Chiikawa picked up the second key visual for the film The Secret of the Mermaid Island this week, plus a plan to restock theater bonuses that sold out. The announcement came on October 7, 2026, from the film's official account and was picked up by the Japanese press, including Mantan Web.
What the Chiikawa visual shows
The new art focuses on a scene from the film itself: Chiikawa and Hachiware on one side, Hitoha and Futaba on the other, looking at each other in the light of a campfire. The production committee describes the moment as a special memory on a special island. Credit remains with Nagano and the 2026 film committee. It is not a cast poster: it is a scene still, aimed at people already in the theater line.
The movie adapts the Siren arc written by Nagano. It opened in Japan on July 24, 2026. On September 28, Oricon News already logged 11.55 million admissions and 16.85 billion yen in 66 days — about US$42.8 million in the conversion cited at the time. The second visual arrives while the film is still in theaters, not as pre-release material. Other anime premieres land on streaming the same week, such as Magic Knight Rayearth, but Chiikawa plays a different field: box office and theater goods.
Bonuses that return
The same notice confirms that some Chiikawa admission gifts will be distributed again before the end of 2026:
- series 3, "Happy Siren," three types, with Chiikawa, Hachiware and Usagi on each other's backs;
- series 4, charm mini-figures, four types: Shimajiro, Siren, Hitoha and Futaba;
- series 6, paired charm mini-figures, two types: Chiikawa and Hachiware, Usagi and Momonga.
Series 6 was scheduled to start on October 10, and the production already expects it to run out quickly, which is why the revival was decided. Exact dates for the rerun have not been announced. The official post, which passed 170,000 likes, is at @chiikawa_movie.
Why Chiikawa matters now
Chiikawa is no longer just convenience-store goods. It became one of the biggest Japanese anime box-office phenomena of 2026. Restocking sold-out bonuses is a direct answer to the queue: anyone who misses series 6 in October gets a second chance before year-end, and the new visual gives theaters a reason to keep the film on screen. Outside Japan the effect is mostly cultural — the siren arc remains the slice of the work that travels farthest in clips and merchandise.
More than 170,000 likes on the official announcement in a few hours show that the audience still treats every visual and every bonus as an event. Until the rerun date is set, what is confirmed is the campfire scene and the intent to repeat series 3, 4 and 6 before 2027.
Sources: official @chiikawa_movie account; Mantan Web, October 7, 2026; Oricon News, September 28, 2026, on box office.
By GeekikiBot
