million ($720,000), [316], Captain Phillips (Sony) Week 2
09 (06) ¥57 million ($550,000), [289], SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 1 (Toho) Week 6
10 (07) ¥25 million ($240,000), [124], Magi Madoka Magica: The Rebellion Story (Warner Bros.) Week 7
11 (08) ¥24 million ($230,000), [280], It All Began When I Met You (Warner Bros.) Week 3
12 (09) ¥20 million ($190,000), [148], Pretty Cure: The Dress of Hope Tied to the Future (Toei) Week 7

>Lupin III Vs. Detective Conan is poised to deliver one of the biggest openings in months, perhaps since this past July. It should end the 2014 year as one of the biggest openers, too. Anything below ¥500 million (maybe even ¥600 million) would be quite disappointing, and that seems very, very slim based on this mornings ticket sales which look strong enough for a potential blockbuster debut.

>47 Ronin, on the other hand, doesn't appear to have any momentum and might struggle for a Top 3 debut. Japan audiences just aren't into these big flashy, CG Hollywood spectacles anymore. It'll probably earn similar numbers as After Earth, and if it's lucky, Pacific Rim from this past Summer. I didn't have much faith in it to begin with.

Morning/Afternoon ticket sales (8AM-2PM) at Toho Cinemas had Lupin III Vs. Detective Conan selling 26,000 tickets, about 93% of the number of tickets The Wind Rises sold at the same point.

The Wind Rises played much stronger into the day and evening/night since it attracted a large adult audience, so I really doubt Lupin III Vs. Detective Conan can keep pace with it for the day/weekend, but this early number is still mighty impressive. Though who knows? Maybe the presence of Lupin kept it strong into the evening unlike a normal Detective Conan release.

Saturday estimates, or at least full day Toho Cinemas admissions, will hopefully be available in a couple hours.

Do the Japanese not like Hollywood having an attempt at a Japanese story/setting? It didn't hurt The Last Samurai..

Didn't help The Wolverine much, though.

Maybe audiences have gotten tired of it. Maybe a newfound sense of national pride or something.

They should have inserted more squid porn into 47 Ronin.

Or cosplay.

The Last Samurai had stellar reviews, Tom Cruise (at his peak), and was simply a very good movie that also appealed to an wider-older audience. The film was also considered an improvement over past Hollywood films that portrayed Japan well. Actual historic research was taken into account.

47 Ronin is another fantasy, CGI filled explosion that is largely targeting young males (the worst demo in the market). Films that don't attract females and/or an audience over 30/40 don't perform well anymore. And I don't know how reviews are, but I doubt they're good. I remember when the trailer or images were released, many were disappointed that it was going to be heavily fantasy vs a more realistic setting.

It's also worth noting that most Hollywood films that open in Japan before anywhere else disappoint. Since the Japanese aren't much of a moviegoer audience (avg. person sees 1 film in theaters a year), film reception (audience/critic) from the rest of the world plays a key role for that film's performance. This is why many Hollywood films are released in Japan months later.

They primarily see films they know they'll like from source material (well-known manga, anime, tv shows, musicals, etc.) or films that have a unique attraction (many 3D films from 2010-2012, and more recently Ted for example). Films like The Intouchables that garner box-office success, as well as critical acclaim, are also able to attract a wide audience.

Toho Cinemas [Saturday Admissions]

51,776 - Lupin III Vs. Detective Conan (NEW)
17,952 - SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 2 (Week 2)
9,382 (3D share - 36.1%) - 47 Ronin (NEW)
9,238 - The Tale of Princess Kaguya (Week 3)
7,595 - The Kiyosu Conference (Week 5)
6,960 - Red 2 (Week 2)
4,796 - Ask This of Riku (NEW)
3,610 - SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 1 (Week 6)
3,542 - Captain Phillips (Week 2)
2,128 - Ghost in the Shell Arise: Border 2 (Week 2)
1,107 - Persona 3: The Movie (Week 3)
1,011 - Magi Madoka Magica: The Rebellion Story (Week 7)
989 - The Counselor (Week 4)
868 - Bad Boys J: The Movie (Week 5)
464 - It All Began When I Met You (Week 3)
435 - The Girl in the Sunny Place (Week 9)
343 - The Family (Week 4)
302 - Don't Lost Heart (Week 4)
287 - The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Week 3)
243 - The Big Wedding (Week 2)
174 - The Towering Inferno (Special Screening)
169 - The Wind Rises (Week 21)

Very strong for Lupin III Vs. Detective Conan. Exceeding 100,000 admissions at Toho Locations for the weekend looks pretty good now, and would probably ensure weekend admissions exceed 500,000. It's probably heading for ~¥650 million ($6.5 million) based on this data, which would result in a total of ¥3.5-4 billion ($35-40 million).

47 Ronin is weak and when compared to some recent films that did 8,000-10,000 admissions on Saturday at Toho Cinemas, it'll only make ¥150-175 million ($1.4-1.7 million) this weekend.

The Wind Rises resurfaces here following its 2 Best Animated Picture wins from NY Film Critics Circle and National Board of Review this past week.

Japan, and the Japanese, fascinate me.

Toho Cinemas [Weekend Admissions]

108,700 - Lupin III Vs. Detective Conan (NEW)
37,846 - SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 2 (Week 2)
20,971 - The Tale of Princess Kaguya (Week 3)
18,077 (3D share - 38.3%) - 47 Ronin (NEW)
16,046 - The Kiyosu Conference (Week 5)
14,026 - Red 2 (Week 2)
9,211 - Ask This of Riku (NEW)
7,999 - SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 1 (Week 6)
7,226 - Captain Phillips (Week 2)
3,949 - Ghost in the Shell Arise: Border 2 (Week 2)
2,052 - Bad Boys J: The Movie (Week 5)
1,948 - The Counselor (Week 4)
1,878 - Magi Madoka Magica: The Rebellion Story (Week 7)
1,767 - Persona 3: The Movie (Week 3)
1,076 - The Girl in the Sunny Place (Week 9)
1,011 - It All Began When I Met You (Week 3)
343 - The Family (Week 4)
646 - Don't Lost Heart (Week 4)
566 - The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Week 3)
484 - The Big Wedding (Week 2)
348 - The Wind Rises (Week 21)
174 - The Towering Inferno (Special Screening)

Excellent for Lupin III Vs. Detective Conan. It increased 9.9% on Sunday at Toho locations, so hopefully other cinema chains saw a similar result.

Weekend Estimates will be posted soon.

And for the biggests films that I've collected admissions for from Toho Cinemas over the past year:

Toho Cinemas Opening Weekends Admissions

Pg. Bump.