Eiga Chiikawa: Ningyo no Shima no Himitsu (Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island), the first anime film adaptation of Nagano’s Chiikawa manga, held on to the #1 spot in Japan’s box office for an eighth consecutive weekend. The film sold 271,000 tickets and earned 427,295,700 yen (about US$2.75 million) over the Friday-to-Sunday period.

Cumulatively, the film has now sold 10.09 million tickets and earned a total of 14,666,866,500 yen (about US$94.61 million), surpassing Detective Conan: Highway no Datenshi‘s 13.7 billion yen to become the highest-grossing film in Japan this year. It also ranks 23rd on Japan’s all-time box office chart.

Release Milestones and Special Screenings

The film opened on July 24, earning 990 million yen (about US$6.05 million) on its opening day. Its first three days brought in 1,508,500 tickets sold and 2,240,333,500 yen (about US$13.70 million). 4DX screenings launched on September 5, one-day cheering screenings were held on September 11, and Penlight screenings are scheduled for September 23.

Story and Source Material

The film is based on the manga arc Nagano posted on X (formerly Twitter) between March and November 2023, commonly known among fans as the “Siren Arc” or “Island Arc.” The story begins with Chiikawa and Hachiware relaxing when a rabbit suddenly appears with a flyer stuck to its face. The flyer turns out to be an invitation to a mysterious special island, promising easy hunts, great rewards, and tempting limited-edition food such as island ramen and sweets. Chiikawa and friends decide to go, joined by a suspicious Rakko. What awaits them on the island?

Staff

• Original story and screenplay: Nagano
• Director: Kei Oikawa (Uma Musume Pretty Derby seasons 1–3, Hinamatsuri, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU TOO!, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU Climax), under Nagano’s supervision
• Animation studio: Cygames Pictures
• Production management: QTORY inc.
• Distributor: TOHO

Other Notable Box-Office Entries

Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie: Walpurgisnacht: Rising — #4

Gekijōban Mahō Shōjo Madoka Magica: Walpurgis no Kaiten, the official sequel to Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 3: Rebellion, slipped from #3 to #4 in its third weekend. It earned 169,476,760 yen (about US$1.09 million) over the weekend and has accumulated 1,838,112,960 yen (about US$11.85 million) in total. The film opened alongside IMAX screenings on August 28, selling 535,000 tickets and earning 939,647,100 yen (about US$5.95 million) in its first three days.

• Director: Yukihiro Miyamoto (Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Magia Record, Arakawa Under the Bridge)
• New cast: Shion Wakayama as Shichōka; Tomoyo Kurosawa as Selma Therese
• Returning staff: Original creators Magica Quartet, chief director Akiyuki Simbo, scriptwriter Gen Urobuchi (Nitroplus), original character designer Ume Aoki, animation character designer Junichirō Taniguchi, composer Yuki Kajiura, alternate space designer Gekidan Inu Curry, and studio SHAFT
• Theme song: “Kanata” performed by FictionJunction (Yuki Kajiura’s solo project)

Look Back (Live-Action) — Opens at #5

The live-action adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s one-shot manga Look Back debuted at #5, earning 144,146,120 yen (about US$929,800) in its first three days.

• Cast: Aju Makita (Child of Kamiari Month, Happiness) as Kyōmoto; Natsuki Deguchi (I Have a S/e/c/r/e/t/, Blue Spring Ride) as Fujino
• Director/Screenplay/Editor: Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters, Our Little Sister, Air Doll)
• Music: Yūta Bandō (also known as Taku Matsushiba; BELLE, Kaiju No. 8)
• Special contributors: Kenshi Yonezu performs guitar (credited as “Shark Kick Guitar”); Tōko Miura performs vocals for an insert song; Yōko Kuno directed a rotoscoped animation sequence based on their performance, produced by Shinei Animation

Sound! Euphonium, The Final Movie Part 2 — Opens at #7

Saishū Gakushō Hibike! Euphonium Kōhen, the second and concluding part of the Sound! Euphonium, The Final Movie project, opened at #7 with 147,719,540 yen (about US$952,900) in its first three days. The first part opened on April 24.

• Director: Taichi Ogawa; Chief Director: Tatsuya Ishihara
• Script: Jukki Hanada
• Character designers: Shoko Ikeda and Kazumi Ikeda (Kazumi Ikeda also serves as chief animation director)
• Music: Akito Matsuda at Lantis and Heart Company, with cooperation from Senzoku Gakuen College of Music

Films Leaving the Top 10

Eiga Crayon Shin-chan: Kikikaikai! Ora no Yōkai Bake-shon (the 33rd 2D Crayon Shin-chan film) dropped out of the top 10 in its seventh weekend. Kingdom: Tamashii no Kessen, the fifth live-action Kingdom film, fell off the chart in its ninth weekend. Sekiro: No Defeat, the new anime based on FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, exited in just its second weekend.