Japanese web manga series turned cultural phenomenon Chiikawa sees no sign of stopping its momentum, announcing earlier today that an English dub for the anime adaptation will be coming to YouTube. According to the official English channel launched alongside the announcement, new episodes will be available weekly, starting October 1.
Presented episodically, the Chiikawa anime adaptation features Chiikawa and their friends in various situations, whether it be eating, playing, or even working. In stark contrast to its cutesy outward look, the story takes a dark tone and explores more mature subjects every so often.
Ahead of its first episode premier, the official English channel uploaded three YouTube Shorts previewing the show. Each little snippet showcases the main trio of Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi. The opening theme for the anime, “Hitorigotsu,” was also posted on the channel, with English translations of the lyrics.
While merchandise has made the series a worldwide hit, the anime adaptation of Chiikawa has previously been dubbed only in Korean and Chinese. This marks the first time the series has received an English adaptation beyond subtitles.
The movie adaptation of the series, Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island, premiered on July 24 in Japan and continues to screen in theaters months later due to its popularity. As of September 20, the film has earned around $99.7 million at the box office, becoming Japan’s highest grossing film of 2026. At the time of writing, there is no confirmation of whether this new English dub means we can expect the Chiikawa movie to appear in Western countries next.
