Thousands of fans, some dressed as wizards in long gowns with pointy hats, lined up in Tokyo to catch the sixth in the blockbuster Harry Potter film series yesterday, kicking off a string of such events around the world.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the latest movie about the boy wizard and his friends and enemies at Hogwarts school promises both action and budding romance, along with the expected death of a major character.

The film opens at movie theatres in Japan and around the world on July 15, two years after the previous movie in the series.

"I was very disappointed when the release was postponed last year," said Yuta Endo, a 19-year-old university student, who watched the fifth installment five times.

In the sixth installment, directed by British director David Yates, Harry prepares himself for a final battle against the evil lord Voldemort, whose ambition is to take over the world, under the watchful eyes of Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore.

Romantic tensions also mount as Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) falls in love with Ginny, and Ron (Rupert Grint) catches the attention of Lavender Brown, triggering Hermione's (Emma Watson) jealousy.

The five movies released so far have grossed $4.5 billion in ticket sales around the world.

But there are signs the magic may be wearing off in Japan. Box office revenue has totaled more than $751 million, with the first installment scoring the third biggest box office hit in Japanese movie history. The series' popularity has since waned, with the fifth movie earning less than half the revenues of the first.

"Some of my friends stopped reading the books after the fourth or fifth installment," said Minori Wada, a 16-year-old student. "But I will be a fan forever."

How many other Japanese are still under the spell of the wizard remains to be seen.

(China Daily/Reuters July 7, 2009)