[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] The popularity of the Japanese character “Chiikawa” has spread to the big screen. The movie “Chiikawa: The Secret of the Mermaid Island” has surpassed 1.8 million cumulative viewers just three weeks after its release and continues to rank high at the box office, while theater merchandise featuring the character has sold out, further fueling its popularity.

According to the Korean Film Council’s integrated computer network on the 20th, “Chiikawa: The Secret of Mermaid Island” (Chiikawa), which opened on the 30th of last month, had surpassed 1.82 million cumulative viewers as of that day. “Chiikawa” has drawn attention for attracting audiences in a way that differs from Hollywood animations or major franchises that have built recognition over a long period.

At the heart of its box office success lies its “fandom.” Based on the manga “Mungakwi” (Something Small and Cute) by Japanese author Nagano, “Chiikawa” has gained popularity for its cute visuals, but the story also delves into realistic concerns such as work, livelihood, and anxiety. Rather than simply consuming cute characters, women in their teens, 20s, and 30s—who empathize with the characters’ struggles—have established themselves as the core fanbase.

This fanbase is now translating into actual theater attendance following the film’s release. As of 2:00 p.m. on the 20th, CGV’s gender breakdown for “Chiikawa” ticket sales shows 69% female, while the age distribution indicates that those in their 20s account for 42% of bookings.

Furthermore, while previous hit animated films often relied on family viewings with children or the name recognition of major franchises, with “Chiikawa,” the fans’ affection for the characters themselves serves as the primary motivation to watch the film. The fandom built through merchandise and pop-up stores is now moving to theaters, and posts sharing theater visits along with online word-of-mouth are further fueling interest in the film.

The fervor of the fandom is also evident in merchandise sales at theaters. The three types of ChiiKawa character popcorn buckets that CGV unveiled to coincide with the film’s release sold out during both the first and second rounds of in-person sales at designated theaters, despite each costing 29,000 won.

As instances of resales at marked-up prices began to appear in the secondhand market, CGV launched an online pre-order sale, but even those sold out quickly. This suggests that the characters themselves have become collectible items—beyond simply being products needed for watching the movie.

The movie industry is also making continuous efforts to convert fandom into ticket sales. This involves expanding the movie-going experience into a full-fledged fandom event through activities such as on-stage greetings and the sale of limited-edition merchandise, while using characters as promotional content to encourage voluntary audience participation.

The popularity of “Chiikawa” demonstrates that the film industry must look beyond simply increasing audience numbers and instead consider how to convert the interest and spending of existing fan communities into actual movie-going.

A film industry insider analyzed, “Since fans don’t just consume the work but also attract additional viewers, fan participation is becoming a marketing asset that underpins box office success.”

They added, “However, a character’s popularity does not automatically guarantee box office success for every film,” noting that “strategies must work in tandem—not only the size of the fanbase but also loyalty to the original work, content unique to the theatrical release, and the integration of merchandise with the theater-going experience.”