Chiikawa the Movie: Secret of Mermaid Island opens in Japanese cinemas

"Chiikawa the Movie: Secret of Mermaid Island" opened in Japanese cinemas on 25 July 2025. It was the first feature-length animated film based on Chiikawa, the franchise created by the Japanese artist Nagano.

Chiikawa began as a web comic on social media and grew into a manga, a television anime series and a large merchandise business. It follows small, round, soft-looking creatures, led by the title character Chiikawa, along with friends Hachiware and Usagi. Their cute world has darker edges, with monsters, hard work and danger, and that contrast is part of the appeal.

The film took the characters to a new setting, a mysterious island linked to a mermaid legend. It drew large audiences in Japan, including families and adult fans, and became a box-office hit for an anime of its type.

The release mattered because it showed that Chiikawa's popularity extended beyond books, television and character goods. Its success in Japan paved the way for later releases abroad, including in South Korea, where the film's run is now being followed at the box office.