Recently, film importers and distributors in the Chinese mainland pressed pause on several highly anticipated Japanese movies 🎬⏳. Titles like Crayon Shin-chan the Movie: Super Hot, The Spicy Kasukabe Dancers and Cells at Work have been postponed after a close look at market trends and audience mood, China Media Group reported.
Earlier this month, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinite Castle – Part 1: Akaza Returns enjoyed a blockbuster opening, thanks to its loyal fanbase. But when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made provocative remarks, viewers in the Chinese mainland showed their disapproval in real time. The film’s box office tumbled just three days after its debut, and excitement cooled faster than a hot ramen bowl 🍜❄️.
With that fresh experience in mind, importers noted that upcoming Japanese releases could be affected by diplomatic tensions. To respect audience sentiment and follow market principles, they opted to delay release dates—giving everyone a breather to let things settle.
On November 16, the total box office in the Chinese mainland hit a whopping 45.543 billion yuan (around $6.4 billion) so far in 2025. Domestic films led the charge with 40.298 billion yuan (about $5.7 billion), making up 88.48 percent of the total. This marks the third time in history that local productions have smashed the 40-billion-yuan milestone 🙌.
What’s next? Fans are keeping an eye on when those postponed films will finally hit the big screen. Until then, movie lovers and industry pros will be watching both the ticket sales and the headlines, proving that in today’s globalized cinema culture, public sentiment is as powerful as any blockbuster plot twist.
Reference(s):
Japanese film releases postponed in China over audience sentiment
cgtn.com
