So, why are we writing an article about cute little critters in weirdly grim moral dilemmas? I went into the cinema expecting a wholesome movie as a non-fan, and I went out of the cinema with a dreadful feeling and having a huge appreciation for the franchise. We never expected such a whimsical feeling to be accompanied by a feeling of unease.

This is Chiikawa The Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island.

 

🚨 HUGE SPOILER WARNING 🚨

STOP HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED Chiikawa The Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island (2026). This review discusses major plot reveals. If you want to experience the movie completely blind, go watch it first!

 

A Promise of Food Turns Into Something Sinister

Usagi receiving an invitation via Golden Village Pictures

The movie starts with an invite from Mermaid Island, with a promise of food! Upon arriving, they soon discover that it’s a monster-hunting job, and Chiikawa and the gang step up for the job, even knowing the true story of said monster- or, in this case, the Siren.

As we delve deeper into the secrets of those around Chiikawa, we learn the following facts:

  1. Siren, in a cannibalistic fashion, eats the islanders to get revenge for her dead mermaid and to find the culprit.

  2. Eating mermaid meat grants eternal life.

  3. The two local islanders who help the gang, named Hitoha and Futaba, are the culprits.

  4. Momonga is annoying as hell (love him though).

 

The Moral Dilemma: Who’s Right and Wrong?

See, all of the movie’s problems come from one single emotion: Grief, and how differently it manifests in each person.

Can we justify how Hitoya handled his grief by bludgeoning a mermaid to death to let Futaba live? No. But can we say the same with Siren fatally injuring Futaba, even if accidentally? No. It’s the morally ambiguous situation that makes each side confusing to deal with.

Siren and the Mermaids via Kai Fong

Siren just wanted to find out who killed their mermaid companion, while Hitoya just wanted Futaba to live.

It’s the dilemma of how far you would go for a loved one. Would you kill like Hitoya? Would you seek revenge as hard as the Siren? It’s the nuances that make the situation so complicated, but real.

What it means to have eternal life

The movie tackles what it means to live forever. To live life while those around you leave you. It’s the dread of being left alone by everybody. Futaba knows this, making Hitoya eat the mermaid meat, and we have to note that Hitoya hesitated to eat, as they know this fact too.

The silver lining here is that they have each other now forever, but the guilt of how they got this eternal bond will always haunt them throughout their unending lives.

Chiikawa: Complicit to the whole tragedy or not?

Through the course of the movie, Chiikawa discovers the secrets of Futaba and Hitoya on his own, and at the end of the movie, decides not confront and expose them both… Does this make Chiikawa complicit in the whole situation? We believe not,

Usagi, Chiikawa, and Hachiware via Crunchyroll

Chiikawa and the gang were merely a third party to the whole ordeal. They helped, sure, but what happened between the Siren and the two isn’t exactly their story to tell. And we believe that he understood what Hitoya felt during Futaba’s fatal injury, and he understood that due to their friendship/relationship, Hitoya just wanted Futaba to live. It’s what made the “children’s movie” so nuanced, and again, real. It’s almost human nature; we can go to hypothetical situations, but when it actually happens, you can never say what we will all actually do.

And even then, the Siren knows WHO did it, and we get a brief clip at the end of what happens after.



Chiikawa The Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island

We are glad that there are movies out there that are seemingly targeted at kids that explore such complexities. They may not understand at first, but it's an impression that will surely stay with them throughout their whole life when they remember.

Chiikawa the Movie via Golden Village Pictures

Again, we went into the cinema expecting a wholesome movie as a non-fan, and we went out of the cinema with a dreadful feeling and a huge appreciation for the franchise. I never expected such a whimsical feeling to be accompanied by a feeling of unease.

Don’t let the movie's warm demeanour fool you; it’s dark, realistic, and grim.


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