The Chiikawa movie is still on top in Japan. Eiga Chiikawa: Ningyo no Shima no Himitsu (Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island) held the No. 1 spot in its ninth weekend, selling 643,000 tickets and earning 999 million yen — roughly US$6.31 million — from Friday to Sunday.
As of September 23, the end of Japan’s “Silver Week” run of holidays, the film has sold 11.33 million tickets for 16.5 billion yen, about US$104.3 million. It is currently the biggest film in Japan this year and now ranks 15th on Japan’s all-time box office list.
The other major anime release of the weekend was smaller but still significant: Eiga Meitantei Precure! Fushigi na Niwa to Futari no Himitsu (Star Detective Precure! The Movie: The Mysterious Garden and the Secret of 2 People) opened at No. 3.
How the Chiikawa film got here
Ninth weekends at No. 1 are rare, and the numbers behind this run explain why it has lasted. The film opened on July 24 and took the top spot in its opening weekend. Its opening day alone brought in 990 million yen (about US$6.05 million), and the first three days produced 1,508,500 tickets and 2,240,333,500 yen (about US$13.70 million).
Distributor TOHO and the production have kept the theatrical run active with event screenings rather than letting it fade. 4DX screenings began on September 5. One-day-only cheering screenings followed on September 11, and penlight screenings took place on September 23 — the same day the cumulative figures were reported.
The film adapts the manga arc Nagano posted on X from March to November 2023, known to readers as the “Siren Arc” or “Island Arc.” Nagano is credited for the original story and also wrote the film’s script. Kei Oikawa directed at Cygames Pictures under Nagano’s supervision, with QTORY inc. managing production and TOHO distributing.
The Precure film’s opening
Star Detective Precure! The Movie is the film for the 23rd main anime entry in the Precure franchise. It sold 358,000 tickets and earned 446 million yen (about US$2.82 million) in its first three days. In its first six days through September 23, it reached 606,000 tickets and 746 million yen (about US$4.71 million).
The film’s original characters are voiced by Akari Kitō as Karin, a 14-year-old who holds the key to the story; Nobunaga Shimazaki as Alan, a fairy who watches over Karin; and Kōki Uchiyama as Rain, a fairy who asks the Detective Precures for help.
Hanako Ueda directed. Yoshimi Narita wrote the script, Erika Fukasawa and Misaki Umase composed the music, and Emiko Miyamoto designed the characters.
Why it matters
Two anime films in the top three in the same weekend, in a market where the year’s biggest release is also an anime title, is a strong snapshot of where Japanese box office currently sits. The Chiikawa film’s 16.5 billion yen makes it the domestic phenomenon of 2026, and its ranking at 15th all-time puts it in company that few television-derived franchises ever reach.
The Precure number is more routine by comparison, but a No. 3 opening is still a solid result for a franchise that releases a film roughly every year. The gap between the two films — one a cultural event, the other a dependable annual performer — is a useful reminder that “anime film” covers a very wide range of commercial outcomes.
We have followed this story from the other side as well: the Chiikawa anime’s decision to pause new episodes and rerun 25 fan favourites until December is a separate piece of franchise news that landed days earlier. For a wider view of what is airing, see our Fall 2026 anime ranking.
Source: Anime News Network
Featured image: Promotional visual for the Star Detective Precure! film, via Anime News Network.
