Illustrator NAGANO's beloved creation, "Chiikawa," made its big-screen debut with its first-ever theatrical anime film, "Chiikawa: Secret of Mermaid Island," on July 24, 2026. Fans in Taiwan even got early preview screenings to catch the hype.
On July 27, official figures dropped, revealing that the film absolutely crushed it, raking in over ¥2.2 billion (that's over 1.5 million admissions!) in just three days. The hype and popularity? Still unstoppable.
By July 26, the film had already amassed a staggering ¥2,240,333,500 in box office revenue with 1,508,538 admissions in its opening three days. And get this: opening day alone pulled in an insane ¥990 million! For its first-ever theatrical outing, "Chiikawa" is off to an absolutely phenomenal start, with social media buzzing with rave reviews.
Many netizens who'd never even touched the manga or TV anime were reportedly drawn into theaters, thanks to the film's massive exposure and the ubiquitous merchandise. It's clear this movie's impact is no joke.
Here's a fun twist: many Japanese viewers went into "Chiikawa: Secret of Mermaid Island" without knowing much about the plot, expecting a "heartwarming story with cute characters." Turns out, it's... not quite that! Many users on X (formerly Twitter) have been sharing their surprise at the unexpected tonal shift, calling the contrast "quite astonishing" and adding a "QQ" (crying face emoji) for good measure.
With this kind of momentum and buzz, "Chiikawa: Secret of Mermaid Island" is definitely on track to hit the ¥10 billion box office milestone. All eyes are on whether it can keep this incredible pace!
Note: Financial figures and earnings forecasts should be confirmed through the company’s official announcements.