>94-Year-Old Director Warns “This Can’t Continue” as Anime Drives Japan’s Box Office Growth
https://archive.ph/YfouF
<Veteran Japanese director Yoji Yamada has sounded the alarm over the state of live-action films, warning that the industry is in trouble after annual box office records were driven almost entirely by animation rather than traditional movies.
<According to a report from Yahoo Japan, the 68th Blue Ribbon Awards ceremony was held on the 17th at Iino Hall in Tokyo. Director Yoji Yamada, aged 94, received the Best Director award for TOKYO Taxi, marking his third win in the category and his first in 48 years since The Yellow Handkerchief in 1977.
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<However, the veteran filmmaker also used the occasion to voice concerns about the current state of Japan’s film industry. He noted that the domestic annual box office revenue for 2025 reached 274.452 billion yen, the highest figure since tracking by revenue began in 2000. Despite the record, Yamada warned that the growth was largely driven by animated films rather than live-action productions.
<He stated, “The increase in sales came from animation. It’s true that the live-action films we make are not very lively. I have a strong feeling that things cannot continue like this.”
<Yamada emphasized the importance of film awards such as the Blue Ribbon Awards, saying they serve as encouragement for filmmakers and help sustain the industry.
>“I’m still angry at the game industry” CyberConnect2 CEO’s efforts to shake up Japanese entertainment’s stick-in-the-mud approach are driven by his love for Shonen Jump manga
https://archive.ph/9Noy9
<While promoting his company’s recently announced .hack//Z.E.R.O in an interview with Denfaminicogamer, CyberConnect2 CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama declared that the manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump Magazineare what fuels his creative drive to innovate and expand the studio’s output.
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<“New entertainment is always evolving. And yet, the entertainment of the past is eternal. It’s our responsibility as creators to provide readers and players with our latest works. That mentality will never falter, and I don’t think it’s likely that it’ll ever run dry,” said Matsuyama.
<When asked about CyberConnect2’s recently announced entry into the film industry with their new branch CyberConnect2 Film, Matsuyama stated that it was born from his own passion for the medium. “Of course, manga will always be my favorite, but I enjoy films almost as much,” he said, claiming to watch between 300 and 350 movies every year.