Japan’s animation industry generated $22bn (¥3.3tn) in 2023, the highest number on record and a 14% increase on 2022, according to the Association of Japanese Animations (Aja).

The industry group, which has been releasing annual anime industry reports since 2009, revealed the results of its latest survey at the Tiffcom market in Tokyo today (October 31).

Aja’s findings also revealed that overseas anime revenues surpassed those of the domestic market in 2023, with overseas revenues making up 51.5%, or $11.25bn(¥1.72tn), and domestic 49.5%, or $10.6 billion (¥1.62 trillion). It marks the second time overseas topped domestic, the first being in 2020. With anime’s popularity continuing to expand...

With anime, you need to grab people early, and there are not many better ways to do that than a catchy opening. With the release of “Fly Higher,” the newest opening for Tasuketsu -Fate of the Majority- , Travis Japan has delivered one of the catchiest openings of the season. We spoke with the group to discuss their excitement around the release, their anime origins and which character from anime they feel would be their perfect bandmate. Can you tell me about your relationship with anime? Growing up in Japan, was it something that was constantly around or did you have to seek it out? Kaito Miyachika (Chaka): Even though generational tastes may change, my parents also grew up watching anime, and while a kid myself I thought of anime as something that told me the days of the week like a calendar. The popularity of certain shows was one...

Andrew Lee can’t stop releasing music. Whether it’s a new full length album Sanshi with his band Ripped to Shreds, or another new album, Koncertos Of Kawaiiness: Stealing Jon Chang’s Ideas, A Book by Andrew Lee from his anime-themed grindcore solo project Houkago Grind Time, the new tunes keep on coming. As you can probably tell by at least one of the bands, Lee is a massive anime fan and allows it to guide his artistic endeavors. I had the chance to chat with him to hear more about his anime origins, taking inspiration from multiple genres, and the type of series in which he could imagine his own music. Can you tell me a little about your anime journey? How it started and where you are now? Are there genres you gravitate toward? Andrew Lee : The earliest anime memories I have are of a copy...

The official X account of Sakamoto Days anime unveiled three new cast members who will voice the characters Nagumo, Shishiba, and Osaragi on Oct 16, 2024.

Checkout the newly announced voice cast and their character PVs below:

Natsuki Hanae as Nagumo

Comment:

“Hello! This is Nobunaga Shimazaki, the voice of Shin!

I’m super happy that my buddy Hanae-kun will be playing the role of Nagumo!

Nagumo seems hard to figure out, laid-back and mysterious, but he’s also bright and mischievous.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how Hanae will bring his unique style to this fun role!

I’m counting on you, superstar voice actor!!!

That’s all from me, Nobunaga Shimazaki… or rather, this was written by Natsuki Hanae, the voice of Nagumo, in disguise (evil smile).“

Character Pv:

Hayami Saori as Osaragi

Comment:

“From the moment I read the original work for the audition, I was drawn...

Dragon Ball Daima‘s release date is just a week away, and it is a crucial time for the series to make final adjustments. However, a shocking update has just been received, which will force the series to make some major changes to the upcoming episodes.

The victim of the entire controversy is ultimately Yamcha, the major deuteragonist in the early stages of Dragon Ball. While Yamcha was one of the main characters in the first Dragon Ball series, he has slowly been pushed out of screen time. With the latest changes, Yamcha’s appearance might be affected again.

Yamcha’s Voice Actor, Toru Furuya, is Replaced in Dragon Ball Daima Yamcha in Dragon Ball is voiced by Toru Furuya | Credits: Toei

Earlier this year, Toru Furuya, a significant figure in the anime voice-acting industry of Japan, acknowledged his extramarital affair of four years. The 70-something actor was dating a...

Gege Akutami has just ended Jujutsu Kaisen with a bang. After six and a half years of serialization, the series has achieved a milestone of 100 million copies in circulation, which also includes digital versions of the manga.

The final chapter of the manga might have been unsatisfactory for many, but that isn’t enough to deny the amount of influence it has had on the industry during its run. Its latest achievement is a reflection of the same.

Jujutsu Kaisen Ends Serialization with 100 Million Copies in Circulation Yuji Itadori and Megumi Fushiguro from Jujutsu Kaisen. [Credit: Studio Mappa]

Gege Akutami‘s Jujutsu Kaisen ended in the 44th issue of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. In the same issue, Shueisha revealed that Jujutsu Kaisen has 100 million copies in circulation. However, the publication did not specify if the number denotes copies in Japan or worldwide.

Related Gojo’s Death May Have Been the Best...

Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis makes its much-anticipated theatrical bow in UK and Ireland cinemas this weekend for Entertainment Film Distributors.

The sci-fi epic will open in at least 300 cinemas and marks The Godfather director’s biggest theatrical release in decades. It stars Adam Driver as a visionary architect tasked with rebuilding the city of New Rome as a modern Utopia.

Megalopolis polarised critics when it premiered at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year and has faced further controversy since, including several allegations of inappropriate behaviour from Coppola towards female extras on the film’s set. This extensive publicity, combined...

The 27th film in the Detective Conan series (known as Case Closed to US audiences), Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Pentagram was a massive hit in its native Japan, but is likely to present challenges for audiences elsewhere. It’s not just the dialogue that needs to be translated, and if you’re not familiar with the series, the rapid fire introduction at the start is likely to leave you flailing.

The key things you need to know are as follows. Brilliant detective Shinichi Kudo has been poisoned, as a result of which he is now trapped in the body of a child, and he uses the pseudonym Conan Edogawa to keep his true identity a secret whilst living with a friend and her detective father. Kaito Kid – star of the manga series Magic Kaito – is one of his established nemeses, a gifted magician and thief who is nevertheless sometimes on.

When Dragon Ball dropped its final chapter in May 1995, Shueisha was looking for another manga to take the mantle and become the new face of Weekly Shonen Jump. Then came One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach in 1997. However, nobody dared to think that their manga will “replace” Dragon Ball.

While chatting with the creator of Detective Conan, Gosho Aoyama, Eiichiro Oda stated that after Dragon Ball ended, all the newcomers were like, ‘I want that spot!’. It basically started a period where everyone was competing against each other to fill the void left by Dragon Ball. Then, after two years, everyone realized that comparing themselves to Dragon Ball was like asking to be defeated and somehow Oda managed to survive all of that. It meant that One Piece turned out to be Dragon Ball‘s true successor.

Goku and Luffy | Dream 9 – Toei Animation

Now that My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Demon Slayer have concluded,...

The latest outing for the high school sleuth sees him join forces with his arch enemy, a master thief. Despite some flashes of brilliance, the script soon becomes convoluted

With its ingenious murder mysteries and thrilling solutions, Case Closed – also known as Detective Conan – has long been one of the most beloved manga series in Japan and abroad. In addition to an anime show running since 1996, a Detective Conan feature film has dropped almost every year. The highest grossing Japanese release of 2024 so far, this latest addition to the franchise also marks a milestone for animator Chika Nagaoka, the first woman to direct a Detective Conan movie.

For the uninitiated, the opening credits deftly recap the characters’ backgrounds in under two minutes. After a run-in with a secret crime syndicate, high school detective Shinichi Kudo is forced to take a mysterious pill, which shrinks his body to that of a seven-year-old.

The success and popularity of Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto is extraordinary. In 1999, Naruto started its run in the Weekly Shonen Jump. With over 250 Million copies sold, the manga series has hit its 25th anniversary mark on September 21st. Achieving the commercial success of Naruto would be a dream come true for any artist.

Besides Masashi Kishimoto, there are 5 other mangaka who have lived this dream. Moreover, they have surpassed Kishimoto with the sales figures of their respective creations. So here’s a list of the top 5 manga that have outsold Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto.

5. Doraemon Nobita and Doraemon | Credits: Shogakukan

First published in 1967, Fujiko F. Fujio’s manga Doraemon has sold over 250 million copies with just 45 volumes. Doraemon is the story of ten-year-old Nobita and a robot cat called Doraemon. Their daily lives involve Doraemon helping Nobita with the help of gadgets. Nobita often finds himself in trouble and his...

As part of Geeked Week 2024, Netflix released a new announcement video for the highly anticipated anime Sakamoto Days on Sep 19, 2024.

However, the latest video has left fans underwhelmed as it doesn’t feature any new footage. Instead, it simply reuses content from the first teaser, which was initially released on July 31, 2024.

With only three months remaining until the anime’s scheduled release, fans had hoped to see more updated visuals or story details in this new clip.

The lack of fresh content has sparked disappointment, with many taking to social media to express their frustrations.

The absence of new footage has also sowed seeds of doubt about possible production delays or issues.

However, Sakamoto Days is a part of Jump Festa 2025’s Blue Stage. So, hopeful fans can look forward to seeing new information released during the event. There is nothing stopping the studio and production staff from releasing new...

In a recent interview with Daisuke Sakuma on his radio talk show, Bleach creator Tite Kubo shared insights into his creative process, revealing that he kept his editor at arm’s length, never allowing him to interfere in the manga.

“I’m the type of writer who doesn’t really have meetings with my editor,” Kubo stated.

Unlike many manga creators who frequently consult with their editors, Kubo preferred to work on his own terms.

“When I was serializing, my editor would come to pick up the manuscript once it was done. I’d tell them, ‘Next week, it’ll go like this,’ and then they’d leave,” he explained.

Sakuma expressed surprise at this approach, noting that it’s common for editors to be heavily involved in shaping a manga’s story.

Editorial interferences are common occurrences in the manga industry, with well documented cases including how Masashi Kishimoto...

While there is always outright competition among anime fans to decide which series is the best, mangakas keep their opinions to themselves. But in an interview with Gosho Aoyama, the creator of Detective Conan, Eiichiro Oda let lose and admitted that he always saw Aoyama as a rival.

Both authors have been at the forefront of the anime/manga industry for decades, despite Oda debuting a lot later than Aoyama. The authors also discussed the stress of creating a series which deprived mangakas from being aware of their surroundings.

Eiichiro Oda Recounts Detective Conan Only Had One Rival Conan in Detective Conan’s 27th Movie | Credits: Tms

In the interview, Eiichiro Oda admitted that Detective Conan was one of the top manga when he first joined the manga industry. The only rival Gosho Aoyama had was The Kindaichi Case Files by Yozaburo Kanari and Seimaru Amagi.

After ‘Dragon Ball’ ended,...

The two manga giants Eiichiro Oda and Gosho Aoyama put up a new light on a crucial moment in the history of Weekly Shonen Jump. Oda disclosed how his series saved Japan’s premier manga publication house in the mid-1990s following the end of its two most iconic franchises.

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball | Credit: Toei Animation

The end of Dragon Ball in 1995, followed by the cessation of Slam Dunk has put a period of uncertainty for the publication house. Oda’s recount was marked by widespread speculation regarding Jump’s future viability in the absence of its major series.

A Fluctuating Period of Shonen Jump

Over 100 Miracle Talk, which was featured in Weekly Shonen Jump 2022 issue #34 via Tumblr, Eiichiro Oda offered something that has been muffled for years. The end of two major manga series in 1995 left the publication in a precarious position.

One Piece Opening 1 | Credit: Toei...

It’s not easy being a mangaka who has written over 1000 chapters for an ultra-hit manga series. Very few people will understand the pain that goes into creating such a huge franchise, and Eiichiro Oda and Gosho Aoyama are some of them. Both One Piece and Detective Conan are extremely successful and have been ongoing for decades with little to no drops in popularity.

One Piece and Detective Conan each have more than 100 volumes to their names, a dream that very few mangakas can achieve. Thus, both creators felt an affinity and even wanted to talk to each other. Their wishes came true in the form of an interview with Weekly Shonen Jump.

Eiichiro Oda’s Talent is Rare Even Among Top Mangakas Luffy and Ace in One Piece: Alabasta Arc | Credits: Toei Animation

It is common for mangakas to create several unsuccessful or moderately successful manga before hitting...

Anime and Japanese pop culture aficionados were blown away by a weekend of cosplay, concerts, and unbridled fandom – with a touch of renegade robot uprisings and alien invasions thrown in for good measure – at Anime NYC 2024. Ever since its inauguration in 2017, LeftField Media’s Anime NYC has been one of the most significant anime and Japanese pop culture events on the East Coast. 2024’s celebration, which was held from August 23-25t at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, was the convention’s biggest year yet with estimated attendance at over 100,000 guests – an Anime NYC record that nearly doubled 2023’s 63,000 attendees.

Anime NYC 2024 was packed with more than 150 hours of panels, screenings, fan meetups, and celebratory events that cater towards the diverse tastes of anime, manga, and video game fans. This year featured an eclectic selection of guests from across America and Japan, including esteemed voice actors like Steve Blum,...

“Alien: Romulus” enjoyed strong Saturday and Sunday showings in Chinese cinemas to take a robust opening weekend win and stay ahead of Japanese animation title “Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Pentagram.”

“Alien: Romulus” earned RMB186 million ($26.2 million) over the Friday-Sunday weekend in China, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. Some $5.02 million of that came from Imax screens.

The figures are strong considering that Hollywood titles generally have struggled over the past five years, compared with the earlier 2010s era when audiences were more in tune with western values and local films were weaker.

The figures are also strong considering that the “Alien” franchise does not have deep roots in China. “Alien Covenant” was released in June 2017 and earned $29.1 million in its opening weekend, before going on to a $45.5 million total. But 2012 predecessor “Prometheus” did not have a theatrical release in China.

“Alien: Romulus,” did not have things all...

Ahead of this week’s episode of One Piece , the official accounts for series revealed who will be taking over the role of the ever popular character Sabo. The announcement revealed that Miyu Irino, known for voicing Haku in Spirited Away , Shoya Ishida in A Silent Voice and Koshi Sugawara in Haikyu!! , will be voicing Sabo in the series going forward. Irino takes over the role from Toru Furuya, who stepped down from Sabo and Toru Amuro in the Detective Conan anime due to a “series of scandals” which also removed Furuya from many of his current and upcoming voice roles. Irino will be heard as Sabo in this weekend’s 1116th episode of One Piece “ Let's Go Get It! Buggy's Big Declaration. " Irino previously voiced Jiro in an anime-only arc of One Piece . Related: One Piece Anime Reveals Be:first as New Ending Song Performer Over 1,000 episodes (including this weekend’s episode when it airs!

One new truth will prevail in cinemas as Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment is releasing Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram in Australia and New Zealand starting August 29, 2024! The newest Detective Conan movie will be available in Japanese with English subtitles when it is released in the region. Fans can get tickets here starting today. Chika Nagaoka (director of Detective Conan: The Scarlet Bullet ) directs the movie at Tms Entertainment, with Takahiro Okura handling the screenplay, Masatomo Sudo on character designs and Yugo Kanno on music. The movie released on April 12, 2024 in Japan. Crunchyroll describes the movie: Detective Conan follows Shinichi Kudo, a talented high school detective who was forcibly turned into a child by the Black Organization. Now going by the identity of Conan Edogawa, he strives to hunt down the Black Organization while solving the most difficult of cases using his brilliant wits and power of reason. In this new adventure,...

For the second week in a row, the comedy Pilot topped South Korea’s box office charts. According to figures from Lotte Entertainment, Pilot earned $5.03 million from Friday to Sunday, capturing nearly half of the total box office revenue for the weekend. Since its release twelve days ago, the film has made $20.3 million and attracted over three million viewers.

Pilot’s success is notable in an otherwise slow summer season for Korean cinemas. Box office returns have been lower than usual despite warmer weather typically boosting theater attendance. However, Pilot has resonated with audiences through its lighthearted story about a fictional airline pilot’s amusing adventures and mishaps. Positive word-of-mouth reviews and fans of the lead actors have contributed to the film maintaining momentum.

The newest animated family film, Heartspring: Teenieping of Love, debuted in second place with $1.74 million for the weekend and $2.68 million over its first five days. Younger...

Trinity CineAsia has acquired UK and Ireland distribution rights to Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Pentagram, the year’s biggest film at the Japan box office to date, in a deal with animation studio Tms Entertainment.

The animated crime caper will receive a theatrical release on September 27, marking the film time that a feature in the hugely successful Detective Conan franchise has opened in UK and Irish cinemas.

The film was released in Japan on April 12 and spent six consecutive weeks at the top of the box office, earning $97.5m from more than 10.8 million admissions. This comfortably places it as...

To commemorate the release of Sakamoto Days volume 18, a special live-action collaboration video has been unveiled on Aug 1, 2024.

The special live-action Pv is set in an alternate universe version of the Sakamoto Shop, diverging from the original manga’s storyline to present an entirely new experience.

It features stunt performer Saori Izawa in the lead role, and is helmed by film director Daiki Kamoshita. The action sequences are choreographed by Mine Tanimoto.

Checkout the video below:

Sakamoto Days is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuto Suzuki. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s shonen manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump since November 2020, with its chapters collected in 16 tankobon volumes as of April 2024.

It is simultaneously published in English by Viz Media and the Manga Plus online platform.

An anime adaptation is set to release in January 2025. It will also be streamed worldwide on Netflix, with the episodes releasing on a weekly basis.

The official X account of the upcoming Sakamoto Days anime unveiled six new cast members that will be voicing the characters Shin Asakura, Lu Shaotang, Aoi Sakamoto, Hana Sakamoto, Heisuke Mashimo, and Piisuke.

Checkout the newly announced voice cast and their comments below:

Nobunaga Shimazaki as Shin Asakura

Comment:

I’m Nobunaga Shimazaki, and I’ll be voicing Asakura Shin. Recording has already begun, and I’m having so much fun with every episode. I’m really looking forward to going to the recording studio. I, the unworthy Nobunaga Shimazaki, will do my best for Sakamoto Days and Sakamoto! Please look forward to it!

Ayane Sakura as Lu Shaotang

Comment:

I will be voicing Lu. I’ve had the opportunity to unleash the Chinese girl dialogue that I seem to have genetically imprinted. I’ll do my best to not get lost among the unique members. Please enjoy the dangerous...

Netflix announced on July 31, 2024, that Sakamoto Days will be streamed on the platform worldwide starting January 2025. Unlike the platform’s typical batch release format, Sakamoto Days will be released on a weekly basis.

A teaser trailer and visual was revealed to commemorate the announcement.

Tomokazu Sugita, who is known for portraying Gintoki Sakata, will voice the titular character Taro Sakamoto.

Tms Entertainment, the studio behind Detective Conan, Fruits Basket (2019), and Dr. Stone, is set to handle the animation production for Sakamoto Days anime.

Masaki Watanabe will serve as the director, with Taku Kishimoto in charge of series composition, and Yo Moriyama will handle the character designs.

Sakamoto Days is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuto Suzuki. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s shonen manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump since November 2020, with its chapters collected in 16 tankobon volumes as of April 2024.

It is simultaneously published in English...

After 10 years of saving the world, the superheroes of My Hero Academia have hanged their capes and are supposedly moving towards the end of the series. However, they are leaving the industry as one of the biggest anime and manga franchises of all time, competing with the likes of Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece, Chainsaw Man, etc.

My Hero Academia | Bones Inc.

While the anime is still going on and will probably go on for another year, the manga series is only two chapters away from the conclusion. Kohei Horikoshi has indeed crafted an intriguing story that has not only impressed the Japanese audience but has also grabbed global attention by making it to the top of multiple North American bestseller lists.

Not only that, but the series has also accomplished the impossible by reaching 100 million copies in circulation worldwide. This proves that My Hero Academia has been making waves in the West,...

Ahead of a weekend when Asian content will be making a big impact at San Diego Comic-Con, two of Japan’s largest industrial and financial conglomerates have quietly begun to invest in Japanese animation, the hottest part of the country’s film and TV industry.

Marubeni, which has roots in cereals, chemicals and paper but has diversified to become a trading giant and Japan’s 13th largest corporation, says it is targeting the booming manga (comics) and anime (animated movies and series) markets through a new venture with Shogakukan, a leading publisher.

Mizuho Securities, another part of the Mizuho keiretsu (a form of business alliance common in Japan), revealed this month that it will launch an animation film fund. The brokerage will raise finance from institutions and wealthy individuals in lots starting at JPY300 million apiece and says that it aims to raise $15 million by the end of the year.

Tms Entertainment has shared an exclusive message from director Masaki Watanabe regarding the upcoming Sakamoto Days anime adaptation.

In the message, Watanabe expressed his enthusiasm and vision for the project, providing fans with a glimpse on what they can expect in the upcoming anime.

He revealed that he was immediately captivated by the manga’s dynamic action sequences, and emphasized the studio’s intention to translate this energy into the anime through the strategic use of motion, color, and sound.

When I was first read the manga Sakamoto Days, I recall being excited by the dynamic action scenes.

For the anime, we would like to channel that excitement through action and speed by utilizing ‘motion’, ‘color’ and ‘sound’ unique to animation.

The director also highlighted the importance of preserving the manga’s humor and the protagonist’s distinctive character.

This balance of action, humor, and character depth is expected to...

Soreike! Anpanman: Baikinman to Ehon no Lulun ( Let's Go! Anpanman: Baikinman and Lulun of the Picture Book ), the 35th feature film in the Anpanman anime franchise, took first place in the ticket sales ranking on the weekend of June 28-30, according to Kogyo Tsushinsha . The movie debuted in 319 theaters across Japan on June 28, with 137,000 admissions and 172 million yen (1.06 million Usd) in box office revenue. Its first-week performance was 152 percent higher compared to the first-three-day revenue of last year's 34th film , Roboly to Poka Poka Preseny , and 129 percent higher compared to the Saturday-Sunday performance of the highest-grossing film of the Anpanman anime franchise , Kagayake! Kurun to Inochi no Hoshi , in 2018. The movie ranked third in Filmarks' first-day satisfaction ranking with an average rating of 3.87/5.0 based on 108 reviwes. Related: Anpanman Anime Film Showcases Baikinman in Latest Clip Meanwhile, the film that made the most money last weekend was Look Back , an anime...

The voice acting agency Aoni Production, alongside the voice actor Toru Furuya, released a statement on June 22 announcing that Furuya will step down from his roles as Sabo in One Piece and Toru Amuro in Detective Conan/Case Closed anime series. "We have been in discussions with actor Toru Furuya, who is a part of our agency, regarding the series of scandals that have occurred," Aoni Production said in the statement. "We concluded in requesting [Furuya] to step down from two roles, those of Toru Amuro in Detective Conan and Sabo in One Piece , due to the damage to the characters' image, which has been accepted. We would like to deeply apologize to everyone involved in the production and the many fans of the work." "I, Toru Furuya, would like to apologize for my selfish actions and the many people I have troubled," Furuya said in the follow-up statement. "I have,...

In its 11th weekend, Case Closed: The Million-dollar Pentagram , the 27th feature film in the Case Closed/Detective Conan anime franchise, earned 116 million yen on 82,000 admissions, according to Kogyo Tsushinsha . The movie ranked fourth in the Japanese box office weekend, down two places from last week . Meanwhile, the Detective Conan anime film series' official Twitter confirmed that The Million-dollar Pentagram has earned a cumulative 15.05 billion yen (94.25 million Usd) on 10.52 million admissions since its release on April 12. The movie has become the 10th Japanese film to reach the 15 billion yen mark and the 15th highest-grossing film of all-time ever released in Japan, surpassing Makoto Shinkai's 2022 film Suzume with 14.94 billion yen (93.57 million Usd). To commemorate the film reaching 15 billion yen at Japanese box office, a newly drawn illustration by Gosho Aoyama , the original author of the Detective Conan manga series, was released on Twitter . The illustration features Kaito Kid, one of...

Over the last decade, it seems like sports anime has scored more points in the anime fandom, quickly rising through the leaderboards and becoming more popular. While tracking how much a fandom "likes" something is difficult through social media, one metric can help show how popular an anime is: box office takings. Two of the latest sports anime films in Japanese theaters, The First Slam Dunk and Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle , have done huge numbers and currently rank as the 13th and 35th highest-grossing films of all time in Japan (not just anime), respectively. While both were already generational-defining series getting long-awaited canon sequels with huge built-in audiences, these are the first sports anime films to pass 10 billion yen in Japanese theaters ever. And that's partially by design. The First Slam Dunk and Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle both were massively helped by the anime films that preceded their releases. In...

Reminiscent of the outsized Chinese box office success once enjoyed by a certain genre of Hollywood movie – think “Expendables 3,” Pacific Rim” and “Transformers: Age of Extinction” – some Japanese anime films are now earning more in China than they are in their native Japan.

Last year, “Suzume” (pictured above) earned $117 million in China, coming in ahead of the film’s $104 million total in Japan.

And this year, Oscar winner “The Boy and the Heron,” despite its late release in China, enjoyed Middle Kingdom gross revenues of $109 million, dwarfing that of Japan, where the film was received more tepidly and earned only $57 million.

The scale of the China theatrical market has occasionally thrown up other examples of outsized success — in 2016, “Dangal” earned $190 million in China, compared with its already huge $77 million in India; the same year “Bad Genius” earned $41 million in China, compared with its $3.3 million in its native Thailand; Luc Besson...

The official website for Case Closed: The Million-dollar Pentagram , the 27th feature film in the Case Closed/Detective Conan anime franchise, announced on June 3 that the film had earned 14.4 billion yen (91.57 million Usd) from 10.06 million ticket sales during its 52-day run through June 2 in Japan. This is the first time that a feature from the anime franchise has surpassed 10 million ticket sales in its 27-year history. As reported on May 27 , The Million-dollar Pentagram has already become the highest-grossing film in the franchise, and the 16th top-grossing film of all-time ever released in Japan, surpassing Makoto Shinkai's 2019 film Weathering With You with 14.23 billion yen (90.38 million Usd). Related : The Million-dollar Pentagram Becomes Case Closed/Detective Conan Anime Franchise's Highest Grossing Film Case Closed: opened in Japan on April 12, 2024, staying at #1 on the Japanese weekend box office for six consecutive weekends , then ranked #3 in its seventh weekend . The Million-dollar Pentagram surpassed...

Kappei Yamaguchi, the voice actor of Usopp in One Piece anime, announced on his official X account on May 30, 2024, that he has been hospitalized and will have to undergo surgery.

In a series of light-hearted tweets, Yamaguchi explained that he had overexerted himself while weightlifting and will be hospitalized for a brief period. He humorously noted that he will return with a cyborg shoulder after the procedure.

The surgery, scheduled for tomorrow, will address a torn tendon in his shoulder, which the actor attributed to his rigorous weightlifting regimen.

Acknowledging the necessity of the procedure, he reassured fans that the injury is not overly serious but requires medical intervention as it won’t heal naturally.

Checkout his series of tweets below:

Actually, I’m going to be hospitalized for a bit starting today!^^ It’s for surgery on my shoulder because I overdid it with weightlifting. I’ll come back...

Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram has become the biggest film in the long-running Japanese anime franchise with takings of $89.6m (¥14.1bn), cementing its position as the most successful Japanese film of 2024 to date.

The 27th instalment of the popular Detective Conan series reached 9.77 million admissions as of May 27 and now ranks as the 12th highest-grossing Japanese film of all time at the local box office. It has topped the box office for six consecutive weekends in Japan.

The Million-Dollar Pentagram is the latest story set in the world of Conan Edogawa, the child-sized detective created by manga author Gosho Aoyama in 1994. The films,...

The 27th feature film of Detective Conan anime series, titled Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Pentagram, has set a new box office record. The film has amassed a remarkable 9.77 million viewers and grossed 14.01 billion yen in just 45 days.

The film has thereby surpassed the record held by the 26th feature film, titled Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine (2023), which earned 13.88 billion yen.

This feat makes Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Pentagram the highest-grossing film in the franchise history.

Here is a breakdown of the film’s box office performance:

Opening Day: 630,000 admissions, 960 million yen First 3 Days: 2,274,333 admissions, 3,352,494,500 yen 10 Days: 6.5 billion yen 22 Days: 7,320,000 admissions, 10.5 billion yen 25 Days: 8,453,000 admissions, 12.099 billion yen 31 Days: 8,980,000 admissions, 12.8 billion yen 38 Days: 9,430,000 admissions, 13.5 billion yen 45 Days: 9,770,000 admissions, 14.01 billion yen

Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram hit the Japanese theatres on April 12, 2024.

The film had achieved the second highest opening weekend collection for an anime movie, overtaking the opening week gross...

Umamusume: Pretty Derby Beginning of a New Era , an all-new feature film from the Umamusume: Pretty Derby franchise, opened in 331 theaters across Japan on May 24, 2024. The 108-minute film featuring Jungle Pocket (CV: Yuri Fujimoto) earned 354 million yen (2.26 million Usd) on 226,600 admissions in its first three-day weekend of May 24-26 according to Kogyo Tsushinsha , making its second place debut at the weekend box office. The film also ranked second in Filmarks' first-day satisfaction ranking with an average rating of 4.14/5.0 based on 962 reviews. After dominating the top spot for six consecutive weekends, Case Closed: The Million-dollar Pentagram , the 27th feature film in the Case Closed/Detective Conan anime franchise, slipped to third place for the first time. In its seventh weekend, the film earned 300 million yen (1.91 million Usd) on 200,000 admissions, 26.5 percent down from last weekend . As reported yesterday , The Million-dollar Pentagram now has accumulative of 14.01 billion yen (89.41 million Usd) earned from 9.77 million ticket sales,...

The much anticipated anime adaptation of Yuto Suzuki’s Sakamoto Days has been officially confirmed for a January 2025 release. The announcement was accompanied by a teaser trailer and visual featuring the legendary hitman Taro Sakamoto.

Adding to the excitement, it was also revealed that Tomokazu Sugita, who is known for portraying Gintoki Sakata, will voice the titular character Taro Sakamoto.

Tms Entertainment, the studio behind Detective Conan, Fruits Basket (2019), and Dr. Stone, is set to handle the animation production for Sakamoto Days anime.

Masaki Watanabe will serve as the director, with Taku Kishimoto in charge of series composition, and Yo Moriyama will handle the character designs.

Sakamoto Days is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yuto Suzuki. It has been serialized in Shueisha’s shonen manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump since November 2020, with its chapters collected in 16 tankobon volumes as of April 2024.

It is simultaneously published in English...

The official Twitter for Case Closed: The Million-dollar Pentagram , the 27th feature film in the Case Closed/Detective Conan anime franchise, announced on May 27 that the film has earned 14.01 billion yen (89.41 million Usd) on 9.77 million admissions during its 45-day run through May 26 in Japan. This is the first time that a feature from the anime franchise has reached the 14 billion yen mark in its 27-year history. The Million-dollar Pentagram has now become the highest-grossing film in the franchise, surpassing the previous 26th film Black Iron Submarine 's total domestic revenue of 13.88 billion yen (88.57 million Usd). Case Closed: The Million-dollar Pentagram opened in Japan on April 12, 2024, staying on the Japanese weekend box office for six consecutive weekends . The film surpassed 10 billion yen at the box office in the first 22 days of its release. It is the first time in Japanese film history that two feature films from one anime franchise have...

In a recent interview with Bunshun, Gosho Aoyama revealed that he nearly ended Detective Conan manga due to persistant interference from the editorial department.

This revelation comes on the heels of Aoyama’s recent feature on the Nhk documentary Professional: Shigoto no Ryuugi, which highlighted his creative process.

Aoyama shared that before Detective Conan transitioned to an animated feature film in 1997, he was on the brink of quitting the serialization in Weekly Shonen Sunday.

The intense pressure to come up with new cases weekly and the constant demands from the higher-ups in the editorial department had pushed him to his limits.

“It’s really tough coming up with new cases every week, isn’t it? Plus, the higher-ups in the editorial department were constantly telling me to do this or that, which I really hated. So, I decided to take a break with my assistants and we all went to Las Vegas.

Case Closed: The Million-dollar Pentagram , the 27th feature film in the Case Closed/Detective Conan anime franchise, continued to stay at the top the Japanese box office now for the sixth consecutive weekend. The record for the longest stay in first place in the Case Closed/Detective Conan film series is seven weekends — from April to May 2018 — held by Detective Conan Zero the Enforcer , the 22nd film in the series. The Million-dollar Pentagram earned 408 million yen (2.61 million Usd) on 278,000 admissions in its sixth weekend of May 17-19, a 24.6 percent week-by-week drop, according to Kogyo Tsushinsha. Since debuting in Japanese theaters on April 12, the movie has earned a box office total of 13.5 billion yen (86.32 million Usd) from 9.43 million ticket sales. The movie also became the second top-grossing film in the Conan anime franchise, behind only the 2023 film Detective Conan: Black Iron Submarine with 13.88 billion yen (88.75 million Usd). It also now ranks...

Case Closed: The Million-dollar Pentagram , the 27th feature film in the Case Closed/Detective Conan anime franchise, earned 1.627 billion yen (10.51 million Usd) on 1.13 million admission in its fourth weekend of May 3-5, according to Kogyo Tsushinsha. Mainly due to Japan's Golden Week holiday period, the fourth-weekend revenue was 20 percent up from the previous third weekend's 1.355 billion yen (8.76 million Usd). The film has now stayed number one at the Japan box office for four consecutive weekends since its release on April 12. After 25 days on release, the movie has earned a cumulative 12.09 billion yen (78.13 million Usd) on 8.453 million admissions, making it the second top-grossing film in the Detective Conan anime film series, behind only the 2023 film Black Iron Submarine with 13.88 billion yen. The Million-dollar Pentagram has now also become the 31st top-grossing film of all-time ever released in Japan, surpassing Hayao Miyazaki's 2013 film The Wind Rises with 12.02 billion yen. Related: Detective...

A new anime adaptation of Case Closed/Detective Conan author Gosho Aoyama's Yaiba manga is now in the works, following the official announcement from Weekly Shonen Sunday. The news was revealed in this year's latest 24th issue of Shogakukan's magazine, which is available Japanese stores today. The new anime's official website and Twitter account also opened today, releasing an announcement trailer and teaser visual of the protagonist, Yaiba, holding the Thunder God Sword. The visual is newly drawn by Aoyama himself. The original Yaiba manga series ran in Weekly Shonen Sunday from September 1988 to December 1993, before Aoyama started the serialization of Detective Conan in 1994, then compiled in 24 tankobon volumes. The series was previously adapted into a 52-episode TV anime series from 1993 to 1994 under the title Kenyu Densetsu Yaiba . The new anime series will be fully supervised by the manga author Aoyama himself. He posted his comment on the bottom...

The latest feature film of Detective Conan series, titled Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram, continues to dominate the Japanese box office.

According to the latest box-office information released by Kogyo Tsushin, the film has surpassed 12.099 billion yen in just twenty-five days of its release, drawing over 8.45 million audience.

This marks the fourth consecutive week that the film has held the number one spot in the box office rankings. In the weekend alone the film attracted 1.13 million moviegoers and generated revenue of 1.627 billion yen, surpassing the previous week’s figures.

Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram hit the Japanese theatres on April 12, 2024.

The film had achieved the second highest opening weekend collection for an anime movie, overtaking the opening week gross of Jjk 0 movie (2.6 billion yen).

It also surpassed the opening day numbers of the 26th feature film with a significant 112% increase.

The film also crossed 10 billion yen within just 22 days of its release,...

The 27th feature film of Detective Conan film series, titled Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram, has achieved a remarkable feat, surpassing 10.5 billion yen in box office revenue, attracting over 7.32 million audience, within just 22 days of its release.

This marks the first time in Japanese anime film history that a franchise has achieved 10 billion yen for two consecutive films.

The film’s distributor, Toho, highlighted the exceptional pace at which it reached this milestone, surpassing the previous film, Detective Conan: Kurogane no Submarine, which achieved the same feat in 24 days.

“The film continues its rapid advance without losing momentum, and is aiming to break all previous records,” Toho stated.

Regarding the film’s reception, the distributor said, “This work, which is packed with all three pillars of mystery, love comedy, and action, has people discovering new things every time they watch it, and many people are making repeat visits to the cinema.

Written by Gosho Aoyama, the Detective Conan manga (also known as Case Closed) is one of the longest franchises in history. The series has been ongoing since 1994 and while Aoyama has teased the ending on more than one occasion, it is not even in sight. The anime series is also one of the longest-running ones in history. Currently, there are 32 seasons and more than 1,100 episodes, which is amazing. Of course, numerous other works have been produced, including almost 30 feature anime films, the most recent of which, Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Pentagram, premiered on April 12, 2024 in Japan and is extremely successful!

Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Pentagram is the 27th feature anime film that is part of the Detective Conan series, and we are happy to report that it is currently the hottest anime film in Japan, earning more than 9 billion yen as of the time of writing!

The news is coming directly from Japan,...

The latest box office figures for the anime film ‘Haikyu!! The Movie: Decisive Battle At The Garbage Dump’ were revealed on May 1, 2024. According to the info, the film has surpassed 10 billion yen in box office revenue, attracting over 6.99 million viewers in 75 days since its release on Feb 16, 2024.

The movie had earned an impressive 2.23 billion yen in box office revenue within just three days of its release, setting the record for “highest first-week box office revenue of any film released in 2024” according to distributor Toho. This was, however, overtaken by Detective Conan‘s latest film Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram.

A breakdown of the box office collections of Haikyu!! The Movie: Decisive Battle At The Garbage Dump can be viewed below:

First 3 days: 2.23 billion yen, 1.52 million in attendance 10 days: 4.18 billion yen, 2.9 million in attendance (up 1.95 billion yen from the previous week) 17 days: 5.1 billion yen, 3.59 million in attendance (up 9.2 billion yen from...

In its third weekend of April 26-28, Case Closed: The Million-dollar Pentagram , the 27th feature film in the Case Closed/Detective Conan anime franchise, earned 1.355 billion yen (8.6 million Usd) on 940,000 admissions, according to Kogyo Tsushinsha . The film has stayed number one at the box office for three consecutive weekends since its release on April 12, beating a new Hollywood film, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire , which earned 467 million yen (2.97 million Usd) in its opening weekend in Japan to make its second place debut. After 18 days on release including, the national holiday in Japan on April 29, Case Closed: The Million-dollar Pentagram has earned a cumulative 9.291 billion yen (58.92 million Usd) on 6.499 million admissions. It has become the third top-grossing film in the Case Closed/Detective Conan franchise, surpassing the 2018 film Detective Conan: Zero the Enforcer with 9.18 billion yen. It now also ranks 61st in the all-time box office ranking for films released in Japan.

The Detective Conan movie franchise has achieved a monumental milestone, surpassing a total of 100 million viewers in Japan. This remarkable feat is attributed to the 27th film in the series, “Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram,” garnering over 6.44 million viewers and 9.2 billion yen in just 18 days.

In doing so, Detective Conan becomes the third franchise in Japan to achieve the feat of 100 million tickets sold after Doraemon and Godzilla.

Distributor Toho highlighted the significance of this milestone, emphasizing that reaching 100 million with the 27th film is the fastest record in history.

“The number of 100 million people is close to Japan’s population and is truly a remarkable achievement worthy of being called a national work. In addition, surpassing 100 million people is a record following the movies ‘Doraemon’ and ‘Godzilla’ series, but surpassing it with the 27th instalment is the fastest record in history!“

To celebrate this landmark occasion, a commemorative video has been released,...