The animated feature film 'Chiikawa: The Secret of the Mermaid Island' has surpassed 1 million cumulative viewers in South Korea within 10 days of its release.
Daewon Media announced on October 9 that cumulative admissions for the Chiikawa movie in South Korea had surpassed 1 million. After opening on September 30, the film exceeded 600,000 cumulative viewers in five days and reached 818,352 viewers by its eighth day. By comparison, 'Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc,' which opened on September 24, 2025, reached 1 million admissions on its 12th day, meaning this release reached the milestone two days faster.
In Japan, where the film began screening on July 24, its cumulative box office gross reached 17.2 billion yen with 11.78 million viewers as of October 6.
Audience ratings in South Korea are also strong. As of October 9, the film scored 9.1 on Naver and Megabox, 9.3 at Lotte Cinema, and recorded a CGV Golden Egg Index of 94%.
An animated feature based on 'Something Small and Cute' (Chiikawa), which enjoys immense popularity globally, Chiikawa: The Secret of the Mermaid Island follows Chiikawa and friends after they are invited to a special island and embark on a monster-hunting expedition. Original creator Nagano personally wrote the screenplay, with Kei Oikawa directing. Daewon Media handled Korean importation, while CJ ENM managed distribution. The film has a running time of 99 minutes and is rated G.
Meanwhile, alongside the film's release, Daewon Media is conducting business ventures utilizing 'Something Small and Cute,' the official localized brand name in South Korea. Collaborations include Olive Young's Delight Project, the LG Twins, and Wacky Willy, featuring collaborative merchandise across F&B, apparel, beauty, and sports sectors.
