Chiikawa Film: ¥18.4 Billion Box Office and New Soundtrack Details

The anime theatrical film “Chiikawa: Ningyo no Shima no Himitsu” has surpassed the ¥18.4 billion mark in box office earnings in Japan. MANTANWEB also reports more than 12.65 million cinema admissions as of October 26, 2026. The film has been screening since July 24 and remains a major box office success about three months after its release.

Box Office Climbs Past ¥18 Billion

As of September 20, after 59 screening days, the film had earned around ¥15.84 billion and reached 10.857 million admissions. Later figures document the ongoing run: in early October it was already ¥17.2 billion and 11.78 million admissions. On October 26, MANTANWEB finally reports more than ¥18.4 billion and 12.65 million admissions.

According to earlier statements from Fuji Television and Anime!Anime!, the production was therefore among the highest-grossing Japanese cinema releases of 2026. The figures refer to the Japanese cinema market and not to an international release.

Composers Explain Soundtrack Details

Beyond the box office numbers, there are new insights into the film's music. As Anime!Anime! reported on October 30, composer Shugo Tokumaru explained on X a striking passage from the piece “Shimajiro Tojo.” The tuba is indeed used in such a way that it imitates the name “Shimajiro.” Many viewers had already described this impression after seeing the film in cinemas.

Co-composer Chikara Uemizutaru attributes the effect to the tradition of imitating speech with instruments. Tokumaru also explains that a rustling sound in “Ajito Sennyu” does not come from a shaker but from sandpaper. For the choir voices, the recording was modeled on artificial choir timbres from older keyboards.

For the ending song “Tsukue Sasuru,” manga creator Nagano wrote the lyrics, Tokumaru composed the music, and Haruka Aoki, the voice of Chiikawa, performed the vocals. Vocal coach Yasuyuki Uenome has also publicly described his work on the recording.

Film Based on the Siren Arc

The first “Chiikawa” theatrical film adapts the longer Siren arc from Nagano's manga. Kei Oikawa directs, Cypic produces the animation, and Toho handles the Japanese distribution. Further releases in the franchise are appearing in parallel: Manga volume 9 arrives in November with a special edition. Elsewhere, aninew.de reported on an investigation into cinema visitor bonuses and the free ABEMA broadcast of 362 episodes.

A German cinema or streaming date is still not known from the sources evaluated.