Shinkai's 'your name.' Film Opens at #1 in S. Korea 

Shinkai\'s \'your name.\' Film Opens at #1 in S. Korea

Film opened in S. Korea on Wednesday, earns achievements in 6 Asian territories

) anime film opened in South Korea on Wednesday and ranked #1 at the box office. The film sold 130,000 tickets to earn 100 million yen (about US$859,000) on opening day.

The last time a Japanese film topped the box office in South Korea was when

opened on 555 screens in South Korea, which is a new record for a Japanese film. South Korea lifted its ban on Japanese films in 1998.

The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) revealed that the film was leading in the advance tickets sales as of 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday for movies opening in the new year, ahead of Hollywood film

The film screened at the 18th Bucheon International Animation Film Festival in October, and won both the Special Distinction Prize and the Audience Prize for the feature film category. It is the first film of its category to win both awards.

The anime film rose from #7 to #3 at the box office in Japan in its 19th weekend. Shinkai\'s film has sold a total of about 17,350,000 tickets in Japan to earn about 22.4 billion yen (US$192.5 million).

The anime has now earned box-office achievements in South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan. As of New Year\'s Day, the film became the top-grossing 2D animated film in China of all time.

Shinkai\'s film already broke all-time records in China for most advance tickets sold, fastest film to reach 100 million yuan (US$14 million or 1.7 billion yen), earning 100 million yuan in just the opening day, and highest-grossing Japanese film. It also became the highest-grossing Japanese film to date in Thailand.

The film has also earned over 30 million Hong Kong dollars (US$3.9 million or 450 million yen) as of Tuesday after opening in Hong Kong on November 11. It is now the #2 top-grossing Japanese film in Hong Kong to date.

opened in Taiwan on October 21 and became the highest-grossing Japanese film in Taiwan. The film topped the Taiwanese box office chart in its opening three-day weekend, becoming the first Japanese film since the 2012 live-action

is now the fourth highest-grossing film of all time in Japan, the second highest-grossing Japanese film, and the second highest-grossing anime film. The only Japanese film to gross higher is

The film is slated to open in 92 countries and territories, including in the United States through

Shinkai\'s latest film had topped the Japanese charts for nine straight weekends since it opened on August 26, and in its 10th weekend dropped to #2 to

, before regaining the top spot in its 11th weekend, and it stayed at the top spot in its 12th and 13th weekends.

Sources: Chūō Nippō, Mainichi Shimbun\'s Mantan Web

Osamu Tezuka may be famous for family favorites like Astro Boy and Kimba, but some of his best creations are strictly for adults. Experience the darker side of this master\'s work. ― Even for the uninitiated, Osamu Tezuka\'s work has left a lasting mark. Your dad probably knows who Astro Boy is, even if he doesn\'t know he\'s a Japanese creation. Tezuka was a powerhouse creator in his time and is the mi...

Is this fanservice-fueled parody of fantasy RPGs worth watching? Theron Martin has the answers. ― Anime short series don\'t earn English dubs or even home video releases often, unless they\'re associated with an established franchise. (See The Adventures of Mini-Goddess or The Melancholy of Haruhi-chan Suzumiya.) So Funimation\'s decision to both dub and release this series of shorts from the Summer 201...

The Winter 2017 Anime Preview Guide has begun! Check back daily for fresh reviews of the entire winter anime season.

Available Now: Seiren - Urara Meirocho - Spiritpact - Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju - High School Girls Cycling Club - Fuuka - Saga of Tanya the Evil - Masamune-kun\'s Revenge - Akiba\'S Trip ― Welcome to Anime News Network\'s Winter 2017 Preview Guide! Here\'s how it go...

Utano☆Princesama Legend Star Episodes 1-12 Streaming

UtaPri\'s bevy of beautiful boys are back for a fourth season of musical cheesiness and a few genuinely surprising plot developments. ― Another year, another season of the candy-colored singing sensation Uta no Prince-sama, also known as UtaPri. This season, subtitled “Legend Star,” picks right up from the cliffhanger ending of season three, which ended with a three-way tie for the honor of performing...

The newest, loudest, and flashiest One Piece movie will be out in theaters next week, but Sam Leach has our spoiler-free look at the movie\'s ups and downs! ― If there\'s one thing that Toei Animation irrefutably puts a ton of effort into, it\'s the theatrical One Piece movies. Ever since Strong World, these films have had manga author Eiichiro Oda playing the role of at least Executive Producer (and in...

Anime Spotlight - KONOSUBA - God\'s blessing on this wonderful world! 2

What a life in another world really needs is a big, great adventure... Wait, no it doesn\'t! ― KONOSUBA - God\'s blessing on this wonderful world! 2 Official Website: http://konosuba.com/ Official Twitter: @konosubaanime Story Characters Trailer Cast & Staff Gallery On air starting January 12, 2017 Key Staff Director: Takaomi Kanasaki (Tokyo Ravens, Is This a Zombie?) Series Composition: Makoto Uezu (...

This Week in Games - What\'s to Come in 2017

As we bid the old year adieu and welcome the new, Dustin breaks down the most anticipated upcoming releases of 2017\'s first quarter. ― If you\'re reading this, you made it out of 2016 and into a brand new year. Congratulations! Give yourself a round of applause! You\'ve earned it. Last year brought us some excellent games, but we\'re now at a time where we look forward, rather than back. This is the wee...

Rurouni Kenshin Part II: Kyoto Inferno BD+DVD

Kyoto Inferno is a rambling but ultimately satisfying middle chapter in Kenshin’s live-action trilogy saga. Nick Creamer dives in. ― The first live-action Rurouni Kenshin accomplished a seemingly impossible feat, by translating a beloved but long-running shounen manga into a crisply paced and dramatically satisfying action movie, offering a satisfying experience for both existing Kenshin fans and new...

Anime Spotlight - Urara Maze Town Book

In order to become the top Urara (fortune-teller), an energetic girl named Chiya, comes to Maze Town—a town where the best fortune-tellers gather— to start her training. ― Urara Maze Town Book Official Website: http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/urara/ Official Twitter: @urarameiro Story Characters Trailer Cast & Staff Gallery On air starting January 5, 2017 Key Staff Director: Youhei Suzuki (The "Hentai" P...

It\'s a brand-new year, so a fresh new season of anime is almost upon us! Here\'s some of the hottest new shows you should be checking out this winter! ― A fresh new year brings with it a fresh new slate of winter anime premieres! Our team of critics have picked out some of the most promising new titles of the season to look out for, and be sure to let us know what shows you\'re most excited about in th...

JoJo\'s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable Episodes 1-39 Streaming

Could Diamond is Unbreakable be the best Jojo\'s saga yet? Nick Creamer has the answers. ― JoJo\'s Bizarre Adventure has certainly gone places. With Battle Tendency ending on a fight for the sake of the world, and Stardust Crusaders focusing on a globe-hopping battle against a vampire with time powers and laser eyes, it\'d be hard for JoJo\'s fourth arc to raise the stakes in terms of scale. Instead, Dia...

The final user rankings of the Fall 2016 season are in - and they look pretty different from the Mega Poll results! Find out how your favorite Fall shows fared! ― Our team of reviewers are following 27 anime series of the Fall 2016 season and readers are rating each episode as the reviews go up. So let\'s have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season. Keep in mind that t...