The Most Successful Asian Films of 2014

by Ceki, January 9, 2015

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Hello everyone and Happy New Year! I'm bringing to you the article about the highest-grossing Asian films in 2014 (according to the official sources because I've done some research), and if you haven't watched some of them yet, make sure to check them out! The only statistics that I'm not sure about are the Taiwanese because I was unable to find their box office data for 2014, so I tried my best to find out which ones were the most popular. So here we go!

JAPAN

Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno is the popular sequel to the 2012 film based on the manga series of the same name. Its sequel was released only a month after and it was, nonetheless, a success! The story follows the adventures of the powerful swordsman Rurouni Kenshin and his friends in Kyoto.

Stand By Me Doraemon is a 2014 Japanese 3D animated film based on the Doraemon manga series and it is about a boy Nobita Nobi and his robotic cat Doraemon. It is so cute!

Another manga adaptation is the fantasy/comedy Thermae Romae 2 set in Ancient Rome and filled with crazy Japanese characters who can time travel to the modern Japan in order to build a thermae. Leave it to the Japanese to amuse you :)

CHINA

The most popular films in China have always been the romantic comedies and historical wuxia dramas, so it is not wonder that Breakup Buddies took the #1 of the top 10 grossing films that were released in China in 2014. It is about two middle-aged men who go on an adventurous road trip after a turbulent divorce.

Where Are We Going, Dad? is actually a documentary film based on a reality show of the same name and it is about the Chinese celebrity fathers who interact with and take care of their children. The duration is only 30 minutes but people went all crazy about it and I still have no idea why.

The Taking of Tiger Mountain is Tsui Hark's epic 3D film which passed the $100 million mark and created a new box office record. The story is about a conflict between a squad of People's Liberation Army and a bandit gang during the Chinese revolution. It looks epic to me.

HONG KONG

The Monkey King is like #744244 adaptation of 'Journey to the West', a Chinese literary classic written in the Ming Dynasty. However, even though this one received generally negative reviews, it was a major box office hit which means that the Chinese will simply never get tired of it, it's like a timeless classic.

From Vegas to Macau is a crime comedy film about the gangsta guys who like playing Robin Hoods by the means of gambling.

Golden Chicken 3 is a comedy including various funny characters and their adventures. In short, even after watching the trailer, I still have no idea what the film is about.

TAIWAN

Kano is a sports film about a Taiwanese baseball club that goes to Japan to represent its country when Taiwan was still under the Japanese rule. If you're into baseball, then this might be just for you.

Black and White 2 is a sequel to the popular action saga about the cops who need to overcome their differences so they can bring down the criminals.

(Sex) Appeal is a youth romance drama about a young student Bai who comes to a small town in Taiwan to pursue a Masters degree in music but instead gets involved in a weird relationship with her professor which will change her life drastically. This film is darker than the previous two.

SOUTH KOREA

The Admiral: Roaring Currents has become the biggest film of all time in South Korea. It is a war film set in the 16th century about a legendary admiral who led only 12 ships to a victory against a Japanese fleet. The visual effects seem cool.

The second film is The Pirates, an adventure about whale hunting. It is a comedy filled with pirates who must find a whale that swallowed the king's seal. It seems okay, but like nothing compared to the previous one.

Miss Granny proved to be a real surprise and box office hit. The story follows a 70-year-old grandma who transforms into her younger self. The old granny was a real trouble. However, she is even a bigger one in her 20-year-old form :)

THAILAND

King Naresuan Part V: Elephant Battle is the 5th installment of a Thai biographical historical drama film about King Naresuan the Great, who ruled Siam in the 17th century. The special effects are really fantastic and I believe that all of the parts are worth checking out.

The Teacher's Diary is a sweet romantic drama about two teachers at a rural school.

The Swimmers is... well, look at the cover. (lol) It is a mature horror romance drama, about the swimmers who are best friends until one of them commits suicide and keeps haunting them. It seems that they went a bit overboard with having fun in the pool :)

This is it, what do you think? Are there any movies in the article that you would recommend as the must see of 2014? Maybe you even had a chance of watching them in the cinema? Or are there any movies that you would like to replace / add? Share with us your opinions and keep looking forward to the even better 2015 Asian films that may prove to be huge box office hits.

Cheers!

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Sources: wiki & boxofficemojo