‘In the Clear Moonlit Dusk’ Opens in Japan to a Rave Response From Gen Z! A Japanese Box Office Hit Streak Is in the Cards!

The film 〈In the Clear Moonlit Dusk〉 is a blockbuster pure romance that begins with a contract relationship between two people everyone calls “princes.” Since opening first in Japan on Friday, October 23, 〈In the Clear Moonlit Dusk〉 has drawn a strong response from local Gen Z audiences, with ratings and reviews surging just three days after its release. It scored 4.3 out of 5 on Eiga.com, Japan’s largest movie information site, and 67% of viewers gave it a perfect five-star rating. On Filmarks, a review platform whose users are predominantly in their teens and 20s, it earned a 4.2 and drew more than 900 reviews within three days of opening. Expectations built before the release also translated directly into high ratings: Movie Walker members had voted it their No. 1 “movie they want to see this week.”

Local reviews are already hinting that one viewing won’t be enough, with audiences promising to come back for more: “I’m going to see it four more times,” “My heart can flutter no matter how many times I watch it,” “This is my second time seeing it, and I want to watch it again.” Viewers have also been praising the film, calling it “so heart-fluttering, with an overdose of romance scenes,” “a movie that had me laughing nonstop from beginning to end,” and “the most entertaining romance movie in recent years.” Reviews have even called it “the next generation of romantic comedy” and said “everyone on Earth should see it.” Fans of the original manga have given the film high marks for bringing the two princes’ looks from the comic straight to the screen.

Audiences are posting their heart-fluttering reactions in real time after leaving theaters, using the hashtag #うるわしの宵の月を語ろうキャンペーン (Let’s Talk About In the Clear Moonlit Dusk campaign) for a review campaign currently running on the film’s official X account. The Gen Z response already seen in Japan is expected to carry over to Korean theaters when the film opens on Wednesday, November 18. With interest from Korean audiences already evident after all 4,000 seats at the Busan International Film Festival’s Open Cinema sold out, expectations are high for a box office hit streak connecting Japan and Korea.

Meanwhile, the film 〈In the Clear Moonlit Dusk〉 follows Yoi and Kohaku, both called “princes” by everyone, as they sign a contract and try dating to “see if it’s fate.” It is directed by Kentaro Takemura, director of the teen romance 〈A Secret I Want to Tell You〉, and is based on a bestselling shoujo manga by Mika Yamamori, which has sold approximately 8.2 million copies.

As Japanese films continue their box office run following the success of 〈Chiikawa: The Secret of Mermaid Island〉, 〈In the Clear Moonlit Dusk〉, whose appeal has been validated by its ratings and reviews in Japan, will open in South Korea on Wednesday, November 18.