Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name. was a landmark success for anime - and that’s putting it lightly. It accounted for 10% of Japanese box office revenue in 2016, and stayed at the top of the charts for weeks. By the time it bowed, it had accrued the fourth-highest gross in Japanese history - behind Spirited Away, Titanic, and Frozen.
It stands to reason, then, that Shinkai’s crowning achievement (so far) would be the perfect movie to celebrate the re-opening of Japanese theaters in wake of COVID-19. Accompanied by last year’s stellar Weathering With You, Your Name. returned to theaters last week. Both immediately entered the top five, adding a nice smattering of extra cash to its already-packed coffers.
It’s worth noting, however, that this only accounts for 100 theaters. Most Japanese theaters have remained closed, for obvious reasons, but are liable to reopen soon due to the Japanese government’s push to open everything back up again. Whether or not this is a good idea is a separate issue entirely, of course, but hey - gotta satiate capitalism’s greedy gullet somehow, right?
Regardless, it’s pretty cool to see two of the past decade’s most important anime films back in the box office. They deserve every ounce of loving ink that’s been spilled on them.
