• Source: Chiikawa

Chiikawa (ちいかわ), also known as Nanka Chiisakute Kawaii Yatsu (なんか小さくてかわいいやつ, "Something Small and Cute"), is a Japanese manga series by Nagano. The main contents of the work are the daily lives and interactions of the cuties. It has been serialized online via Twitter since January 2020 and has been collected in six tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. An anime television series adaptation by Doga Kobo premiered in April 2022.




Characters


Chiikawa (ちいかわ)
A little critter who lives in a big house. Very small, cute and easily moved to tears, shy and scared of every monster they meet. However, they always try to be stronger, and be a good friend who helps their friends when they're in trouble. Recently, they are studying to obtain a 5th degree weeding certification (having already failed 2-3 times). They don't speak any human language, but rather use their own language. Chiikawa always says "Yada" and "Iyada," both of which are a childish way of saying "no" in Japanese.

Voiced by: Haruka Aoki
Hachiware (ハチワレ)
Hachiware looks like a cat but is not one. Personality: a chatty person who likes to talk and sing, they can talk and communicate to others (unlike Chiikawa and Usagi). They are kind-hearted and willing to help their friends. They are sometimes innocent or unaware in dangerous situations. They like to eat chocolate and onions.

Voiced by: Makoto Tanaka (not to be confused with the footballer)
Usagi (うさぎ)
Usagi (lit. rabbit) looks like a rabbit but is not one. Their language is the same as Chiikawa's, and they tend to shout rather than speak quietly. They are intelligent, positive, and have obtained a level 3 weeding certification.

Voiced by: Ari Ozawa
Momonga (モモンガ)
The character design is based on the Japanese flying squirrel, and has also appeared with a peach in its mouth, as the Japanese word “モモ” means peach. Momonga's fur is fluffy, and it has a white body and a large blue tail. Momonga is always focusing on “what kind of behavior is cute” and asking for compliments from others.

Voiced by: Yuka Iguchi
Rakko (ラッコ)
Rakko is a brave otter when in battle, and he's top of the subjugation ranking. He looks very serious, but he actually loves strawberry flavored desserts.

Voiced by: Yuma Uchida
Kuri-Manjū (くりまんじゅう)
Kuri-manjuu's character design is based on a honey-badger and 栗饅頭, a Japanese dessert. He always drinks alcohol and eats various foods.

Voiced by: Takayuki Asai
Shisa (シーサー)
Kuri-manjuu's character design is based on a traditional artifact from Okinawan mythology which looks like a lion. Shisa is hard-working and currently works at Rou ramen restaurant. Ramen no Yoroi-san is her master.
Voiced by: Shimabukuro Miyuri

Ponchette no Yoroi-san (ポシェットの鎧さん)
One of the humanoid species that wears silver armor and carries a pink pouch. Ponchette no Yoroi-san's pouch was made by himself, and “Chiikawa originally tried to buy it at his market, but it turned out it had a leaking hole, so after Hachiware pointed it out, he gave Chiikawa a new pouch”. He also became friends with cuties such as Yoshi and Hachi as a result.
He is good friends with the Labor Yoroi-San and the ramen store owner and the three of them often hang out together, such as going on picnics.

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita
Rōdō no Yoroi-san (労働の鎧さん)
Rodo no Yoroi-san is a job recruiter managing working positions for the cute creatures.
Voiced by: Hiroki Tōchi

Ramen no Yoroi-san (ラーメンの鎧さん)
Voiced by: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Pajama Party (パジャマパーティーズ)
A band of cuties in pajamas with no faces painted on. Their songs are so popular that they decide to sing at a large event, but a giant bird takes all others except the green Pajama Cutie, so Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi join the Pajama Party band as replacements On the day of the event, the other members are saved by Chiikawa et al.
Green
The leader of the pajama party. It has two horns, round ears, a cow-like tail, and wears green pajamas.
Voiced by: Sumire Morohoshi
Pink
Pajama Party member. It has droopy ears and a small tail, and wears pink pajamas. After escaping from the giant bird, it lost its right ear and has a diagonal cross scar on its face.
Voiced by: Maria Naganawa
White
Pajama Party member. It has a pointed horn on its head and wears white pajamas. After escaping from the giant bird, it has a diagonal left cross scar on its face.
Voiced by: Yū Sasahara
Purple.
Pajama Party member. It has round ears and wears purple pajamas. After escaping from the giant bird, it loses its left ear.
Voiced by: Mari Uchiyama




Worldview


Chiikawa may give readers a sense of a children targeted manga, depicting the adorable daily lives of cute characters. However, as the plot progresses, readers will discover the dark side of the Chiikawa world and its worldview, where surviving requires considerable effort. Only some characters can speak, while most cannot communicate through language and don't even have detailed facial features. Strange and surreal events occur in the comic's world, such as piles of food appearing by the roadside, food growing out of the ground, or even rice ball rain falling from the sky. These kinds of events happen frequently, with little to no explanation of the underlying reasons or mechanisms in the comic. As a result, beyond the work itself, speculating about the plot and the worldview becomes one of the pleasures of following the series.
The plot seems to be mainly enjoyable, but there is also a realistic backdrop and dangerous settings, such as serialized stories that often involve crusading monsters for rewards or being cursed and turned into monsters for using a cane to conjure up a desired item.




Media






= Manga

=




= Anime

=
An anime adaptation by Doga Kobo was announced on October 28, 2021. The television series is directed by Takenori Mihara, with Yuma Yamaguchi composing the music. It premiered on April 4, 2022, on Fuji TV's Mezamashi TV morning news and entertainment program. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series outside of Asia.



Episode list





Episodes in a series






= The Plush Toys

=
Chiikawa and Hachiware find dolls called “A Forest Family” that look exactly like them, and they are happy to show dolls to Usagi. However, the dolls were prepared by a witch to steal cuties' face and body. Chiikawa and friends are inexplicably transformed into dolls by the witch.




= The Hole

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During the crusade, Hachiware accidentally falls into a large hole, and Chiikawa appears to help it.




= The Magical Cane

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Usagi buys a mysterious cane that can conjure the cake it wants to eat and a camera that Hachiware wants. However, the camera that Hachiware brings out is horrible, erasing everything he has photographed. Hachiware and Usagi's bodies change into giant monsters after using it.




= The Weeding Exam

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Visiting Chiikawa, Hachiware learns that Chiikawa is studying to qualify for a Level 5 Weeding Certification. So Hachiware and Chiikawa start studying together and take the test, but Hachiware is the only one passes.




= The Three Star restaurant

=
After work, Chiikawa and Hachiware were looking for a restaurant to have lunch and they found a restaurant with a “three-star” sign. When they enter, three stars are fixed on the wall. The restaurant owner appears and the two are almost eaten by the owner. But they finally saved three stars and escaped.




= Switch

=
Chiikawa and friends meet a small beetle in a cave deep in the forest. Chiikawa develops an attachment to the beetle that follows it home and they form a friendship, but the beetle gradually begins to show a fierce side.




= True Horror

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Chiikawa and Hachiware are reading horror stories at an internet cafe. On their way home, the increasingly frightened two host a party at Chiikawa's house to forget their fears.




= Pajama Party

=
The pajama-wearing quartet “Pajama Party”, whose songs are popular among the residents, will perform at a big event. However, while practicing their dance, three of the members were kidnapped by a giant bird. The only remaining member asks Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi as replacements until the three members return.




= The Blue Ribbon

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The ribbon that Chiikawa gave to Hachiware suddenly disappears. The ribbon, which symbolizes friendship, is a very precious thing to Hachiware. Therefore Chiikawa tries to prepare a new ribbon for the sad Hachiware.




= Chiikawa's Dream

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A mysterious wooden sculpture found by Usagi transforms Chiikawa and friends into fairies. They enjoy their fairy forms for a while, but eventually they struggle to return to their original forms.




= The Prison

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Chiikawa and friends found Ode, who was eating mushrooms. When they were told that the mushrooms were delicious and ate it together, they were captured by Goblins who appeared out of nowhere and were imprisoned in the basement of a cave with Ode. Using a hole secretly dug by Usagi with a spoon, they escaped.




Ending theme






= Self Talk (Japanese: ひとりごつ)

=
Lyrics - Nagano
Composer/Arranger - Tokumaru Shiyugo
Song - Hachiware (CV: Makoto Tanaka)
The anime's end theme song for episodes 1 through 10 is an instrumental version with no lyrics, and the version with lyrics, “Orchestra Version” (Japanese: “バンドVer”), is used from the 11th episode. The original song is used as an insert song in the 11th episode.




= Pajama Party Song (Japanese: パジャマパーティーズのうた) (episodes 144-155)

=
Lyrics - Nagano
Composer/Arranger - Akiyuki Tateyama
Song - Pajama Party (CV: Sumire Morohoshi, Maria Naganawa, Yū Sasahara, Mari Uchiyama)
The Pajama Party's song is the insert song and limited ending song.




Reception


The series has over 2.7 million copies in circulation.
The series has been nominated for the 48th Kodansha Manga Award in 2024 in the General category. The series won the 53rd Japan Cartoonists Association Award in the Manga Division.
Chiikawa merchandise experienced a surge in popularity in China in early 2024.




Collaboration with artists


Collaborated with Ariana Grande on the music video for “Santa Tell Me”.
Popular characters from “Chiikawa” were dressed as Santa Claus and the music video was animated.
Since the video's release on December 6, 2023, it has been viewed approximately 1.38 million times in a single day, further increasing the popularity of Chiikawa. By June 2024, the number of video views had increased to over 3.9 million. The collaboration with famous artists has attracted attention overseas.




Merchandise


Chiikawa has given rise to a wide range of merchandise. On the official online store, there is a variety of products designed based on the anime characters, including plush toys, stickers, clothing, and more. Co-branding between Chiikawa and other comics or companies are also well received. The official chiikawa website has collaborated with Sanrio, Hankyu trains, and the Giants baseball team for limited co-branding. A wide range of products are also offered, including Magic Girl series, sushi series, and Lailai Chinese restaurants series.




= Collaboration with overseas brands

=



Chiikawa × NEW ERA

Jointly launched “Chiikawa” embroidered hats.



Chiikawa × CONVERSE

Co-branded products include a chiikawa character bag and ankle patches featuring popular characters Chiikawa, Hachiware and Usagi.



Chiikawa × FEILER

In February 2024, handkerchiefs, embroidered bags and other collaborative products went on sale in 15 Filer stores and the official online store.



Chiikawa × Miniso

In March 2024, Chiikawa collaborated with Miniso and opened the first co-branded pop-up store in Queens, New York.



Chiikawa × Sanrio × UNIQLO

T-shirt with Chiikawa and Sanrio characters.




Notes






References






External links


Anime official website (in Japanese)
Chiikawa (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia

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