[Edaily Reporter Nam Soyeon ] Daiso’s 2,000-won piggy banks are causing a sell-out frenzy. This is because they are being used as materials to create the shooting star character from the Japanese anime “Chiikawa,” which has also gained immense popularity in Korea. Recently, tutorials on how to make the Chiikawa shooting star using Daiso piggy banks have gone viral on social media, leading to such a surge in demand that the product is hard to find in some stores.
According to the retail industry on the 6th, Daiso’s “star-shaped piggy bank” has recently gained popularity among ChiiKawa fans, leading to sell-outs at some stores. That afternoon, the product was also confirmed to be temporarily out of stock on the Daiso Mall website.
The secret to its popularity lies in the piggy bank’s design.
With its yellow star shape and gentle-looking eyes and mouth, the product bears a striking resemblance to the shooting star character that appears in “Chiikawa.”
Fans who noticed this resemblance began customizing the piggy banks as character merchandise, and videos titled “How to Make a ChiiKawa Shooting Star” are being widely shared on social media.
In fact, a video showing how to make a ChiiKawa shooting star, posted on an Instagram account late last month, garnered significant attention, racking up 2.9 million views.
The process is simple.
Simply use a marker or correction pen to alter the existing face on the piggy bank, transforming it into the shooting star character’s distinctive expression.
The craze is spreading because people can create their own character merchandise using just an inexpensive piggy bank and a few writing tools—no complicated equipment required.
Furthermore, various creative uses are emerging, such as placing the finished piggy bank next to a Chiikawa doll as a decoration or adding a light inside to use it as a mood lamp.
On platforms like Daiso Mall, posts are appearing one after another—not just product reviews, but also tutorials showing how to customize items in one’s own style and showcases of finished creations.
One netizen expressed satisfaction, saying, “It was sold out online and hard to find in stores, but I happened to have business in another neighborhood, so I stopped by a nearby Daiso and picked up three right away,” adding, “It took about 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours, but considering it’s a collectible item, it’s really affordable.”
Another netizen also shared, “It was temporarily out of stock at stores nationwide, so it was hard to find, but thanks to my company being located on the outskirts, I was finally able to reserve and purchase one,” adding, “The instructions are simpler than I expected, and it’s so cute.”
Meanwhile, the “Chiikawa craze” is spreading across the film and merchandise markets.
The animated film “Chiikawa: The Secret of the Mermaid Island,” which opened in South Korea on September 30, had surpassed 2.64 million cumulative viewers as of the 6th, and the number of consumers seeking related merchandise has surged.
There were even lines of people waiting overnight to purchase limited-edition merchandise.
On the 7th of last month, fans flocked to the “Chiikawa Shop” at I’Park Mall in Yongsan, Seoul, starting at midnight to purchase limited-edition new items, and it was reported that the number of people waiting in line exceeded 1,200 that day. Some popular items were even traded on the secondhand market for 2 to 4 times their list price.
Interest surged online as well.
According to the fashion and resale platform KREAM, search volume for “Chiikawa” from the 1st to the 14th of last month increased by 1,304% compared to the same period the previous month.
As Chiikawa’s popularity continues to spread, fans are going beyond simply purchasing official merchandise and are even engaging in “DIY fandom,” creating their own merchandise using inexpensive household items.
