Japanese films, Q3 2026: the quarter in review

Released on July 17, this is the fifth film in the live-action Kingdom series. Three years after the Battle of Bayou, Shin (Kento Yamazaki), now a commander of a thousand men, and the state of Qin face a massive invasion by the Coalition Army, an alliance of several states led by Ri Boku (Shun Oguri). Based on Yasuhisa Hara's manga, it was directed by Shinsuke Sato and co-stars Ryo Yoshizawa, Kanna Hashimoto and Nana Seino.

It opened at No. 1 on its first weekend, and by September 15, its 61st day in release, had passed 4.38 million admissions and 6.68 billion yen at the box office. It is the first Japanese live-action series in which all five films have grossed more than 5 billion yen.

Released on September 11. Based on a one-shot manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto, creator of Chainsaw Man, it follows the 2024 anime film as Hirokazu Kore-eda's live-action adaptation. Fujino, an elementary school student who draws four-panel comics for the school newspaper, is stunned by the drawing skills of her classmate Kyomoto, who refuses to come to school, marking the start of a long journey together for the two, connected by manga. Natsuki Deguchi and Aju Makita play the pair.

It premiered in the Competition section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where it won five collateral awards, presented separately from the official prizes, and it also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. In Japan it opened at No. 5 on its first weekend.

Released on August 7. It depicts the fight for survival among high school forwards gathered for Blue Lock, a secret project to produce the ultimate striker so that Japan's national team can win the World Cup. Based on the manga by Muneyuki Kaneshiro (story) and Yusuke Nomura (art), it was directed by Yusuke Taki, with Fumiya Takahashi as the lead, Yoichi Isagi.

It passed 1 billion yen on its 19th day and had drawn 830,000 admissions and 1.2 billion yen by September 6. In Taiwan it became the highest-grossing live-action film based on Japanese manga released there in the past 10 years.

Released on September 11. Based on the nonfiction by Allen Nelson, a U.S. Marine who fought in the Vietnam War, it is a Japan–U.S.–Vietnam–Thailand co-production directed, written, shot and edited by Shinya Tsukamoto. Suffering from PTSD after returning home, Nelson confronts himself through conversations with a psychiatrist. Rodney Hicks, Geoffrey Rush and Lily Franky star.

It premiered in the Competition section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where it became the first Japanese film to win the Leoncino d'Oro (Golden Lion Cub), awarded by a jury of young people.