The Japanese box office continues to be dominated by animated and live-action adaptations, with Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc securing its fifth consecutive weekend at the number one position. Meanwhile, the live-action adaptation of Makoto Shinkai’s beloved 5 Centimeters per Second held firm at second place in its second weekend of release.
Chainsaw Man Dominates Japanese Box Office for Fifth Weekend
Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has shown formidable staying power, continuing its reign at the summit of the Japanese box office. For the weekend of October 17-19, the film garnered an impressive 582 million yen (approximately US$3.86 million) from 375,000 admissions. This strong performance represents only a 9.5% drop from the previous weekend’s earnings, underscoring its widespread appeal.
Since its release on September 19, 2025, the MAPPA-produced anime film, which adapts the popular Reze Arc from Tatsuki Fujimoto’s manga, has achieved a cumulative domestic gross of 6.5 billion yen (US$43.1 million) from 4.26 million admissions. The film’s success extends beyond Japan, having topped the box office in South Korea for two consecutive weekends and earning approximately US$1.8 million there most recently. Globally, the film has amassed $68.3 million. Its theatrical run outside Japan, distributed by Crunchyroll through Sony Pictures Releasing, began in select Asian markets on September 24 and is set for a worldwide release by October 24, 2025.
Live-Action 5 Centimeters per Second Holds Strong at Number Two
The live-action film adaptation of Makoto Shinkai’s 2007 anime classic, 5 Centimeters per Second, maintained its second-place standing in its second weekend. The film, released on October 10, 2025, earned 283 million yen (US$1.88 million) on 198,000 admissions over the October 17-19 weekend. This performance marks a 20.6% week-on-week drop but was sufficient to keep it ahead of other strong contenders.
After two weekends in theaters, the live-action adaptation has accumulated a domestic total of one billion yen (US$6.64 million) from 710,000 admissions. The film stars Hokuto Matsumura of the idol group SixTONES as Takaki Tono and is directed by Yoshiyuki Okuyama. Makoto Shinkai, the original director and writer of the anime, expressed pleasant surprise and even shed tears watching the live-action rendition, noting how it perfectly captured the essence of his original work. The original anime, renowned for its melancholic exploration of distance and first love, has been praised for its emotional depth, making it a compelling candidate for a live-action adaptation.
Continued Dominance of Anime-Related Films
The strong performances of both Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc and the live-action 5 Centimeters per Second underscore the ongoing popularity of anime and manga adaptations in the Japanese box office. Anime films have collectively held the top spot for 14 consecutive weekends since July 22, 2025. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, which previously dominated the box office for nine straight weeks, continues to draw audiences, holding the third spot in the latest weekend rankings. Its cumulative domestic gross has reached 36.7 billion yen (US$243.5 million), making it the second-highest-grossing film of all time in Japan, trailing only Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train.
