Japanese movies are popular and offer a mix of exciting genres, including action films, which are big hits. This essay will explore the top ten action movies from Japan that made a lot of money, and left a mark on the movie world.
1. Crows Zero 2
"Crows Zero 2" is a 2009 Japanese action movie directed by Takashi Miike. The story follows the rivalry between two high schools named Suzuran, which was led by Genji and another school was Hosen Academy popularly known as " The Army of Killers." The rivalry between these schools led to a violent fight. The film shows the intense rivalry between high school students with extreme fight scenes. The film made a whopping amount of money. After its release, the movie made $29,865,854 in Japan and almost $30 million worldwide.
2. The Last Samurai
"The Last Samurai" is a massive hit movie of 2003. The timeline of the story is set in the 1870s. The story is about an American soldier named Captain Nathan Algren(Tom Cruise) who was hired to train Japanese soldiers in modern ways to fight and to adapt more Westernized art to fight rather than traditional Japanese ways. However, Japanese Samurais were not happy with this training and wanted to protect their traditions. The film tells the tough choice Nathan faced to choose between old and new ways of fighting. The movie, was a massive success making over $456 million worldwide and $132 in Japan.
3. Brave Hearts: Umizaru
Brave Hearts: Umizaru" is an action drama movie based on the manga series Umizaru. The film was released in 2012 and is the fourth film of the franchise. The movie is about a team which includes flight attendants and Sea Marshals, who show their Courageous effort to rescue 346 passengers on board, after an airplane faces engine problems. The movie was a massive success in Japan, making $19 million in just four days. The film became the highest grossing film of 2012 in Japan with a total earning of 7.33 billion yen.
4. Shin Godzilla
"Shin Godzilla" is a live action movie of 2016 based on the Concept of a monster. The movie revolves around the politicians who are Struggling after a monster Suddenly appeared in the City and started. destroying the city with its attacks. It became one of the successful Godzilla movies in Japan with a total worldwide of $ 78 million. The movie turned out to be a big hit of 2016 as it attracted around 4.2 million people to the theaters.
5. Rurouni Kenshin
"Rurouni Kenshin" is a movie from 2012 based on a Japanese manga. It's about a skilled assassin named Kenshin Himura who decides he won't kill anymore. Now, he travels and helps people to make up for his violent past. He meets Kaoru Kamiya, whose father was a martial arts teacher. Kenshin starts staying at her place, and they become close. But he still struggles with his old violent memories. The movie did well, earning over $36 million in Japan and over $60 million around the world. It was one of the top movies in Japan for 2012, and internationally, it made about $37.7 million. People loved watching the movie.
6. The Eternal Zero
"The Eternal Zero" also is a 2013 Japanese war drama movie directed by Takashi Yamazaki. The story starts in 2004, when a young Japanese man learns that his grandfather was a kamikaze pilot in World War II. Curious about why a seemingly timid man would volunteer for such a dangerous mission, he started on a journey to understand his grandfather's life. The movie mainly focuses on the grandfather's experiences during the war, as narrated by his fellow soldiers. As the young man digs deeper, he uncovers surprising and long-hidden truths about his grandfather's past. The film was a massive success in Japan, earning a lot of money, about ¥8.76 billion. It was one of the most famous Japanese films in 2013. It even got an award called the Golden Mulberry at a film festival in Italy. In fact, it's one of Japan's all-time top movies.
7. Code Blue
"Code Blue" is about the "helicopter doctor" team as they're handling big accidents at Japan's Narita airport and nearby places. This team, including Kousaku Aizawa, Megumi Shiraishi, Mihoko Hiyama, Haruka Saejima, and Kazuo Fuikawa, deals with emergencies at the airport and parking area. They not only tackle these professional crises but also face their own personal challenges, both in and out of their blue uniforms. "Code Blue: The Movie" made a lot of money in Japan, around ¥9.3 billion, and was the most successful Japanese film in 2018 and the second highest-grossing film that year.
8. Heaven And Earth
"Heaven and Earth" is a Japanese movie from 1990, directed by Haruki Kadokawa. The story is set in 16th-century Japan and follows two samurai. One wants to conquer and take control, while the other defends his land while struggling with his feelings for a woman due to a vow of celibacy. Warlords Kagetora and Takeda are determined to stop each other from ruling feudal Japan. They battle across the countryside. Kagetora, younger and less brutal, must become fierce like his opponent. When the movie was about to be released in Japan, 4.8 million tickets were sold before it was even released. After its release, it became a massive hit, earning an astonishing $8.4 million in the opening week. In Japan, it became the top Japanese film of 1990, making around ¥9.2 billion in total. In the United States, it also made some money, around $307,775.
9. Battle Royale
Battle Royale '' is a Japanese action film based on the novel of the same name. The movie was released in 2000 and was directed by Kinji Fukasaku.The story revolves around a brutal survival competition game held on a deserted island with forty-two ninth grade students from high school. In the game only one will survive, some students try to make their way out without any violence, while others like to play the brutal game. The weird part of the game is that it was hosted by the government. After the release of the film, it became a massive success as it held the highest-grossing film for the whole six weeks in Japan and made ¥3.11 billion (around $28.9 million) in Japan and it earned around $30 million worldwide.
10. Seven Samurai
"Seven Samurai" is a classic Japanese movie based on action, emotions and deep thoughts. The movie was released in 1954 and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The film is set in the 16th century, and tells about a Samurai who resolves to protect the villagers from bandit attacks. The Samurai gathered six other Samurai to help and protect the village. However, they not only protected the village but also taught the villagers how to fight to protect themselves from the bandit attacks. The movie was highly praised by the Japanese audiences. The movie did well in terms of finance by earning ¥268.23 million in Japan. These ten action-packed Japanese movies left a lasting impression on the audience and a whooping amount at the box office.
