"Chiikawa's shyness is so cute!" Original author Nagano celebrates the reveal of "Chiikawa The Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island" with a clapping Bear

Illustrator Nagano updated their X account. By quoting a post announcing the reveal of the main visual for Chiikawa The Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island, Nagano posted an illustration of "Nagano's Bear" (Jibun Tsukkomi Kuma) clapping while Chiikawa (CV: Haruka Aoki) reacts with shy joy, which has since become a hot topic.

Nagano quote-reposted the anime's official account post from April 27, which revealed the film's main visual and the July 24 release date. The main visual features numerous characters, including Chiikawa, Hachiware (CV: Makoto Tanaka), and Usagi (CV: Ari Ozawa).

In Nagano's post, a monochrome line drawing shows "Nagano's Bear"—the author's own avatar—clapping with a smile, while next to it, Chiikawa blushes and looks happy and shy.

Fans reacted to the post with comments such as "Chiikawa's shyness is so cute," "Even the Bear is cheering! I'm so excited for the movie!", "The clapping Bear and shy Chiikawa are so precious and healing," and "Such a great drawing!"

"Chiikawa" is a popular manga that illustrator Nagano has been posting on X (formerly Twitter) since 2020. Chiikawa The Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island is the series' first theatrical film, depicting a long-form story known as the "Siren Arc," written by Nagano specifically for the movie. This long-awaited adaptation brings to the screen one of the most popular episodes of the series, which trended on social media as each chapter was released.

(C)nagano (C)ナガノ/ 2026「映画ちいかわ」製作委員会