Can't speak for other countries, but it's certainly difficult and rare in Japan since it's a very long-established market (yearly data dating back to the 1950s), and has experienced little/no inflation. For the all-time record to fall, it has to be almost purely done on a comparable level. It can be done now with a few less admissions than films from up to 25-years+ ago, but it still requires to get very close to the admissions as well.

As for the marketing and such, who knows, really. You can make arguments for why films from 20/30 years ago had the advantage, while also making arguments for why films today have the advantage. Except in Japan, you cannot make much of an argument with the inflation card since it's barely a thing. If anything, I'd say films today are at a disadvantage in Japan (way more films being released, almost no inflation, a declining and aging population, more ways to see films outside of theaters, etc.).

2000? Try 1955.

And before asking, no, I don't know what 2020's admissions will be. That data will be made available at the end of January. 2020 will probably come in below 1996, the lowest year, but it won't be very far off I don't think. I'm pretty confident that 2020's admissions at least broke 100 million.

Most Attended Years, Yearly Admissions (1955-):

1958 - 1,127,452,000
1957 - 1,098,882,000
1959 - 1,088,111,000
1960 - 1,014,364,000
1956 - 993,875,000
1955 - 868,912,000
1961 - 863,430,000
1962 - 662,279,000
1963 - 511,121,000
1964 - 431,454,000
1965 - 372,676,000
1966 - 345,811,000
1967 - 335,067,000
1968 - 313,398,000
1969 - 283,980,000
1970 - 254,799,000
1971 - 216,754,000
2019 - 194,910,000
1972 - 187,391,000
1974 - 185,738,000
1973 - 185,324,000
2016 - 180,189,000
2017 - 174,483,000
2010 - 174,358,000
1975 - 174,020,000
1976 - 171,020,000
1983 - 170,430,000
2004 - 170,092,000
2009 - 169,297,000
2018 - 169,210,000
2015 - 166,630,000
1978 - 166,042,000
1977 - 165,172,000
1979 - 165,088,000
2006 - 164,585,000
1980 - 164,422,000
2001 - 163,280,000
2007 - 163,193,000
2003 - 162,347,000
2014 - 161,116,000
2002 - 160,767,000
1986 - 160,758,000
2008 - 160,491,000
2005 - 160,453,000
2013 - 155,888,000
1982 - 155,280,000
2012 - 155,159,000
1985 - 155,130,000
1998 - 153,102,000
1984 - 150,527,000
1981 - 149,450,000
1990 - 146,000,000
1988 - 144,825,000
1999 - 144,762,000
2011 - 144,726,000
1987 - 143,935,000
1989 - 143,573,000
1997 - 140,719,000
1991 - 138,330,000
2000 - 135,390,000
1993 - 130,720,000
1995 - 127,040,000
1992 - 125,600,000
1994 - 122,990,000
1996 - 119,575,000

Legend: '50s / '60s / '70s / '80s / '90s / '00s / '10s

Looking at the numbers from 2000 to 2019 or 1970s to now, it went up and down and has continued like that (which is different from developing markets when the number has just been went up and skyrocket each year).

This is a sign of a long time developed and matured market where the number of admit each year mostly depends on number of movies released each year rather than the number of new cinema or more marketing/PR.

And it also does indicate your point that more ways to see films outside of theaters nowadays comparing to the past.

If 2020 didn't have Corona, how much admits you think?

I know it was a different time, but it's quite something to look at those years with over a billion admissions.

Back then when Japan was at the golden population period and movie theaters are the only way to see a movie. Haha

Who knows. I don't think anyone can answer that question about any market this year. Way too many things to consider. In Japan's case, 2020 would have almost certainly dropped from 2019 due to fewer major Imported (Disney) films being released. Japanese films have beaten Imported films every year since 2008, but Hollywood (Disney, mainly) went big in 2019 and closed the gap some which helped make 2019 the most attended year since 1971.

But you can also see an upward trend in admissions starting around 2008 when Japan first began to release tons of films each year. Not consistent year-on-year increases, as there are several down years since then with the years being dependent on how films perform, but the 2010s outperformed the 2000s and have been able to compete with the 1970s in the latter half of the decade. My total guess would have seen 2020 do 175/180 million or something.

At 10 a.m. Tuesday is similar to Monday but I think Tuesday afternoon / evening will be quieter than Monday afternoon / evening. Tuesday will probably be around 100k at the usual locations as someone mentioned a few days ago.

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/9baf4 ... 6025aa679e
There is this news on yahoo japan mentioning the rumours that the producer has a plan on making the next arc into movie??? But because the next arc (red light district arc) is big (4 volumes) so they want to split it into 2 movies????

PLEASE NO, someone know Japanese please tell them to stop. They can make season 2, then a movie, then season 3 and a movie..... something like that. Or they can make the last arc into movies.

Split a next big arc into 2 movies is really not a good idea. It also make audience wait too long. There are many comments there go against that idea.

@Corpse: can you confirm this is just a rumour/ posibility? Can be changed? Can the negative reaction from audience prevent them from making it?

Reading the article in Google Translate, it seems to be random people who work in the anime industry giving their opinions/thoughts. The only one with some credibility (in respect to Kimetsu) is the Toho guy who said "we are anxious to make a sequel" but since they are the distributors and aren't part of the production committee,they can't make that decision. They can push for it but that is about it. In this case, it is best to wait and see. Kimetsu has an event coming in February, if a sequel is coming in whatever form, that would be most likely place it would be announced

Rumors are rumors at the end till their is an official confirmation do not trust the source. I am sure the makers of Demon Slayer will do the right things for the series. Mugen Train also ends with no hints to continuation so I really think/hope its an anime series. Having said all that one of the biggest hurdles for DS movies will be the need to watch the anime and "might" restrict its grosses worldwide so its a toss-up at this point.

After the Mugen train arc till the end of the series, all arcs are long arc, really not suitable for making a movie. Split it into 2 movies, no, it will kill the hype. Just imagine 1.5- 2 years gap for a continue of the story Besides, a runtime for a movie in theather in Japan is very long....

This article basically confirms one thing: discussions are underway regarding an adaptation of the manga beyond Mugen Train according to anime insiders.

The rest of the article goes into speculation mode and has quotes from Ichikawa from Toho. Basically he says "We'd like to help [distribute] a sequel and we hope to do so. [Aniplex, Shueisha, ufotable] made this film, so from a distribution standpoint, we'd like to do more, but we've not heard about a sequel."

The author also cites two industry people saying "I heard that when they made the decision to create this movie, they were also talking about the next adaptation." and "You can't adapt [the next arc] in one movie. If you'd plan to adapt it to film, you'd have to be pragmatic and make two films."

The article also mentions the popular ratings some highlighted episodes got on Fuji TV in Kanto (ignoring the incredibly good ratings for Kansai TV as well) and speculates that it could be a TV series airing on NHK or a TV channel chain (Fuji, TBS, TV Asahi, etc).

Basically there was nothing in that article from someone who works on the anime's production (Aniplex, Shueisha, ufotable). Toho only assisted in distributing the film, so they have the easy standpoint of "we'd love to work on it again" (because they did something relatively easy and got a lot of money for nothing essentially).

This article is getting a lot of attention in the West because people aren't familiar with how anime production committees work and it quoted someone from Toho, but it's basically speculation coupled with two tidbits of information (it's being planned and they were talking about it when starting work on the film).

So in short, we know that the production team is working in adapting the next part of the series but it was not yet confirmed a season 2 multi episode or another movie?

Hmmm... I mean, Heaven's Feel trilogy was up everytime another movie comes out so the hype never died even when the movies took like 1-2 years gap.

Ufotable is good with it's decisions so I trust it. Like how they did the Mugen Train into a movie is genius.
So I trust that they will make the right decision and make a season 2 instead of two movies.

Also, make Fate Route (+Realta Nua ending) Remake already ufotable!!!
Then you can make Hollow Ataraxia into a movie or a season cours or whatever you want.

The content of the Mugen Train arc is very suitable for a movie, so they made it and it was a right choice. But after this arc, it is not except maybe the last arc they can decide to make movie.

I use google translate the Japanese comments there and many of them feel the same way. Haha

Hope they don't it would kill hype anyway it is better to release non canon movie after season 2 maybe based on light novel (highest selling light novel in Japan)they can make final arc a canon movie they should not be too greedy

At 6 p.m. Tuesday is above Monday at the same point as Charlie Jat thought. If the day continues in this direction, Tuesday should end at 120k-125k at the usual locations, maybe a little more.

I know lmao
That's why I said that ufotable is a trusted studio that will make the right choice.
Basing on the manga, they can make the two long arcs (RLD and SSV) into one season.
And if they really squeeze it, they can also add the training arc in that one season.
But I doubt they'll do that since they'll probably add some anime originals to expand on the characters that don't have their own arc.

Around 130k at the usual locations today, great !

I thought it would decrease from Mon but yeah

That's indeed great news.

Me too but Charlie Jat was right as often. Wednesday is expected to rise further from Tuesday. Thursday will be the weakest day of the week (weaker than Monday) and Friday will probably be the strongest day of the week.

ymblcza, do you have any numbers for tomorrow ?

I count reservation at 9:30pm at GMT+8 every day(30 mins later)

Wed TOHO

KIMETSU NO YAIBA
30473, +35%

POCKET MONSTERS
10457, +1%

SHINKAISHAKU SANGOKUSHI
9999, +67%

POUPELLE OF CHIMNEY TOWN
8278, +48%

THE PROMISED NEVERLAND
5684, +45%

STAND BY ME DORAEMON 2
3795, +32%

TOHO is favorable on Lady's Day so the increase won't be as much in usual locations

Thur TOHO

KIMETSU NO YAIBA
11010, 76% of Tue *all formats
7919 *4d
3091, 54% of Tue *other formats

Maybe +20% overall at usual locations?