"If you look closely, Shimajiro is in a tight spot"? Two-shot illustration of Seiren and Shimajiro released for "Chiikawa The Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island"

On the official X account of "Chiikawa," a two-shot illustration of Seiren (CV: Minori Suzuki) and Shimajiro (CV: Tsuguo Mogami) from the new animated feature "Chiikawa The Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island" has been released and is becoming a hot topic.

The released image announces the new cast members with text and an illustration seemingly handwritten by Nagano. The illustration depicts Seiren, sporting a bright smile with an apple-like object on her head, tightly locking Shimajiro in a powerful embrace from behind. Trapped in her arms, Shimajiro extends his right hand forward with a panicked expression, creating a unique, comical yet tense composition that makes it look as if he could either be striking a pose for the camera or desperately calling for help.

In response to this new illustration and cast announcement, many voices have poured in from fans on X. In addition to praise purely rejoicing over the casting, such as "This is the absolute best casting!", numerous witty retorts have emerged focusing on the composition of the illustration, with comments like "So Shimajiro isn't striking a pose, he's actually asking for help?" and "If you look closely, Shimajiro is in a tight spot."

Furthermore, excitement is building with comments from fans who found Seiren's somewhat bewitching aura to be "intensely sexy...", as well as those expressing anticipation for the interaction between the two in the film, calling it "a truly precious two-shot."

"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 first theatrical feature film for the series and is scheduled for release on July 24. It will depict a long-form story known as the "Seiren Arc," which Nagano wrote specifically for the movie.

(C)nagano (C)ナガノ/ 2026「映画ちいかわ」製作委員会