Introduction: The Film’s Cultural Wave in Japan
On 24 July 2026, the much-anticipated first Chiikawa animated film, Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island, was released in cinemas across Japan. Over the last few months, I’ve found it’s been extremely hard to go about my daily life without seeing or hearing about Chiikawa in Japan.
Chiikawa-themed products can be found not only in official stores but also in regular supermarkets and convenience stores, and there is always at least one Chiikawa-themed campaign happening at any given moment. Today, I saw even the Japanese airline ANA has teamed up with Chiikawa for a special domestic jet collaboration called “CHiiKAWA X ANA”. For fans, Chiikawa making its way to the big screen must have felt like a long-awaited gift and for everyone else, it probably felt like a natural progression.
Chiikawa has also done incredibly well in cinemas. In just three days, the first Chiikawa movie generated 2.2 billion yen at the box office, and as of 27th September, the number has reached 16.8 billion yen. The Chiikawa movie was presumably targeted at young audiences as the release was scheduled right at the start of the school summer break. Did children enjoy it? Most definitely. One question for this Chiikawa movie review would be: is it a children’s movie? I would say probably not, and adult fans filled social media with their thoughts and comments, with many of them saying they have already seen it multiple times.
What Is Chiikawa?
Chiikawa started as a web manga series on illustrator Nagano’s Twitter (now X) account back in 2020. Chiikawa is supposedly the name of the manga’s main character. It’s short for nanka-chiisakute-kawaii-yatsu. Here you might recognise the word kawaii and if you know Japanese, you’d be right to guess that the phrase means “one that is kind of small and cute.” Why would a character have a name that says they are cute? That’s one of the unknowns of this manga series.
Meet the Chiikawa characters: Hachiware and Usagi
In fact, the two other main characters are named Hachiware (pronounced Hachi-wah-reh), which is a “type” of cat (often a bi-colour one with an inverted V shape on the forehead), and Usagi (the Japanese word for “rabbit”). This is equivalent to calling someone “Hey human”! Hachiware is often introduced and described as “Chiikawa’s favourite friend,” but as these characters don’t “talk” to each other, we don’t know if such labelling is ever appropriate in their world. In the same way, even if we look at the official site, we don’t know if Hachiware is really a cat or Usagi is really a rabbit!
Chiikawa does not make more than two-syllable sounds in a language that we understand, so one can argue that this manga series for the most part does not rely on human language. Out of the three, Hachiware is the only one who talks like we do, but communication never seems to be an issue as Hachiware perfectly understands Chiikawa and Usagi’s languages, which to our ears sound more like onomatopoeia.
What makes Chiikawa more than little and cute is the very world they live in. They have to work to make a living like humans do, and their life is not always all too peaceful. Hunting is part of their work, and failing to defeat their enemy can often be fatal.
@chiikawa.international
Plot and Adaptation: Bringing Manga Volume 8’s Siren Episode to Life
The Chiikawa movie is adapted from a long episode in volume 8 of the manga series known as the Siren episode, and the script is written by the very author Nagano herself. While movie adaptations of manga tend to take their own route, often as products (and let’s admit it, this sometimes happens with marketing), the Chiikawa movie was promised to be as authentic as it could possibly be, with Nagano involved in every crucial part of the production.
Not only did she write the script herself, but she also wrote the lyrics of the two songs featured in the film and many fans were pleasantly surprised to see that no characters were voiced by “guest” celebrities with little or no experience in voice acting. That is all to say the expectations were high, and the fans were not betrayed.
The story takes place on the mermaid island where Chiikawa and others are invited to take part in what is described as a simple hunt with a promise of high compensation. They are warmly welcomed by the inhabitants but it doesn’t take long for them to realise that the simple hunt could very much cost their life; their target, Siren, is seeking revenge on the inhabitants, as one of Siren’s three close companion mermaids was killed and eaten.
Spoiler alert: The rest of the story revolves around the legend that eating a mermaid grants eternal life, but there is a twistーSiren knows that one who has eaten a mermaid gets the “thing” on their body.
The Cinema Experience and Audience Reactions
I went to see the movie in mid-August. Despite all the hype and excitement I’d seen online, my experience at the cinema was a rather quiet one. The first half of the Chiikawa movie was full of sounds and music, but there was a good 15 minutes of stunned silence towards the end when a major secret was revealed. I did not hear a single sound in the audience. When the movie ended, people were either whispering to each other or not talking at all as they walked out of the movie theater.
Themes and Tone: Why the Chiikawa Movie is Darker Than You Think
Since I had read the manga before, I knew the story and how it would end. What made the cinema experience different for me was definitely the audio that was added to the text and images I’d seen on paper. Combined with the characters in motion, it highlighted both the bright and dark sides of the story, as everything suddenly felt real.
The movie touches on life and death, and Chiikawa in the end makes a decision that some might consider questionable. It’s a secret Chiikawa decides to keep to themself, yet the movie gently suggests that the secret can be let go of and left where it belongs, as Chiikawa ends up losing something pretty important on the way home. Overall, the Chiikawa movie has a dark theme, but it’s not explicitly stated and it’s very much up to the viewer to decide what they make of the story.
Chiikawa the Movie Review Verdict: Does It Live Up to the Hype?
Yes, and it’s because the movie was faithful to the original manga from start to finish.
As with so many other animated films, the Chiikawa movie has attracted children and adults alike. What sets it apart from other manga or anime series is perhaps that it doesn’t rely on language. The main character Chiikawa does not talk, yet many people identify with Chiikawa and other characters for their actions and vocal expressions, as author Nagano shares the lives of these little but surprisingly human-like characters.
Whatever we’re going through in our life, Chiikawa is just there, living their life in their own world, just like every one of us, hoping that life continues with as many peaceful and happy moments as it can possibly hold.
Chiikawa Goods and Products
If you’re interested in Chiikawa character goods, the market for Chiikawa merchandise is massive, ranging from plushies, movie-themed collectibles (like the Secret of the Mermaid Island wind-up figures and character mascots), blind-box items, and acrylic badges to stationery and themed homeware.
You can buy them in Japan and internationally from the official online store or should you prefer to get them from a physical shop in Japan, some of them are available at convenience stores and supermarkets as well as Chiikawa Land, Kiddy Land, and Don Quijote.
- Where to buy online (International & Japan):
- Chiikawa Market (Official Online Store): The primary digital storefront (https://chiikawamarket.jp/en) features an integrated global shipping service (Global-e) that handles foreign currencies, local payment methods, and calculates import duties and taxes directly at checkout.
- Where to buy in-person in Japan:
- Chiikawa Land: Dedicated official brick-and-mortar stores located in major hubs like Tokyo Skytree Town (Solamachi) and Tokyo Station’s Character Street.
- Kiddy Land & Don Quijote: Major multi-level retailers across popular districts like Harajuku and Shibuya that stock a wide variety of official character goods.
Chiikawa and Sanrio
What is the connection between Chiikawa and Sanrio? While many fans occasionally wonder if Chiikawa is a Sanrio property, especially given its massive popularity and cute aesthetic, Chiikawa is actually an independent creation by illustrator Nagano and published via Kodansha. When it comes to Chiikawa character goods, while Gray Parka Service plays a central role in producing Chiikawa merchandise, there are also quite a few licensees making collaboration products.
So, the connection between the two is very real through official crossover events. Sanrio and Chiikawa have teamed up for major official collaboration lines (such as the viral “costume swap” collection) where characters like Chiikawa dress up as Hello Kitty, Hachiware pairs with Cinnamoroll, and Usagi sports a Pompompurin hood. These high-profile partnerships often blur the lines for casual fans, cementing Chiikawa as an equal cultural peer to Sanrio’s legendary roster.
FAQ: Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island
Q1: Has the Chiikawa movie been released globally?
A: It has been released in a number of countries in Asia. In Taiwan, the original Japanese version was released on July 31, followed by the release of the Chinese dubbed version on August 7. In Hong Kong and Macao, it was released on August 6. In Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, it was released on August 20.
Q2: How long is the Chiikawa movie?
A: It’s 99 minutes.
Q3: Where can you see the Chiikawa movie outside of Japan?
A: While Asian markets rolled out theatrical releases following its Japanese premiere, an official release date for Western cinemas or global streaming platforms has not yet been announced. For now, international fans can watch different teasers, including the official trailer, on the official Chiikawa movie website (in Japanese), or check out several English dubbed manga episodes along with its trailer in English on the official Chiikawa YouTube channel. (Although please note the theme song is not dubbed in English and remains in Japanese language.)
Q4: Is there an after-credits scene in the Chiikawa movie?
A: Yes, there is more to come! While we don’t want to give too much away, the scene shows Hitoha and Futaba (who are two new characters introduced in the movie) landing on a remote island trying to start fresh.
Q5: Where does the Chiikawa movie pick up in the manga?
A: It adapts the Siren Arc (also known as the Island Arc) found in Volume 8 of the Chiikawa manga series. In fact, Volume 8 is entirely dedicated to this long episode, while regular episodes are usually a page long. We would recommend that anyone who hasn’t read the manga should at least familiarise themselves with the three main characters, but the movie can be enjoyed without any prior knowledge of Chiikawa as it’s very much a standalone episode.
All information is accurate as of the date of publishing the article, but we would recommend checking the official Chiikawa movie website (in Japanese) and other relevant websites for the latest information.
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