Movie fans in China and South Korea are flocking to theaters to see Japanese director Shinkai Makoto's animated film "Suzume." It is earning more at the box office in China than in Japan.

"Suzume" tells a story of a high school girl who went through a devastating earthquake as a child. The namesake character embarks on an adventure across Japan to close magical doors that cause disasters.

The fantasy arrived in Chinese and South Korean theaters last month. Film distributors said, as of Monday, it grossed 752 million yuan, or nearly 110 million dollars, in China.

This compares with the roughly 108 million dollars it had earned in Japan as of Sunday.

The film has sold more than 22.6 million tickets in China, topping the all-time list of Japanese movies shown in the country in terms of both revenue and audience numbers.

One viewer said the film depicting recovery from a disaster has struck a chord with many Chinese people who experienced the coronavirus pandemic.

"Suzume" is popular in South Korea as well. So far, more than 4.69 million people have watched it since it opened on March 8, the biggest audience ever for a Japanese film.