Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
Japanese anime returns to rescue struggling Korean cinema
A poster for "The First Slam Dunk” / Courtesy of Korean Film Council
By Baek Byung-yeul
The Korean film industry has turned to the proven savior of Japanese animation since the start of the year to offset the prolonged slump of domestic productions.
The box office in 2025 remained largely stagnant. Among domestic movies, the webtoon-based film “My Daughter Is a Zombie” managed to surpass the 5-million-viewer mark, and only three Korean titles managed to squeeze into the top 10 annual box office rankings.
To combat declining ticket sales and a lack of blockbuster movies, movie distributors have launched aggressive re-release strategies. By bringing back beloved Japanese classics and modern hits that have strong fandoms, movie theaters aim to ensure a steady influx of niche but loyal audiences.
“Recently, the theater-going experience has shifted toward fandom consumption,” an official in the film marketing industry here said on condition of anonymity.
"With animated features like ‘Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie: The Infinity Castle’ and ‘Zootopia 2’ dominating the box office in 2025, theatres are prioritizing content that can guarantee physical attendance through old animated features with a large fan base.”
Leading the trend is the legendary "Evangelion" series, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. To mark the anniversary, CJ CGV is screening the four-part “Rebuild of Evangelion” movie series in sequence.
Since the original TV series was released from 1995 to 1996, the animation has gained massive global popularity by blending intense battles with deep psychological themes regarding the human condition.
"Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone" (2007), the first part of the movie series, was released on Dec. 12, 2025, and the second installment "Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance" (2009) hit screens on Jan. 2. The relay will continue with "Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo" (2012), scheduled to be released on Friday, with the final installment "Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time" set for release next month.
A poster for “Castle in the Sky” / Courtesy of Korean Film Council
"The First Slam Dunk," the 2023 phenomenon that sparked a retro basketball craze in Korea, is also back to mark its third anniversary. Having attracted over 4.9 million viewers during its initial run, the movie became the third-highest for a Japanese animated feature in Korea. The film was rereleased here last week.
Based on the original comic series by Takehiko Inoue that began its serialization in 1990, the high school basketball comic has enjoyed immense popularity not only in Japan but also across Korea for decades.
This time, the focus is on premium experiences. The film is being screened in specialized formats, including CGV’s IMAX, Megabox’s Dolby Cinema and Lotte Cinema’s Gwang-eum theaters, a sound-focused theater, so that they can deliver vivid experience of a basketball court to audiences.
The lineup isn't just about nostalgia for the 90s. Studio Ghibli’s "Castle in the Sky," the 1986 masterpiece by Hayao Miyazaki, will return to the big screen on Wednesday to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
Meanwhile, theaters are also betting on new works. On Wednesday, director Mamoru Hosoda, widely known for his 2006 animated feature "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time,” released his new fantasy work “Scarlet.”