Chiikawa

Chiikawa is set in a civilized world inhabited by small animal-like creatures known as chiikawas, armor-wearing figures known as Yoroi-san (armor people), and various monsters and other creatures. The story follows the daily adventures of the titular protagonist, Chiikawa, and their friends, as they enjoy delicious food, pursue hobbies, and find joy in everyday life, while navigating constant dangers of their world. To earn money, some of them take on jobs assigned by the Yoroi-san, including weeding and hunting, which can be fatal.

The character of Chiikawa originated from a May 2017 tweet expressing Nagano's wish to escape modern life and become a simple creature that cries over its troubles, runs away from them, sleeps, and dances.^[7][8] Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi were originally named Nitori, Ikeya, and Donki, respectively.^[9] The reason that Nagano chose Twitter was because of its immediacy and accessibility. By November 2020, Kodansha collected the comics into physical volumes, the first of which was published in February 2021.^[10][11]

A separate account was created in January 2020 and the manga began serialization. A book version was published by Kodansha on February 12, 2021.^[12] Prior to that, a one-shot story was published in the eleventh issue of Morning was released on February 10.^[13]

Chiikawa (ちいかわ; lit. 'Something kind of small and cute')

Voiced by: Haruka Aoki^[14]

Chiikawa is the titular protagonist of the franchise.^[15] Chiikawa is small-sized, has rounded ears and a teardrop-shaped tail, resembling a mouse or a hamster.^[16] Early on, Chiikawa was named as Nitori.^[9] Cowardly, timid, and having a tendency to cry, they live in a house won in the Muchauma Yogurt lottery. Unlike some other characters, Chiikawa cannot for the most part speak in a way that is intelligible to the audience – mostly saying things such as "yada" and "iya" – both of which are childish ways of saying "no" in Japanese. They express themself primarily through sounds and facial expressions, but it is understandable to the rest of the cast.^[17]

Chiikawa passed the fifth-grade grass cutting exam after three attempts, which stands in stark contrast to another main character, Hachiware, who passed it on the first try.

Hachiware (ハチワレ; lit. 'Eight-split or Broken-helmet') (lit-ja)

Voiced by: Makoto Tanaka [ja]^[14]

Hachiware, originally named Ikeya,^[9] is a friend of both Chiikawa and Usagi and lives in a cave. Hachiware's name and design are based on those of a bicolor cat, though they are not one.^[12] Hachiware is depicted as chatty, curious and optimistic, as well as being kind-hearted and willing to help their friends, especially Chiikawa.^[17] Hachiware is also an avid photographer, and they like the Charumera brand of instant ramen.

Usagi (うさぎ; lit. 'Rabbit')

Voiced by: Ari Ozawa^[14]

Usagi, originally named Donki,^[9] is a friend of both Chiikawa and Hachiware. Depicted as high-spirited, they occasionally act as a troublemaker, but support their friends when they are in trouble. Similar to Chiikawa, Usagi is unintelligible to the audience, making noises such as "una" and "yaha", but can be understood to the other characters. Usagi's name and design is based on those of a rabbit, though they "may or may not" be one. Usagi is mainly known for being eccentric and a foodie.

Momonga (モモンガ; lit. 'Flying squirrel')

Voiced by: Iguchi Yuka^[18]

Momonga is a naughty and playful flying squirrel. They are always focused on acting cute, begging for attention, and often throws tantrums, contrasting with others. Even during dangerous situations, they would ask for food and rest. In pursuit of their aim, Momonga often "acts cute". While they lack knowledge in social cues, they make an active effort to imitate other characters' cute actions, notably Chiikawa. In particular, they often imitate Chiikawa's yawning and crying. While mostly depicted as doing things on their own, in later chapters they start to hang out with Furuhonya, albeit mostly for personal benefit. It is heavily implied that Dekatsuyo swapped bodies with Momonga with the help of a witch. ^[19]

Kuri-Manjū (くりまんじゅう; lit. 'Chestnut bun')

Voiced by: Takayuki Asai [ja]^[18]

Kuri-manjū's character design is based on a honey badger and Kuri Manju(ja:栗饅頭), a Japanese confectionery bun made with chestnut fillings. It is always seen drinking alcohol and eating various foods, usually emitting a loud, exaggerated breath after taking a sip from its beverage.^{[20][better source needed]} Incidentally, in the region where they live, drinking alcohol is permitted only if one carries a license that can be obtained only by passing a difficult examination.

Rakko (ラッコ; lit. 'Sea otter')

Voiced by: Yuma Uchida^[18]

Rakko is a sea otter that excels in battle, and is top of the subjugation ranking. It looks very serious, but it has a soft spot for desserts. Rakko also has a car and is able to drive.^[21]

Shisa (シーサー, Shīsā)

Voiced by: Miyuri Shimabukuro^[22]

Shisa is a hard-working employee at the Ramen Restaurant "Rou"(郎). It is the apprentice of Ramen no Yoroi-san. To work at this shop, it must hold the "Super Part-Timer" certification—a qualification that is difficult to obtain. It is asking Kuri-Manjū to teach it so that it can obtain a drinking license. Its character design is based on the Ryukyuan cultural artifact of the same name. So sometimes, it uses the Miyakoan language and references local topics from Okinawa Prefecture.

Furuhonya (古本屋; lit. 'Used book store')

Voiced by: Momo Harumi [ja]^[23]

Furuhonya is a kind and peaceful used-bookseller. It is a pink critter that wearing the headband which designed to look like a crab with two false claws sticking it is gifted from Momonga. Although initially a faceless mob character, its design was revealed after Momonga placed a crab headband onto it.^[4] Its name is officially Furuhonya (古本屋), but author Nagano subtitles Kani (かにlit. 'Crab') under it.

Kabutomushi (カブトムシ; lit. 'Beetle')

Voiced by: Shiori Mutou (original form) and Kentaro Tone (Mimic form)

Kabutomushi, also known as Chiikabu, is a playful rhinoceros beetle-like creature that becomes Chiikawa's friend. It shows a cute appearance and personality towards the other critters, but in reality, Kabutomushi is a mimic monster who lures the chiikawas to eat them.

Anoko (あのこ; lit. 'That kid')

Voiced by: Yoshino Aoyama

Anoko, originally known as Grey no Ko (グレーの子; lit. 'The grey kid') is a wild and dangerous chimera that originally had the body of a chiikawa that worked alongside Chiikawa at a lemon-labeling factory. It does not seem to regret swapping bodies, as it is pleased to be significantly stronger than the chiikawas, and no longer needing to be afraid of hunting.

Dekatsuyo (でかつよ; lit. 'Big strong')

Voiced by: Taiki Yamashita [ja]

Dekatsuyo is a timid and shy chimera. It does not eat Chiikawa and friends like the other chimeras. The only time it gets aggressive is when it is in the presence of Momonga. Dekatsuyo had its body forcibly swapped with Momonga by an evil witch. It hangs out with Anoko, another chimera who was originally one of the chiikawas.

Pochette no Yoroi-san (ポシェットの鎧さん; lit. '"Body-Armor with Pochette"')

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita^[18]

One of the humanoid species that wears silver armor and carries a pink pouch that he crafted himself. He is often making costumes for the main trio. He is good friends with Rōdō no Yoroi-San and Ramen no Yoroi-san, with the three of them often hanging out together.

Rōdō no Yoroi-san (労働の鎧さん; lit. 'Body-Armor Labor')

Voiced by: Hiroki Tōchi^[18]

A humanoid character wearing grey armor that manages the job booth where the critters sign up for the day's tasks.

Ramen no Yoroi-san (ラーメンの鎧さん; lit. 'Body-Armor of Ramen shop')

Voiced by: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka^[18]

A humanoid character wearing yellow armor that works at the Ramen Restaurant "Rou" (it is inspired by Ramen Jiro). Shisa apprentices under them as part of the Super Part-timer Program.

Pajama Parties (パジャマパーティーズ)

Pajama Parties is a music unit that sing and dance whilst wearing different colored pajamas made by Pochette no Yoroi-san. The group consists of Midori, Pinku, Murasaki and Shiro. Their signature song is Pajama Parties no Uta (パジャマパーティーズのうた; lit. 'Pajama Parties' song'). Before they can perform in a music festival, Pinku, Murasaki and Shiro were kidnapped by a giant bird.

Midori (みどり; lit. 'Green')

Voiced by: Sumire Morohoshi^[24]

The creator, leader and songwriter of Pajama Parties, it has cow-like horns and tail and wears green pajamas. After its friends were kidnapped by the giant bird, it asked Chiikawa, Hachiware and Usagi to join Pajama Parties.

Pinku (ぴんく; lit. 'Pink')

Voiced by: Maria Naganawa^[24]

The member of Pajama Parties that wears pink pajamas. After being freed from the giant bird, it lost its right ear and has gained a giant cross-shaped scar on its face.

Murasaki (むらさき; lit. 'Purple')

Voiced by: Mari Uchiyama [ja]^[24]

The member of Pajama Parties that wears purple pajamas. After being freed from the giant bird, it has lost its left ear.

Shiro (しろ; lit. 'White')

Voiced by: Yu Sasahara^[24]

The member of Pajama Parties that wears white pajamas, it has a horn on its head and seemingly does not have any ears. After being freed from the giant bird, it has gained a giant cross-shaped scar on its face.

With over 2.7 million copies in circulation,^[35] the manga has been nominated for the 48th Kodansha Manga Award in 2024 in the General category.^[52] The series won the 53rd Japan Cartoonists Association Award in the Manga Division.^[53] Chiikawa merchandise rose popularity in China and Hong Kong in early 2024.^[54][55]

Chiikawa has given rise to a variety of merchandise. On the official online store, there are various products designed based on the anime characters, including plush toys, stickers, clothing, and more.^[56] Co-branding between Chiikawa and other comics or companies are also well-received. The official Chiikawa website has collaborated with Sanrio, Hankyu, and Converse,^[57] among others. A wide range of themed products are also offered, including magical girl series, sushi series, and Lailai Chinese restaurants series.^[58] In July 2025, Chiikawa Park opened in Tokyo, Japan.^[59]

Chiikawa collaborated with Ariana Grande on the music video for "Santa Tell Me".^[60] Popular characters from Chiikawa were dressed as Santa Claus and the music video was animated. Since the video's release on December 6, 2023, it was viewed approximately 1.38 million times in a single day, further increasing the popularity of Chiikawa. In September 2024, Chiikawa stickers was released in Japanese Happy Meals.^[61] Chiikawa, among other Japanese brands, partnered with Major League Baseball for the 2025 Tokyo Series.^[62]