Eiga Chiikawa: Ningyo no Shima no Himitsu (Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island), the inaugural anime film adaptation of Nagano’s popular Chiikawa manga, climbed from the second spot to claim the number-one position during its third weekend in theaters. Between Friday and Sunday, the movie sold 1.147 million tickets, generating 1,698,950,000 yen (roughly US$10.65 million) and bringing its overall cumulative box office earnings to 6,777,844,100 yen (approximately US$42.50 million).
Following its July 24 theatrical debut—where it immediately claimed the number-one spot with a massive opening day of 990 million yen (about US$6.05 million)—the film pulled in 1,508,500 ticket sales and grossed 2,240,333,500 yen (about US$13.70 million) over its first three days.
The plot adapts the fan-dubbed "Siren Arc" or "Island Arc," originally serialized on X (formerly Twitter) between March and November 2023. The narrative begins as Chiikawa and Hachiware encounter a rabbit carrying a promotional flyer advertising a "special island." Enticed by the promise of effortless hunts yielding generous rewards and complimentary delicacies like limited-edition island ramen and gourmet treats, the trio—accompanied by the ever-suspicious Rakko—sets off for the destination, unaware of the mysteries awaiting them.
Nagano is credited with the original concept and scriptwriting, working alongside director Kei Oikawa (Uma Musume Pretty Derby, Hinamatsuri, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU), who oversaw production at Cygames Pictures. QTORY inc. managed production duties, while TOHO handles distribution. On the musical front, Hachiware’s voice actor, Makoto Tanaka, performs the opening theme "Kutsuzure" (Shoe Sore), featuring lyrics penned by Nagano himself. Additionally, Momoka Terasawa and Sayumi Suzushiro join the cast as Hitoha and Futaba, two local islanders encountered along the way.
Meanwhile, Eiga Crayon Shin-chan Kikikaikai! Ora no Yōkai Bake-shon (Crayon Shin-chan The Movie Super Strange! My Yōkai Monster Vacation), the 33rd 2D feature in the franchise, slid from third to sixth place during its second weekend. It brought in 288,991,400 yen (about US$1.81 million) over the weekend, pushing its cumulative gross to 1,173,580,950 yen (about US$7.35 million). Launched in Japan on July 31, the film initially opened at number three with a three-day total of 441,000 tickets sold and 539,371,500 yen (about US$3.41 million) earned.
The story follows the Nohara family as they travel to Hiroshi’s hometown in Akita to enjoy a summer fireworks festival. However, a sudden crisis allows various yōkai to escape their realm, threatening chaos across Akita and the rest of Japan. To resolve the disaster, the family journeys into the mysterious, nostalgic "land of yōkai" for an unpredictable adventure.
The cast features Sairi Itō as the nine-tailed fox yōkai Yako, alongside comedian Sakamoto as the Squid Yōkai, who captains the Edomae Sushies baseball team in a challenge against Shin-chan and his friends. Franchise regulars Yumiko Kobayashi, Miki Narahashi, Toshiyuki Morikawa, and Satomi Koorogi return in their respective roles. Masaki Watanabe directed the feature from a script by Yoshiko Nakamura. Production was handled by Shinei Animation, TV Asahi, ADK Emotions, and Futabasha, with TOHO distributing. Singer TOMOO performs the theme song, "Otona ni Nattara" (When I Become an Adult).
In the live-action sphere, Kingdom: Tamashii no Kessen (Decisive Battle of the Soul), the fifth film adaptation of Yasuhisa Hara’s historical epic, dropped from fifth to seventh place in its fourth weekend. It added 309,459,900 yen (roughly US$1.94 million) over the weekend, bringing its total theater-goers to 3.18 million and cumulative revenue to 4,920,141,100 yen (about US$30.85 million). Released on July 17, the movie initially achieved a strong opening with 993,000 tickets sold for 1,584,148,300 yen (about US$9.67 million) over its first three days, eventually reaching 1.315 million tickets and 2.064 billion yen (about US$12.59 million) when factoring in the Marine Day holiday.
Hara’s source material follows the journey of Xin, a young slave boy with aspirations of rising to the rank of a great general for the state of Qin, as he aids young King Ying Zheng in uniting China and defeating the Seven Warring States. Shinsuke Satō returned to direct the film, collaborating with Hara on the screenplay alongside Tsutomu Kuroiwa, while Yutaka Yamada composed the score.
Finally, the live-action adaptation of Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yūsuke Nomura’s soccer manga BLUE LOCK debuted at number eight during its opening weekend, pulling in 277,648,800 yen (about US$1.74 million) across its first three days. Released in Japanese theaters on August 7, the film is scheduled for immersive screenings in MX4D, 4DX, and Dolby Cinema formats starting August 21.
Yūsuke Taki directed the project based on a script by Tetsuo Kamata, with Shinzō Matsuhashi serving as producer. CREDEUS handled production, and TOHO is distributing.
Serialization of the original manga began in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine in August 2018, earning the Best Shōnen Manga accolade at the 45th annual Kodansha Manga Awards in 2021. The franchise has since expanded to include a multi-season television anime by 8-bit, a theatrical spinoff film, and an upcoming third season focusing on the "Shin Eiyū Taisen" (New Hero Wars) narrative arc.