An interactive anime film has rewritten the rules of limited theatrical releases in Japan, with “Hypnosis Mic – Division Rap Battle” earning JPY2.5 billion ($16.5 million) despite averaging fewer than 60 screens throughout its run — making it the first Japanese film to reach this revenue milestone on such a narrow release.
The film, part of the “Hypnosismic” franchise, was developed at King Records in 2017 and involves a world where weapons have been banned and men must fight for supremacy through rap battles. The “Hypnosismic” universe has already diversified into music, radio dramas, manga, stage productions, games and anime series.
The film, one of Japan’s first interactive movies, involves a new rap battle. The story and the winner of the contest, known as the Third Division Rap Battle, vary at each different screening, with the outcomes driven by real-time polling of the audience members using their smartphones.
The Toho-distributed, King Records-produced feature launched Feb. 21 in 85 venues, utilizing Kino Industries’ CtrlMovie platform to let audiences vote via smartphone on plot developments in real time. The film built momentum through word-of-mouth, growing its audience for eight straight weeks, with repeat customers accounting for over 80% of total box office as viewers returned to experience different narrative branches.
Variety understands that no Japanese film since nationwide tracking began in 2004 has crossed JPY2 billion while playing on fewer than 100 theaters during its theatrical window.
The title demonstrated unusual longevity, continuing to sell out limited engagements through summer. A Sept. 2 nationwide re-release propelled the film back into Japan’s Top 10, adding more than 107,000 admissions over two weeks and posting its third-strongest single day performance — an unusual achievement seven months after launch.
“By crossing this milestone, ‘Hypnosis Mic’ validates interactive cinema as a lucrative new frontier — confirming that branched-narrative movies on average generate four to six times the revenues of regular films, a factor that producers, distributors, and exhibitors will be watching closely as our CtrlMovie-powered format expands worldwide, with new films currently in the making,” said Tobias Weber-Ingold, co-CEO and co-founder of Kino Industries.
Weber-Ingold positions the technology as distinct from existing premium formats: “Unlike 4DX or Imax, which emphasize spectacle, CtrlMovie’s appeal lies in narrative participation — turning audiences into collaborators who shape the outcome of the story in real time.”
Ryoji Kure, the Toho executive who championed the release strategy, added: “‘Hypnosis Mic’s’ performance throughout its run in Japan was well beyond Toho’s expectations. This was certainly a bit of an adventure, but in retrospect it was absolutely worth all the effort.”
The CtrlMovie system, developed by Kino Industries since its 2018 founding, enables collective audience decision-making that branches narratives seamlessly during screenings, with each show producing a unique experience based on viewer input.
Multiple English-language productions using the technology are now underway as the company accelerates its expansion plans.
“CtrlMovie is doing for story what Imax did for scale,” says Scott C. Silver, COO of Kino Industries. “It delivers a premium, participatory experience that connects audiences more deeply to what’s happening on screen — and while we’re starting in theaters, the same technology is built to extend seamlessly into home and gaming environments, creating an ecosystem where every screen can be interactive.”
AloJapan.com