It has been revealed that "Super Princess Kaguya!", the first feature-length original anime directed by Shingo Yamashita, who has worked on opening sequences for popular anime such as the first season of "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Chainsaw Man," has surpassed 2 billion yen in box office revenue. The number of viewers has exceeded 1.02 million. It ranked 5th in the weekend box office rankings for April 17-19 (according to Kogyo Tsushinsha), and has remained in the top 10 of the same rankings for nine consecutive weeks. This is an exceptional hit for a film that was first streamed on Netflix.
The film is a "musical anime" inspired by the classic "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter." It follows Iroha Sakayori, a 17-year-old high school girl who leads an extremely busy life juggling part-time jobs and schoolwork, as she encounters Kaguya, who emerges from a gaming utility pole that glows with seven colors. The anime was produced through a collaboration between Studio Colorido, known for works such as "Penguin Highway," and Studio Chromato, led by director Yamashita. A host of talented Vocaloid producers, including ryo from "supercell," kz from "livetune," 40mP, "HoneyWorks," Aqu3ra, and yuigot, provided the music.
The film premiered on January 22nd as a "Netflix movie," and due to its success, it began theatrical release on February 20th. Despite being shown in only 19 theaters, it grossed approximately 291.22 million yen and attracted approximately 148,000 viewers in just four days, ranking 5th in audience attendance. Initially planned for a one-week limited run, the screening period was extended and the number of theaters showing the film was increased.
