the World of Chiikawa- What's All the Fuss About?
Ever found yourself wondering what those adorable creatures taking the world by storm are? They’re Chiikawa, and they’ve captured the hearts of so many. Let’s explore all things Chiikawa together – the stuff you might already know, and some secrets you probably haven’t heard of yet!
If you're not yet familiar with Chiikawa, let me tell you what's what. It all began as a manga series by the talented artist Nago and was shared on [product] and only in 2022 was it adapted into an anime, of which it instantly became the most popular, all thanks to many interesting aspects, among them, of course, the engaging characters and stories. So, what exactly made Chiikawa so outstanding? Let's look at the protagonists!
The Characters: A Bunch of Lovable Oddballs
Chiikawa consists of three characters, Chiikawa, Usagi and Hachi. People love to make guesses about the species of animals they are - some say Chiikawa is a mouse, Usagi is a rabbit, and Hachi is a cat, while there are others who think that they're some magical beings. The author was kind enough to react on that matter through Twitter!
The name "Chiikawa" is actually a combination of two words in Japanese and those are "chiisai" and "kawaii" which are meaning small and cute. Chiikawa is mute, i.e., he/she produces only sounds. Despite being a bit shy and not able to stand up to the challenges, he/she is still always supportive of the friends. And by the way, Chiikawa is very very lucky. Being the lucky winner of a house and a pile of food to eat from the lottery. That's our Chiikawa! Anyway, neither Nago nor Chiikawa's official team has ever given the gender of a character, let alone confirmed it. I use “she” for Chiikawa because the author is a woman, and Chiikawa’s first sketch was titled “The Life I Want to Live.” Also, Chiikawa is obsessed with pink – everything from her clothes to her weapon is super cute and pink! But feel free to have your own ideas – the gender - neutral aspect in Chiikawa is really cool, making it easy for everyone, guys and girls alike, to relate to the characters.
Then we have the character who became my favorite! It’s Hachi; he is a cat of blue and white and he lives in the same cave with the other two. Hachi is not only able to talk he has also an excellent voice of a singer all thanks to the wonderful abilities of the voice actor, Tanaka Makoto. Extroverted and cheerful, Hachi is very friendly and always the center of the party.
👇Buy the Keycaps Set on Amazon，3 colors
Another character is Usagi, who is known to be quite wild and free, the one that can stand the winds of change. Usagi has no verbal communication skills and he is an expert in creating sounds that range from “huh” to “happy” for example and “yah” when he is enthusiastic. Moreover, Usagi’s voice is performed by OAA ADI, who has just debuted as a leading actor in his other featured show. Usagi is not only an open book to everyone but he is also surprisingly guarded about his personal life. You never see Usagi moving in and out – it’s possible that he chooses to stay wherever he likes, perhaps under a leaf for example! He is usually out searching for excitement, exploring the unknown, going on adventures, finding cool things like a stick that grants wishes which are things one needs to be careful with since they may lead to undesired outcomes.
We also have some really fun side characters. Monga, the flying squirrel, looks cute but is actually a bit nuts. Always craving attention and compliments, Monga will literally ask people to look at how cute he’s being – and it actually works because he’s just that adorable! Lot is a super - cute sea otter, but here’s the surprise – he’s the strongest warrior in the Chiikawa world! His goal is to be the absolute best. Despite his tough - guy exterior and serious voice, he’s a total softie for sweet food, especially strawberry ice cream. And he’s the only one in the Chiikawa world who has a drinking license so far – yep, you need one to drink alcohol there!
There are also the YOLO sound guys, who are like people in armor. We’re not sure if the armor is part of them or if they’re just wearing it. They seem to be in charge of giving out jobs, evaluating how well people do, and paying salaries. Some of them run stores or take care of the market, and others protect the residents. And let’s not forget Shisa, the hard - working lion. Shisa is great at working and studying and has a super worker certification, which allows him to work in a ramen store.
👇 Chiikawa Notebooks available on Amazon!
The Chiikawa World: Familiar Yet Fantasy
The world Chiikawa and friends live in is a lot like ours, but with a magical twist. There are talking animals, mysterious armored people, and monsters, but also restaurants, internet cafes, money, and jobs. Just like in real life, they have to work hard to make ends meet.
The two main jobs in the Chiikawa world are weeding and monster hunting. Weeding is all about getting rid of harmful, maybe even poisonous weeds. Monster hunting is to keep the residents safe from dangerous beasts. And if you want to earn more money and get some special permissions, you can take exams to get certifications.
There’s a weeding certificate with five levels – level 1 is the best, and level 5 is the lowest. With a higher - level certificate, you can access places that people with lower - level or no certificates can’t. To pass the weeding exam, you need to know things like how to deal with harmful weeds and tell if they’re poisonous. Chiikawa struggles with this, while Hachi has a level 5 and Usagi has a level 3.
There’s also a drinking certificate. In the Chiikawa world, no matter how old you are, you need a license to drink alcohol! To pass the drinking certificate exam, you have to know about different brands of wine and which foods go with which drinks. It’s not easy! And just like in our world, there’s a driving license. Plus, there’s a super worker certificate that lets you work in a ramen store and maybe other places we don’t know about yet.
Why Chiikawa is So Popular: More Than Just Cute
So, why has Chiikawa become such a global sensation? Well, first of all, it’s all about the perfect balance between cuteness and seriousness. If an anime is just cute, it can get boring and shallow. But if it’s too serious, it can be a downer, especially when life is already tough enough. Chiikawa uses a funny and cute way to talk about serious stuff like poverty, friendship, and work stress.
Take Hachi, for example. He lives in a cold, empty cave, but he makes it a warm and fun place with his flower vase and favorite ribbon. Even though working in a cold, boring sticker factory, doing the same thing over and over again, is tough, when they finally save up enough money to go to their favorite ramen store, the smiles on their faces are priceless. It’s like a sweet - and - sour medicine that heals your heart. This combination gives people happiness and motivation, especially those of us between 20 and 40 who are students or working. We face these challenges every day, and seeing these little guys overcome them is so inspiring.
Another reason is the ideal friendship in Chiikawa. The friendship between Chiikawa, Hachi, and Usagi is seriously goals! Their personalities fit together like puzzle pieces. Hachi is calm and friendly, Chiikawa is shy but tries her best, and Usagi is crazy but super funny. They always cheer each other up and bring so much happiness.
The gender - neutral setting also plays a big part. It helps avoid those unnecessary feelings like jealousy that you sometimes see in other animes, even if it’s not in the original story. Some people might try to pair up characters and create drama, but in Chiikawa, it’s all about pure, child - like friendship. And even though they all have really strong personalities, they’re so good at balancing and not hurting each other. When Chiikawa fails her weeding exam, she’s sad, but the next day, she adjusts her feelings and congratulates Hachi for passing. And Hachi tries not to be too happy in front of Chiikawa to avoid making her feel bad. They’re so young and cute, but also really emotionally mature. Their friendship is not only beautiful but also heals those who watch.
Finally, Chiikawa is super relatable because it pays so much attention to the little details of daily life. Remember when Hachi finally saved up enough money to buy his first camera? He wanted to take the transparent layer off but then changed his mind and put it back on. I’m sure we’ve all done something like that! And for Japanese audiences, there are even more relatable things. The ramen store in Chiikawa is based on a really well - known ramen place in Japan called Churro Ramen. It’s described as super unique, with a lot of Japanese quirks. It’s heavy, fatty, made with cheap ingredients, and sometimes the service and the store are a bit of a mess, but people love it! Seeing it in Chiikawa brings back a lot of memories and makes people laugh.
The music in Chiikawa is also a big hit. Besides the beautiful original music, they use some existing songs that are really special to Japanese audiences. For example, “Say You Know That,” an old TV advertising music from the Showa period, and “Belief,” which is usually played during middle school graduation ceremonies in Japan. These songs bring back so many memories and make the audience feel all sorts of emotions.
So, that’s Chiikawa for you! It’s about these three cute little characters trying their best to get by in a sometimes - tough world. They’re so positive, and they bring so much warmth and happiness. They make us want to be as happy, strong, and positive as they are. That’s why Chiikawa has won the hearts of people all around the world.