Overview
Chiikawa is a series by the creator Nagano, which grew out of a character posted on Twitter in May 2017. It follows Chiikawa, Hachiware and Usagi, small creatures living in a world with jobs, exams and monsters. The round, cute look comes with fairly harsh survival rules, and that contrast is the series' trademark.
OtaHub's take
The anime is produced by Doga Kobo and has aired since 4 April 2022 in Fuji TV's morning program Mezamashi TV. Each episode runs only a few minutes, but many segments chain into arcs about work, friendship or dangerous creatures. AniList credits Takenori Mihara as director. After broadcast the content is also available for a limited time on YouTube, FOD and TVer.
In July 2026 the franchise also got a film, Chiikawa: Ningyo no Shima no Himitsu, produced by Cypic and directed by Kei Oikawa, released on 24 July. The anime team then announced a break from new episodes: from 2 October to 25 December 2026 it will air 25 reruns, starting with episode 6, with new episodes expected back in January 2027. No reason was given, so it should be read as a temporary pause.
Verdict
Suited to viewers who want a short, light anime they can follow in small pieces. The year-end reruns are also a convenient chance for newcomers to start from the beginning, get to know the characters and the well-known arcs, and catch up when new episodes return in early 2027. Viewers in Vietnam should check which official channel holds the rights, since not every episode is available worldwide.
