20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End
20世紀少年 －第1章－ 終わりの始まり
Synopsis
In 1969, Kenji, an elementary school kid and his friends built a secret base during their summer holidays. They fantasized that they had to fight villains who were out to conquer the world and wrote them in the Book of Prophecies. Years later in 1997, Kenji becomes a convenience store manager and leads a regular life after giving up his dreams to become a rock star. His boring life is suddenly turned upside down when his old classmate dies mysteriously and an entire family in the neighbourhood disappears. At the same time, a religious cult and its mysterious leader, Friend emerges and a strange chain of events duplicating exactly the events described in the Book of Prophecies follow. Is this the beginning of the end of the world? Who is Friend?
Part of the 20th Century Boys Collection
Stream the entire interconnected saga and experience every installment in chronological storyline order.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
20th Century Boys 1: Beginning of the End (2008) Trailer
Type: Trailer • Published 2017-04-01
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Toshiaki Karasawa
Kenji Endô
Takako Tokiwa
Yukiji
Teruyuki Kagawa
Yoshitsune
Hidehiko Ishizuka
Maruo
Takashi Ukaji
Mon-chan
Hiroyuki Miyasako
Keroyon
Katsuhisa Namase
Donkey
Fumiyo Kohinata
Yamane
Kuranosuke Sasaki
Fukubê
Shiro Sano
Yan-bô
Shiro Sano
Mâ-bô
Kanji Tsuda
Moroboshi
Takashi Fujii
Friendship Party Promotor
Hanako Yamada
Friendship Party Promotor
Etsushi Toyokawa
Otcho
Nana Katase
Miki Shikishima
Hitomi Kuroki
Kiriko Endo
Mirai Moriyama
Comic Artist
Release History & Theatrical Window
August 28, 2009
Wide Cinema Exhibition
September 1, 2010
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$20M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$31.2M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.56x
+$11.2M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Yukihiko Tsutsumi
- Screenplay & Story
- Yasushi Fukuda, Takashi Nagasaki, Naoki Urasawa, Yusuke Watanabe
- Original Score
- Ryomei Shirai, Audio Highs
- Original Title
- 20世紀少年 －第1章－ 終わりの始まり
- Country of Origin
- Japan, Thailand
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 2h 22m
- Production Budget
- $20M
- Worldwide Gross
- $31.2M
- Production Studios
- Cine Bazar, TOHO, Toho Eizo Bijutsu, Nippon Television Network Corporation, Shogakukan, VAP, Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation, dentsu, Yomiuri Shimbun Company, Office Crescendo, d-rights, Sapporo Television Broadcasting Company, Miyagi Television Broadcasting, Shizuoka Daiichi Television, Hiroshima Telecasting, Fukuoka Broadcasting System, Dynamo Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Yasushi Fukuda, Takashi Nagasaki, Naoki Urasawa, Yusuke Watanabe
Ryomei Shirai, Audio Highs
Satoru Karasawa
Nobuyuki Ito
Morio Amagi, Ryûji Ichiyama, Nobuyuki Iinuma, Kiyoshi Inoue, Futoshi Ohira
Department Leadership Roster
Yasushi Fukuda
Screenplay
Takashi Nagasaki
Screenplay
Naoki Urasawa
Screenplay
Yusuke Watanabe
Screenplay
Morio Amagi
Producer
Ryûji Ichiyama
Producer
Nobuyuki Iinuma
Producer
Kiyoshi Inoue
Producer
Futoshi Ohira
Producer
Satoru Karasawa
Director of Photography
Nobuyuki Ito
Editor
Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Director
Naoki Soma
Production Design
Yuta Morokaji
Stunt Coordinator
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End.
My Collection
All the Films I have on Hard Drives
Japanese Movies I watched
Watchlist
MovieLens[20K:30K]
Fam Watchlist
A regarder en famille
Japanese Materials
Similar Titles to 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
6.8
7.7Anime
7.2
6.2
7.0
5.8
5.5
5.0Anime
6.8Anime
5.9
7.6Anime
8.2Anime
4.7
5.7
6.0
7.5
7.6
5.3
More Like 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End about?
In 1969, Kenji, an elementary school kid and his friends built a secret base during their summer holidays. They fantasized that they had to fight villains who were out to conquer the world and wrote them in the Book of Prophecies. Years later in 1997, Kenji becomes a convenience store manager and leads a regular life after giving up his dreams to become a rock star. His boring life is suddenly turned upside down when his old classmate dies mysteriously and an entire family in the neighbourhood disappears. At the same time, a religious cult and its mysterious leader, Friend emerges and a strange chain of events duplicating exactly the events described in the Book of Prophecies follow. Is this the beginning of the end of the world? Who is Friend?
Who directed 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End?
20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End was directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi.
Who stars in 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End?
The principal cast of 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End includes Toshiaki Karasawa, Takako Tokiwa, Teruyuki Kagawa, Hidehiko Ishizuka, Takashi Ukaji.
When was 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End released and how long is it?
20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End was released in 2008 with a total runtime of 2h 22m.
What was the box office and production budget of 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End?
20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End had a reported production budget of $20M and grossed $31.2M at the worldwide box office (1.56 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End?
The original motion picture soundtrack for 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End was composed by Ryomei Shirai, Audio Highs.
Is 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End based on a book or true story?
20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End is adapted from the following source material: Comic Book: "Naoki Urasawa".
What is the age rating and content advisory for 20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End?
20th Century Boys: Beginning of the End holds official age classifications: AU: MA 15+; DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.).