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1st Godzilla Anime Film Debuts at #3 at Japanese Box Office

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (Godzilla: Kaijū Wakusei), the first film in the Godzilla anime trilogy, opened in Japan on 158 screens on Friday and ranked at #3 for the weekend of November 18-19. It sold 71,200 tickets on Saturday and Sunday to earn 103 million yen (about US$914,000), and it is projected to earn more than 500 million yen.

Kobun Shizuno (Detective Conan: The Darkest Nightmare and other Detective Conan movies, Fist of the North Star: The Legend of Kenshirô, Fist of the North Star: The Legend of Toki) and Hiroyuki Seshita (Ajin, Knights of Sidonia) are directing the films at Polygon Pictures. Gen Urobuchi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero, Psycho-Pass) of Nitroplus is credited with the story concept and screenplay. Urobuchi is also responsible for series composition with Yūsuke Kozaki.

The Eiga Kirakira ☆ Precure a la Mode: Paris to! Omoide no Mille-Feuille!​ (Kirakira ☆ Precure a la Mode the Movie: With Paris! Mille-Feuille of Memories) anime film dropped from #6 to #7 in its fourth weekend. In the anime's story, the Precure members go to France as part of a cooking competition. The film is related to the Kirakira ☆ Precure a la Mode television anime, the 14th entry in the Precure series, that premiered in February.

The film had earned a cumulative 450 million yen (about US$3.9 million) as of November 5.

Gochūmon wa Usagi Desu ka?? Dear My Sister — the new special episode for the anime Is the order a rabbit?? (Gochūmon wa Usagi Desu ka??) anime — fell from #4 to #8 in its second weekend. Hiroyuki Hashimoto returned to direct the episode, but at the animation studio production doA instead of Kinema Citrus and WHITE FOX (the studios behind the previous television seasons). The original manga's creators Koi and Hiroyuki Hashimoto are credited with the original story concept and script, and Yousuke Okuda returned as the character designer. The film sold 79,000 tickets to earn 102 million yen (about US$899,907) in its first weekend, and is expected to earn 500 million yen (about US$4.41 million).

The live-action film of Shūichi Asō's Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.) manga fell off of the top 10 chart in its fifth weekend. The live-action film of Kazune Kawahara's Sensei! manga also fell from the top 10 chart in its fourth weekend.

Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt Bandit Flower, the compilation film for the second season of the Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt anime, opened at #1 on the mini-theater rankings for the weekend. The film also screened at Anime NYC on November 19, accompanied by a concert by composer Naruyoshi Kikuchi.

The live-action film adaptation of Kiriko Nananan's Kabocha to Mayonnaise (Pumpkin and Mayonnaise) manga rose from #5 to #4 on the mini-theater rankings for the weekend. The manga focuses on the relationship between Tsuchida and Seiichi, a couple living together trying to make ends meet. Seiichi is a musician and songwriter in a band that dreams big, and Tsuchida works at a clothing store to support them, but sometimes still thinks about her ex-boyfriend Hagio. Tsuchida follows the lead of a friend to work at a hostess bar for extra money, but gives in to the sexual advances of a client. When Seiichi finds out, the couple begin to grow more distant, especially after Hagio's sudden re-entry into Tsuchida's life.

Sources: Kōgyō Tsushin (Link 2), Eiga.com, MovieWalker