Japan's 'Chiikawa' Tops Weekend Box Office for 3rd Consecutive Week, Surpassing 2.24 Million Admissions

'Assassination(s)' ranked 2nd, 'Paradise Lost' ranked 3rdJapanese animation 'Chikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island' topped the weekend box office for three consecutive weeks. /CJ ENM[THE FACT|Reporter Park Ji-yoon] Japanese animation 'Chikawa' has dominated the weekend box office for three consecutive weeks.According to the Korean Film Council's Integrated Network of Automated Film Reporting System, 'Chikawa the Movie: The Secret of Mermaid Island' (Director Kei Oiwa, hereinafter referred to as 'Chikawa') attracted 320,312 viewers from the 23rd to the 25th, ranking first at the box office. The cumulative audience number is 2,248,156, heading towards 2.5 million viewers.Released on September 30th, 'Chikawa' regained the top spot at the box office on the 14th and has maintained its No. 1 position for three consecutive weekends, continuing its unchallenged box office run.'Chikawa (Chikawamonsu)' is a manga serialized by Japanese illustrator Nagano, depicting the joyful, poignant, and sometimes harsh daily lives of its unique characters.The movie 'Chikawa,' based on the most popular episode 'Seiren Arc' serialized in 2023, follows the Chikawa and his friends as they fall for the temptation of a 100x reward and embark on a mysterious extermination mission on an unknown island to uncover its hidden secrets. Nagano himself participated in the script and supervision, faithfully capturing the charm and emotions of the original work.'Assassination(s)' (Director Huh Jin-ho) ranked second with 68,241 viewers. The cumulative audience number is 3,374,517.Released on September 23rd, 'Assassination(s)' is a film that traces the suspicions and behind-the-scenes of the First Lady's assassination incident that shocked South Korea on August 15, 1974. It is based on the assassination of First Lady Yuk Young-soo during the 1974 Liberation Day ceremony, an event that had never been depicted in Korean cinema before.'Assassination(s)' enjoyed a successful run during the Chuseok holiday, but it encountered unexpected issues. Some raised concerns about historical distortion, pointing to scenes suggesting the involvement of former President Park Chung-hee or the Central Intelligence Agency in the incident, and claims of Chinese capital involvement led to various controversies.The production company issued an official statement to distance itself from the allegations, but the controversy surrounding the film spilled beyond the screen, with protests occurring in front of the homes of actors involved in the production.'Paradise Lost' (Director Yeon Sang-ho) ranked third with 66,708 viewers, 'Clayface' (Director James Watkins) ranked fourth with 48,247 viewers, and 'Tazza: The High Rollers' (Director Choi Dong-hoon) ranked fifth with 46,919 viewers.jiyoon-1031@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]