[Edaily Starin YUN GI BACK Reporter] There are no star actors or spectacular live-action sequences. Instead, small, cute characters have already won over 200,000 fans even before the film’s release. The Japanese animated film “Chiikawa: The Secret of the Mermaid Island” has topped the advance ticket sales charts, demonstrating the power of character intellectual property (IP).

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 29th, “ChiiKawa: The Secret of Mermaid Island” ranked first overall as of 11 a.m. that day, with 204,792 advance ticket buyers and a 40.9% advance ticket sales rate. It has surpassed Korean films such as “The Assassin(s)” and “Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub,” which heated up the box office during the Chuseok holiday, to become the top choice among audiences even before its release.
Set to open on the 30th, this film is a theatrical animated feature starring “Chiikawa,” a popular character created by Japanese artist Nagano. It tells the story of Chiikawa, Garuma, and a rabbit as they set off for a “special island.” The character has already built a dedicated fanbase in Korea under the name “Munjakgwi.”
What’s particularly striking is that the driving force behind its box office success is not a famous actor or director, but the characters themselves. ChiiKawa has expanded its reach beyond manga and animation to connect with fans through merchandise—such as plush toys, keychains, and stationery—as well as pop-up stores. In February of this year, the brand even opened its first permanent store in Korea at the I’Park Mall in Yongsan, Seoul. This marks an expansion of the fanbase’s demand, first evident during short-term pop-up events, into a permanent retail space.
The power of the character has already been proven in Japanese theaters. “Chiikawa: The Secret of the Mermaid Island,” which premiered in Japan last July, surpassed 10 million cumulative viewers in just 52 days, with box office revenue exceeding 14.6 billion yen (approximately 126 billion won). This is a prime example of how character fandom extends beyond merchandise consumption to include movie theater attendance.
A similar trend is emerging in South Korea as well. Ahead of the film’s release, events targeting fans—such as on-stage greetings and character meet-and-greets—have been organized, and related ticket promotions and merchandise are also appearing one after another. It appears that the experience of “meeting and collecting favorite characters in person” is being packaged as a single form of consumption, going beyond simply watching the movie.
This signifies the emergence of a new way to attract audiences to theaters. Whereas a film’s box office success used to depend heavily on star actors, directors, and genre, character IPs that have already secured a fanbase are now establishing themselves as another key asset for drawing audiences to theaters.
A film industry insider noted, “It’s striking to see that character fandom is expanding beyond merchandise and pop-up stores to include movie theater attendance,” adding, “If ‘Chiikawa’ translates its pre-sale fervor into actual box office success, we’re likely to see even more theatrical content based on character intellectual property (IP).”