'Chikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island' Tops Box Office, Surpassing Korean Films

'Assassination' 2nd place, 'Tazza: The High Rollers 2' 3rd placeThe Japanese animation 'Theatrical Version: Chikawa: The Secret of Mermaid Island' captivated 122,293 viewers on its opening day, topping the box office. /CJ ENM[THE FACT|Reporter Park Ji-yoon] 'Theatrical Version Chikawa: The Secret of Mermaid Island' immediately rose to the top of the box office upon its release.According to the Korean Film Council's integrated computer network for movie admissions on the 1st, 'Theatrical Version Chikawa: The Secret of Mermaid Island' (directed by Oikawa Kei), which was released in theaters the previous day, recorded first place at the box office by attracting 122,293 viewers. The cumulative number of viewers is 153,018.Notably, this figure surpasses 'Toy Story 5' (94,694 viewers), 'Super Mario Galaxy' (60,433 viewers), and 'Detective Conan: The Angel of Death on the Highway' (67,964 viewers), and is the highest opening score among all animated films released this year, drawing even more attention.'Chikawa (Chiikawa)' is a popular manga by Japanese illustrator Nagano, which began serialization on X (formerly Twitter). It depicts the joyful, poignant, and sometimes rough daily lives of unique characters.'Theatrical Version: Chikawa: The Secret of Mermaid Island' is based on the most popular episode serialized in 2023, 'The Siren Arc,' and Nagano himself participated in the script and supervision, fully capturing the charm and emotion of the original work.The film, which proved its unparalleled IP (Intellectual Property) power immediately upon its release, is an animation that depicts Chikawa and his companions embarking on a journey to an unknown island, tempted by a sweet offer of 100 times the reward, and uncovering a suspicious extermination mission to unearth the secrets hidden there.'Assassination' (directed by Hur Jin-ho) ranked second with 71,942 viewers. The cumulative number of viewers is 1,766,946, and it is heading towards surpassing 2 million viewers.Released on September 23rd, 'Assassination' is a mystery thriller that traces the suspicions and masterminds behind the assassination attempt that shocked South Korea on August 15, 1974, adding cinematic imagination to the remaining records and unresolved questions to this day. Director Hur Jin-ho, known for his delicate exploration of characters and events in films like 'The Last Princess' and 'Christmas in August,' took the helm.Previously, 'Assassination' had a strong start, attracting 134,460 viewers on its opening day to take the No. 1 spot at the box office, and surpassed 1 million viewers in just four days, continuing its box office success.However, some viewers who watched the movie raised suspicions of historical distortion regarding scenes suggesting the possibility of former President Park Chung-hee's side or the Central Intelligence Agency's involvement in the incident, and the film became the center of various controversies, with theories of Chinese capital also being raised.'Tazza: The High Rollers 2' (directed by Choi Gook-hee) ranked third with 57,855 viewers, 'The Resurrection Man: The Red' (directed by Baek) ranked fourth with 42,872 viewers, and 'Odyssey' (directed by Christopher Nolan) ranked fifth with 19,827 viewers.jiyoon-1031@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]