Attack on Titan Finale Compilation Film Debuts at #1 in Japanese Box Office
The film opened last Friday for a three-week limited engagement in Japanese theaters.The film is 145 minutes long, with 5.1ch surround sound, and is a "brushed-up" edition of the two parts of the final season. Linked Horizon's "Nisen-nen... Moshiku wa.... Niman-nen ato no Kimi e" (To You in 2,000... or... 20,000 Years From Now) returns as the theme song.The Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS (Shingeki no Kyojin The Final Season Kanketsu-hen) Part 1 anime aired as a one-hour special in March 2023. The Part 2 anime aired in November 2023.Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS parts 1 and 2 also streamed in Japan in single-episode format, serving as episodes 88-94 of Attack on Titan The Final Season. Toonami aired the anime beginning on January 6.The film opened in Japan on Friday, and tells the story of the beginning of Kamen Rider W. The film is a prequel to both Kamen Rider W and the FUUTO PI anime, which is based on the Fūto Tantei manga sequel of Kamen Rider W.The film's theme song is "Niau Otoko ni Nare" (Become a Worthy Man). Kouji Kikkawa wrote, composed, and sang the song as Sōkichi Narumi — the character which he played in the original Kamen Rider W show, and a central character in the new film.Kenjirō Tsuda voices the character Sōkichi Narumi in the film. The film's other new cast members include Ayumu Murase as a young Shōtarō Hidari, Satomi Satou as the villain Saeko Sonozaki/Taboo Dopant, and Jun Fukuyama as the film's original character Nagi Ōshima.Yousuke Kabashima returned to direct the film at Studio KAI, with Ayataka Tanemura again serving as assistant director. Toei Video distributes the film. Other returning staff members include scriptwriter Tatsuto Higuchi, character designer and chief animation director Hidekazu Ebina, chief animation director Kiyoshi Komatsubara, and composers Kōtarō Nakagawa and Shuhei Naruse. Hideaki Tsukada was again the executive producer, and Akira Onodera was again the supervisor. Main animators include: Kazuki Kimura, Ken Obata, Kenta Yokoya, and Shun Shibata.The film opened in Japan last Friday.The film stars former Hinatazaka46 idol group member Miho Watanabe as Akoko Sekikawa, and INI boy band member Masaya Kimura as Naomi Mitomo. Former =LOVE idol group member Nagisa Saitō plays Akoko's best friend and rival in love Mitsuki Taniguchi, while Jūtarō Yamanaka plays Ao Narita, Naomi's close friend whom Akoko and Mitsuki always consult.Mitsunori Yokobori directed the film, and was also the editor and director of photography. Satoko Okazaki penned the script. Kōji Endō composed the music.INI performed the film's theme song "Break of Dawn," and ChoQMay performed the insert song "Cinnamon." The manga focuses on Akoko Sekikawa, a straightforward second-year high school girl who is quick to act and cannot lie to herself or other people. She is always together with her friend, Mitsuki Taniguchi, a girl whom she has been classmates with since third grade. At the start of the school year, they find themselves in the same class as Naomi Mitomo, who despite being held back a year, remains the object of students' adoration. Akoko falls in love with him at first sight and immediately begins her advances toward him, though Mitsuki is unimpressed and feels that it isn't really love. When Akoko asks Naomi to go out with her, she is immediately rejected, but hears about the real reason why Naomi won't go out with anyone from Naomi's friend, and thus continues her advances. All the while, Mitsuki and Naomi find themselves growing into a closer relationship.The second special edition of Mobile Suit Gundam Seed FREEDOM dropped off the top 10 in its second weekend, but still earned 41,578,300 yen (about US$266,800) from Friday to Sunday. Including the earlier first version of the film, as well as the first special edition, this is the film's 42nd overall week in the Japanese box office. The film has earned a cumulative total of 5,301,101,120 yen (about US$34 million).Sources: Kōgyō Tsūshin (link 2), comScore via KOFIC
