Chiikawa Movie: Ningyo no Shima no Himitsu

An outstanding film. I expected that, since the original is essentially a collection of loosely connected comic strips, the movie would simply stitch together a series of unrelated gags. I was completely wrong. Instead, it's a surprisingly layered film. While it appears to be made for children, at its core it's rather dark, telling a story of revenge with morally ambiguous undertones. What's even more impressive is that such a complex story is told with almost no dialogue. Most of the characters can't speak a human language, so only a couple of them occasionally comment on or explain what's happening. Even with its dark foundation, the film remains remarkably charming, cute, and genuinely funny. It's packed with visual gags, features several inventive musical numbers, and never forgets its roots: a large portion of its humor and many of its stories still revolve around food. Although it would be unreasonable to expect groundbreaking animation from a film with this kind of visual style, it's animated exceptionally well. Everything is expressive, fluid, and full of personality. In the end, it's hard for me to think of anyone I wouldn't recommend this film to. It's one of those rare movies where almost everyone can find something that resonates with them.

Pros: - Well integrated music which fit the aesthetic and mood - Colorful pallet alongside a adorable art style - Fun lighthearted film with chaotic humor - Fast paced attention grabbing film Cons: - The characters are shallow and forgettable for someone who is not invested in the franchise - The story itself lacked progression both in content and development - Animation heavily relies on 3D models often struggling with blending 3D and 2D Overall, I struggled to relate with the characters and humor, often finding myself disinterested in the story. While this film was certainty fun at times, I believe it is hard to remain interested without prior love for the franchise. The film was at best mediocre. A slightly above average with. 6/10 P.S. Watched in theaters which could have affected my remarks regarding music, animation, and art.

Such a great movie! I'm really glad I managed to catch up on all the Chiikawa episodes up to the latest one before watching this. The movie can definitely work as a standalone experience, but I still recommend watching the series or reading the manga beforehand, especially to get a better understanding of the world and its concepts. The opening does give you a little introduction to the characters, though. Even though the movie is only about an hour and a half, it doesn't waste any time. The pacing is great and it gets straight to the point, leaving very little room to wonder where the story is going. The voice acting, music (Usagi rap!), art, and overall direction were all fantastic. Everything came together really well. But honestly, what stayed with me the most after the movie was the question of who's actually right and who's wrong. I'm so happy to be part of the Chiikawa fandom. Also, ffs give them a proper rest/vacation!