Japanese hit anime movie "Kimi No Na Wa" or "Your Name" left a mark not only in the hearts of its fans but also in the history of Chinese Theaters. The said film was declared as the number one Japanese movie as it took the highest gross sales over its release period in China.
Based on a Chinese ticketing website (Maoyan.com), the film gained 533 million yuan (around $76. 6 Million/ 9.02 Billion Yen) as of Saturday (December 17, 2016). This makes the "Kimi No Na Wa" the highest grossing anime film in China as of the moment, according to Anime News Network.
In fact, Makoto Shinkai's "Your Name" even surpassed the former record holder which is the "Stand By Me Doraemon" aired last year with $38.5 Million ticket sales. The anime film also topped Chinese movie Big Fish & Begonia (2016) with only $34.2 Million sales. Shinkai even came to Beijing last month to promote his movie, added the report. This is the first time another Japanese film bagged the highest grossing anime shown in China since the country reportedly banned movies from Japan for two consecutive years (2013-2014) due to some diplomatic disputes.
"Kimi No Na Wa" reportedly sold numerous pre-tickets ($4.4 million) and bagged millions of dollars on its first day in China on December 2 ($10.9 million). This was followed by another $17.4 million on the second day.
As per Variety, the Japanese anime had a closed fight with "Hacksaw Ridge," a World War II movie, which earned over $16 million within a four-day screening in China. Following the list are the movies "Suddenly Seventeen" with $10.2 million, "Sully" with $5.44 million and "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them" with only $5.05 million within the said period.
"Kimi No Nawa" or "Your Name" is a story of two high school students living in different eras who were exchanging bodies randomly, communicating through notes and imprints, living each other's lives. An adventure that led to a desire to finally meet at the same timeline. The movie was screened in various countries and made it to several award nominations including Oscar's Best Animated Feature Film for 2017.
