[NC Box Office] ‘Detective Conan’ Leads an Anime Takeover of Korea’s Box Office

‘Detective Conan: The Counterfeit Case of Ultra 30.’ Photo courtesy of CJ ENM.

[News Culture] Japanese animation took over much of Korea’s box office Thursday, with three titles landing in the top five and the latest ‘Detective Conan’ film leading the pack.

‘Detective Conan: The Counterfeit Case of Ultra 30’ opened at No. 1 on Nov. 5 with 25,379 admissions, bringing its total to 28,165 including previews, according to the Korean Film Council (KOFIC).

The mystery begins with a counterfeit banknote case known as the “Ultra 30” incident. As the threat escalates into a national crisis, Conan joins police forces from across Japan and the FBI in the hunt for the truth.

‘Final Interview.’ Photo courtesy of NEW.

‘Final Interview’ dropped to second on its second day in theaters, drawing 19,745 admissions for a cumulative 62,319.

Directed by Kim Jung-hoon, the mystery thriller puts six applicants through the final stage of a high-stakes hiring process. The competition turns volatile when mysterious envelopes begin revealing damaging secrets about the candidates.

Jo Yi-hyun, Kim Jae-won, Kang You-seok, Bae Gang-hee, Shin Seung-ho and Kwak Dong-yeon lead the ensemble.

Brad Pitt’s ‘Heart of the Beast’ followed in third with 18,043 admissions, lifting its Korean total to 289,085.

Pitt stars as James, a former Army Special Forces soldier stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash. His only companion is Odin, his retired military dog, as the two fight to survive the hostile terrain.

‘Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island’ took fourth with 12,268 admissions, pushing its Korean total to 2,639,795.

Based on Nagano’s popular manga, the film follows Chiikawa and friends to a mysterious island after the promise of an unusually large reward draws them into a dangerous mission.

‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie -Walpurgisnacht: Rising-’ rounded out the top five, giving Japanese animation three titles in Thursday’s upper tier.

The latest theatrical chapter in the ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’ series continues the story of its magical girls as they confront the brutal fate surrounding them.

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