Chiikawa is small in stature but huge at the box office

Chiikawa may look cute and cuddly, but the character is proving to be a box-office beast.

The official X account for “Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island” announced on Sunday that the animated feature film surpassed the ¥10 billion (around $63 million) mark at the Japanese box office, just 30 days after its July 24 release.

Based on mononymous artist Nagano’s hit “Chiikawa” franchise, which started as a web series on Twitter in 2020, the film has drawn 7.66 million moviegoers through Aug. 23, making it one of the summer’s biggest theatrical successes.

The film opened at 447 theaters nationwide, including 65 IMAX screens, and made a splash by earning ¥990 million on its opening day, marking the seventh-biggest first-day gross in Japan’s box-office history. Over its first three days, the movie reached ¥2.24 billion.

Directed by Kei Oikawa, the movie follows Chiikawa, an adorable, seemingly genderless mouse-like character, and its friends Hachiware and Usagi as they travel to a mysterious island after receiving an invitation to a special camp. Their adventure turns into an odyssey of sorts when they encounter a vengeful sea monster named Siren and her mermaid companions.

The film’s impressive box-office performance has prompted an expansion of its theatrical experience. Starting Sept. 5, “Mermaid Island” will receive a nationwide release in the “4DX” format, with moviegoers treated to shaking seats, gusts of air and sprays of water synced to the intrepid trio’s journey. 

On Sept. 11, interactive screenings will also take place simultaneously at seven theaters across five prefectures. At these events, audiences are encouraged to be vocal and cheer on the characters as well as join in with Siren’s songs — a departure from Japan’s usually strict movie theater etiquette.

On Sept. 23, the same seven theaters will hold screenings featuring glow sticks whose colors change in sync with characters’ appearances and actions on screen.

With 4DX, singalong screenings and glow-stick spectacles still to come, it’s clear Chiikawa’s appeal extends far beyond its social media origins. The character’s animated world is becoming an increasingly immersive affair — and, judging by its box-office haul so far, audiences seem more than happy to dive in.