Japanese animation film "Suzume" was top of the Chinese box office at the close of its opening weekend — grossing over 90 million yuan ($13 million) — while in South Korea, more that 3 million moviegoers saw the film within the first three weeks of its release.
Citing figures from the China Movie Data Information Network, state media Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday that the latest work by Japanese animation director Makoto Shinkai reached the top of the national movie viewing charts on Sunday, the third day of its screening.
Suzume is a fantasy film that follows the adventures of a 17-year-old girl and a mysterious young man as they work together to prevent disasters across Japan.
Suzume's strong start in China follows the success of Shinkai's 2016 fantasy blockbuster "Your Name.," which became the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time in the country that year.
According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, Shinkai told local fans in a video message on Monday that he would make good on a promise made during his recent trip to Seoul that he would return if Suzume was seen by more than 3 million viewers after its release on March 8.
The film saw widespread success after its release in Japan last year, becoming the first Japanese animated film in over 20 years to be nominated for the top award at the Berlin International Film Festival.