Detective Conan is back in theaters and already smashing records! Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback, the 28th film in the long-running anime franchise, has debuted at #1 in the Japanese box office, pushing the previous leader, Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Art World Tales, to second place. The film’s impressive opening weekend signals another major success for the iconic detective.
A Record-Breaking Start
Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback opened on April 18, 2025, and immediately made its mark. Over its first three days, the film grossed a staggering ¥3,438,626,700 (approximately US$24.15 million) and sold 2,314,690 tickets. This outstanding performance marks a new opening-weekend record for the entire Detective Conan franchise.
The film’s success isn’t just limited to its overall gross. Broken down, the numbers reveal just how popular the film is:
- Friday: 697,355 tickets sold, earning ¥1,058,422,300 (about US$7.43 million)
- Saturday: 835,908 tickets sold, earning ¥1,246,314,200 (about US$8.75 million)
- Sunday: 781,427 tickets sold, earning ¥1,133,870,200 (about US$7.96 million)
These numbers far surpass the opening day of the previous film, Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram, which earned ¥960 million (about US$6.26 million) on its opening day in April 2024.
Surpassing Expectations
The previous record holder for the best opening weekend in the Detective Conan franchise was Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram, which earned ¥3.352 billion (US$23.5 million) with 2,274,333 admissions in its first three days in April 2024. One-Eyed Flashback exceeded this with ¥3.43 billion (~US$24.2 million) and 2.31 million moviegoers. Notably, Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram went on to become the highest-grossing film in Japan for 2024, with a total of $110.9 million (¥15.8 billion).
Expectations are high that One-Eyed Flashback could follow a similar trajectory and potentially become the top-grossing film of 2025 in Japan.
Doraemon Moves to Second Place
After a successful run at the top, Doraemon the Movie: Nobita’s Art World Tales has moved to the second spot. The film, which was released on March 7, 2025, had an impressive run with over six weeks at number 1. As of April 22, 2025, the film has grossed nearly ¥4.2 billion (US$29.81 million) with 3.49 million ticket sales.
While Doraemon no longer holds the top position, its performance is still remarkable. It has become the sixth top-grossing film in the Doraemon anime franchise since 2000, surpassing Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016, which earned ¥4.12 billion.
What is One-Eyed Flashback About?
Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback takes place in the snowy mountains of Nagano Prefecture. The story involves a call to the Mouri Detective Agency from “Wani,” a former colleague of Kogoro Mouri, mentioning Kogoro’s name in a case file related to an avalanche that Kansuke Yamato was caught in.
Key characters in the film include:
- Conan Edogawa: The brilliant teenage detective trapped in a child’s body.
- Kogoro Mouri: A private detective and father of Ran Mouri.
- Kansuke Yamato: An inspector from Nagano with an injured left eye.
- Taka’aki and Yui: Also from Nagano, these characters add to the local flavor of the film’s setting.
The film is directed by Katsuya Shigehara, who served as unit director and key animator on previous Conan films. The script is written by Takeharu Sakurai, a veteran writer for the Detective Conan series. The theme song, “Twilight!!!,” is performed by King Gnu.
A Pop Culture Phenomenon
The Detective Conan franchise, known as Case Closed in some regions, revolves around Shinichi Kudo, a high school detective who is transformed into a child after being poisoned. Adopting the alias Conan Edogawa, he continues to solve crimes while searching for a way to restore his original body.
Created by Gosho Aoyama, the manga series began in 1994 and is still ongoing. The anime adaptation has aired over 1,100 episodes, making it one of the longest-running anime series of all time. The films, released annually, are major cinematic events in Japan.
The popularity of the Detective Conan films often leads to real-world impacts, with the film locations becoming popular tourist destinations for fans. One-Eyed Flashback, set in Nagano Prefecture, is likely to draw fans to the region to experience the scenery featured in the film.
Other Notable Films in the Japanese Box Office
While Detective Conan and Doraemon are leading the charts, other films are also making their mark in the Japanese box office:
- Me & Roboco: This film debuted at #4.
- Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-: This interactive film, where the storyline changes based on audience polling, is currently in its ninth weekend and ranked #8.
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Tsuzumi Mansion Arc: A compilation film from the popular Demon Slayer series, ranking #10.
What’s Next for Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback?
With its record-breaking opening weekend, Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback is poised for continued success. Its widespread release across 522 theaters, including IMAX, MX4D, 4DX, and Dolby Cinema screenings, ensures accessibility for a wide audience.
The film’s strong start, combined with the enduring popularity of the Detective Conan franchise, suggests that it could become one of the highest-grossing anime films of the year. As fans continue to flock to theaters, it will be interesting to see how high One-Eyed Flashback can climb in the box office rankings.
