Chiikawa Film Smashes Box Office with ¥5 Billion in 14 Days
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
The first Chiikawa theatrical film, "Theatrical Version Chiikawa: The Secret of Mermaid Island," has become a massive box office hit in Japan, earning over 5 billion yen (approximately HK$248 million) within just 14 days of release . This performance surpasses the 14-day record of "Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time," which grossed 4.934 billion yen (HK$244 million) in 2021 . The film has attracted 3.5 million viewers during its opening fortnight and is now screening in Hong Kong in both Japanese and Cantonese versions .
Key Points
- The film adapts the popular "Siren Arc" storyline that generated significant social media buzz from March to November 2023 .
- Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi receive a mysterious invitation to travel to a secret island by boat .
- The trio initially enjoys a warm welcome and festivities on the island, including wearing grass skirts .
- The vacation takes a dark turn when island residents begin disappearing, transforming into a讨伐 mission .
- Hong Kong audiences can now watch the film in both original Japanese and dubbed Cantonese versions simultaneously .
Why It Matters
Chiikawa's extraordinary box office success demonstrates the growing commercial power of cute character franchises originating from social media and manga, challenging traditional anime blockbusters at the Japanese box office . The film's rapid earnings surpassing a landmark Evangelion release signals a potential shift in audience preferences toward more accessible, character-driven content in the anime film market .
Chiikawa's extraordinary box office success demonstrates the growing commercial power of cute character franchises originating from social media and manga, challenging traditional anime blockbusters at the Japanese box office . The film's rapid earnings surpassing a landmark Evangelion release signals a potential shift in audience preferences toward more accessible, character-driven content in the anime film market .