Over the past year, when Hollywood blockbusters have continued to dominate most cinemas, Japanese films have steadily captured a significant share of the box office in mainland China. The unlikely triumph of Japanese cinema – particularly its animated masterpieces – has rattled the dominance of Hollywood’s titans.
The Boy and The Heron, Miyazaki’s 2024 masterpiece, claimed the spotlight, earning £86.2 million in mainland China, even surpassing its box office performance in both Japan and the US. Two of the most eagerly awaited Hollywood releases, Dune Part Two, and Joker: Folie à Deux, by comparison, fell short of this Japanese Oscar-winning film, with commercial success of £38.4 million and £5.45 million, respectively. Yet, the production budget comparison is outrageous as well: £50 million for Miyazaki’s anime versus £150 million and £159 million for the Hollywood titles.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Japanese animated films have been flocking to the Chinese market over the past year: Crayon Shinchan the Movie: Our Dinosaur Diary, Spy x Family Movie: Code: White, Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram. With a solid base of anime fans, these Japanese films have all demonstrated outstanding performances.
The rise of Japanese cinema in mainland China isn’t a flash-in-the-pan but a tale of cultural resonance, emotional depth and Hollywood’s missteps. Eight years ago, Your name (2016), an animation by Makoto Shinkai, earned £62.1million in Chinese theatres; in 2024, the nationwide rerun of this stunning animated film again exceeded £10 million in revenue.
There is no doubt that the cultural affinity and anime deep-roots in China have provided fertile soil for Japanese modern cinema. In particular, Japanese films from recent years transcend pure entertainment: they’re an extension of childhood memories, offering a sense of connection that Hollywood, with its more Western-centrism narratives, often struggles to replicate. Meanwhile, the emotional depth in Japanese heartwarming films resonates deeply with Chinese audience – people who are culturally and geographically close – far more than Hollywood’s formulaic blockbusters.
Compared to the unique storytelling and wholesome plots of Japanese imported anime, Chinese audiences are becoming increasingly disenchanted with Hollywood franchise films. While these franchises initially found success in China, audience fatigue has set in, with sequels often failing to deliver fresh narratives or emotional depth. Even the biggest Hollywood stars cannot guarantee box office success if the films themselves are considered uninspired or lackluster. For example, a recent Hollywood blockbuster starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans floundered in mainland China, earning a mere £2 million at the box office despite a staggering production cost of over £190 million.
Hollywood, once a box office monopoly, now finds itself edged out by other international contenders.
While Japanese animated films overtake Hollywood, Japanese arthouse films are also quietly making strides in mainland China.
Like Father, Like Son (2013) by Hirokazu Kore-eda, arrived at mainland China theatres for the first time on December 6th this year after Hirokazu’s Shoplifters, which was released six years ago. Despite its humble theatrical gross, Kore-eda’s presence at the premiere has set off a frenzy of discussion among Chinese cinemagoers. Also, earlier this year, the Ryūsuke Hamaguchi Films Exhibition, organised by China Film Archive – a sanctuary for arthouse cinema – took place in Suzhou.
Whether it’s mainstream animated films or arthouse productions, Japanese cinema has broken new ground in the mainland Chinese film market. Behind the huge boom, the dedicated fanbase for animated films, profound cultural affinity, vigorous promotion of sought-after Japanese directors and festival films have collectively contributed to the surge of Japanese cinema in China.
More importantly, while Hollywood imports are losing ground in the Chinese market, this creates a major opportunity for British cinema to expand its influence in mainland China.
Events like the British Film Masters Retrospective 2024 in Shanghai highlight the potential for greater British engagement in the Chinese market. We expect that by organising more British film exhibitions to be held in mainland China, more nationwide reruns of classic British films, or more collaboration with Chinese filmmakers or actors, British cinema can follow in Japan’s footsteps and capture the imagination of Chinese audiences.
With the right strategy and commitment, British cinema has the potential to become the next global contender in mainland China, just like Japanese cinema has.
Feature image courtesy The Boy and the Heron’s Douban page for its Chinese release.
