The first theatrical anime film for Chiikawa, "Chiikawa: Secret of Mermaid Island," hit the big screen on July 24, 2026. To celebrate, Japan's 7-ELEVEN launched a special collaboration, offering limited-edition food items inspired by dishes from the movie, including the now-infamous "Stewed Redfish" (赤魚の煮付け), which quickly became a hot topic.
But recently, a peculiar display at a Japanese 7-ELEVEN store sparked a massive debate on social media platform X. Fans who had just seen the movie immediately caught on to the subtle "movie gag" hidden in the product arrangement, with many exclaiming, "Isn't this just a straight-up spoiler?!"
※Warning: The following content contains spoilers for "Chiikawa: Secret of Mermaid Island." Reader discretion is advised.
The whole saga began when professional Japanese Mahjong player Shinnosuke Ezaki shared a photo. It showed a 7-ELEVEN store displaying the collaborative "Stewed Redfish" right next to dry cell batteries in the refrigerated section, complete with a promotional sign that read, "Buy together for a better deal" (まとめ買いがお得).
Ezaki's caption simply read: "7-ELEVEN, I really don't know what you're trying to say."
However, anyone who had just seen "Chiikawa: Secret of Mermaid Island" instantly understood the reference to a key plot point in the movie. Comments flooded in, with fans exclaiming, "Isn't this a Chiikawa movie gag?!" "They're practically spoiling the whole thing!" and "Who sells these two items together?!"
Shinnosuke Ezaki later posted again, mentioning how he couldn't get the "heavy 'thud!' sound that absolutely doesn't sound like it's made when gutting a fish" out of his head since watching the movie. This sentiment resonated deeply with fans.
Many netizens chimed in with comments like, "What is 7-ELEVEN even saying?! (in a Chiikawa voice)" "Do these store clerks have no heart?!" and "'Buy together for a better deal'... Ugh, shut up! (lol)."
Some even joked that instead of generic dry cell batteries, they should have displayed Panasonic's collaboration batteries to make the movie gag even more accurate.
Beyond the movie gag, many netizens also pointed out another crucial detail: the dry cell batteries in the photo were being sold in the refrigerated section!
Many warned, "Putting them in the fridge can cause condensation due to temperature differences," "Low temperatures might increase the risk of battery leakage, so this isn't recommended for storage," and "While we get the joke, it's a bit inappropriate to put products in the fridge just for a laugh." Some netizens suggested that if the goal was just promotional pairing, the batteries should have been placed next to the checkout counter with an advertisement, rather than actually in the refrigerated display.
This collaboration's "Stewed Redfish" alone was enough to tug at fans' heartstrings. But now, with convenience store clerks pulling stunts like pairing it with batteries... it seems this whole situation is just too much to handle, LOL!