Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 11th & 12th March 2017

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Moana (359)

2) Eiga Doraemon Nobita no Nankyoku Kachi Kochi Daibouken (362)

3) La La Land (259)

4) Chia Dan Joshikousei ga chiadansu de zenbei seihashichatta honto no hanashi (300)

5) Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale (151)

6) Assassin's Creed (327)

7) Gekijouban Ultraman Orb Kizuna no Chikara, Okarishimasu (61)

8) Aibou Gekijouban IV Shuto Crisis Hitojichi wa 50-man nin! Tokumeigakari Saigo no Ketsudan (347)

9) Isshukan Friends (305)

10) Kimi no na wa (296)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 25th & 26th February 2017

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) La La Land (259)

2) Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale (151)

3) Aibou Gekijouban IV Shuto Crisis Hitojichi wa 50-man nin! Tokumeigakari Saigo no Ketsudan (347)

4) xXx: Return of Xander Cage (306)

5) Isshukan Friends (305)

6) Survival Family (267)

7) Kimi no na wa (296)

8) Collateral Beauty (200)

9) Kiseki Ano Hi no Sobito (171)

10) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (350)

Source: Eiga.com

First-day-screening event of new movie "Isshukan Friends"

The first-day-screening event of new movie "Isshukan Friends" was held at Shinjuku Picadilly on 18 February which was attended by the director Murakami Shosuke and cast members Kawaguchi Haruna, Yamazaki Kento, Uesugi Shuhei, Matsuo Takashi, Furuhata Seika, Takahashi Haori and Totsugi Shigeyuki. The movie is based on the same-titled shoujo manga that had sold more than 1.5 million copies to date. Kawaguchi plays a senior high school girl Fujimiya Kaori who has an illness which causes her to lose her memories every Monday and Yamazaki plays her classmate Hase Yuuki who has to confess his love to her every week so that she can remember him.

Yamazaki commented that he was glad to see such a huge turnout for the event and hopes that more people can come to the cinemas to watch their movie. Kawaguchi revealed that when she watched the screening with the president of her agency prior to the event, the two of them couldn't help but cry which was rather strange for her because she can usually watch her works from an objective perspective. Nonetheless, she was glad that the audience seemed to like the movie and expressed confidence in the final product.

In conjunction with the first-day-screening which marked a brand new step in the cast's careers, the director presented them with graduation certificates. Although the actors who played students received their certificates with smiles, Totsugi who played a teacher in the movie, behaved quite nervously when receiving his certificate which made the audience laugh at his stiff posture and expression.

In the movie, Kaori and Yuuki exchange diaries in a bid to bridge the distance between them. As such, during the event, Kawaguchi and Yamazaki exchanged their certificates. Yamazaki also praised his co-star for being very humourous and expressed his thanks to her for helping him on the set. In response, Kawaguchi returned the favour by saying that he also helped her a lot and that she likes him for being a frank and hardworking actor and person.

Sources: Nikkansports / Oricon / Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 18th & 19th February 2017

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale (151)

2) Aibou Gekijouban IV Shuto Crisis Hitojichi wa 50-man nin! Tokumeigakari Saigo no Ketsudan (347)

3) Isshukan Friends (305)

4) Survival Family (267)

5) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (350)

6) Kiseki Ano Hi no Sobito (171)

7) Doctor Strange (350)

8) Kimi no na wa (296)

9) Kono sekai no katasumi ni (68)

10) Allied (150)

Source: Eiga.com

Completion screening event of new movie "Isshukan Friends"

The completion screening event of new movie "Isshukan Friends" was held on 12 January which was attended by the director Murakami Shosuke and cast members Kawaguchi Haruna, Yamazaki Kento, Matsuo Takashi, Uesugi Shuhei, Takahashi Haori, Totsugi Shigeyuki and Furuhata Seika. The movie which will be shown in cinemas from 18 February, is based on the same-titled shoujo manga that had sold more than 1.5 million copies to date. Kawaguchi plays a senior high school girl Kaori who has an illness which causes her to lose her memories every Monday and Yamazaki plays her classmate Yuki who has to confess his love to her every week so that she can remember him.

Kawaguchi recounted that playing this character was very difficult because she had to show the subtle differences in her character's expressions and actions as time went by. In response to this, Yamazaki who is working with Kawaguchi for the first time, he praised his co-star for being able to switch between her onscreen and offscreen modes with ease. Kawaguchi chipped in to say that Yamazaki is a gentle, handsome and interesting guy but can sometimes be a bit silly so that explains why he is so popular with girls.

Kawaguchi also revealed that the cast enjoyed their filming a lot and became close by going out for activities such as eating udon from the convenience stores and gathering around the heated stoves to chat. However, for Totsugi who plays the form teacher, he commented that he felt quite out of place among his younger co-stars who are in their 20s and joked that he felt it difficult to blend in with them.

Sources: Sponichi / Oricon / Eiga.com

Kawaguchi Haruna & Yamazaki Kento to work together in new movie "Isshukan Friends"

Kawaguchi Haruna and Yamazaki Kento will be working together for the first time in the new movie "Isshukan Friends" (Friends for a week" which will be shown from February 2017. The movie is adapted from the same-titled manga by Hazuki Maccha that was serialised in Gan Gan JOKER from 2011 to spring 2015. The sad love story features Kawaguchi as Fujimiya Kaori, a senior school student who loses memories with her friends whenever it is Monday. Yamazaki plays her classmate Hase Yuki who has been in love with her despite her forgetting him every week.

Filming began from 14 November last year in Tokyo and was wrapped up on 16 December. Despite working together for the first time, the lead actors revealed that they got along very well during the one-month filming. Kawaguchi commented that Kaori is a very difficult role to play because of her past trauma and illness that makes her insecure but she still has to show the positive side of her. She also praised Yamazaki for being a perfect fit for the role of Hase and this movie is indeed a very memorable project for her to date.


Source: Oricon