Chiikawa edges out The Assassin(s) by 215 admissions at the Korean box office

Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island has landed at the top of the South Korean box office during the weekend of October 9–11. The Toho-distributed anime film beat The Assassin(s), the local political thriller that had dominated the chart until now, by just 215 admissions. According to KOBIS, the Korean Film Council's tracking service, the Japanese film grossed $3.13 million from 407,895 viewers across 1,067 screens, a 29.7% share of the weekend market.

Directed by Kei Oikawa and adapted from Nagano's manga, the film follows the title character and his companions on a retreat to a remote island where they end up uncovering a supernatural threat. It opened in Korea on September 30 and has already grossed $9.9 million with 1,281,485 tickets sold. The margin over its closest rival is the narrowest to decide a first-place finish so far this year in the country.

The Korean political thriller won't back down

The Assassin(s), directed by Hur Jin-ho, placed second with $3.03 million and 407,680 viewers across 1,312 screens. The 215-ticket difference confirms that both productions were virtually tied throughout the weekend. The Hive Media Corp-distributed film reconstructs the assassination attempt on President Park Chung-hee on August 15, 1974, with Yu Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho playing characters who investigate the contradictions in the official account.

Since its September 23 release, the film has grossed $21.8 million with 2,992,543 viewers. It is on the verge of surpassing three million admissions, a milestone that seems inevitable despite the controversy surrounding it. Conservative civic groups, lawmakers, and victims' relatives have accused the production of historical distortion and filed defamation complaints. The trigger is the suggestion that internal government forces may have orchestrated the attack that killed first lady Yuk Young-soo.

The pressure has gone beyond the courts. There were protests outside Yu Hae-jin's private residence, and several actors had to withdraw from promotional events at the Busan International Film Festival. A coalition of 19 Korean film guilds responded with a joint statement in defense of freedom of expression. Even so, the box office has held firm.

The rest of the top 10

Third place went to CJ ENM's Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub with $1.4 million and 190,080 viewers in its third week. The fourth installment in the comic-based franchise has now grossed $13.1 million since its September 23 release. It was followed by Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, which added $979,402 and 95,215 viewers in its tenth week. With $103.1 million grossed and 12.1 million admissions, it is already the highest-grossing international release of all time in South Korea.

Fifth place went to Lotte Entertainment's Reawakened Man with $398,045 in its second week. The webtoon adaptation starring Koo Kyo-hwan, about a man who resurrects three days after dying to fight criminal organizations, has grossed $2.2 million.

In sixth position, the live-action adaptation of Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga Look Back, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, debuted with $339,468 from 41,423 viewers across 338 screens. Including preview screenings prior to its October 8 release, the film that competed in Venice has grossed $498,804 and 62,383 admissions.

Seventh place went to The Mouths, from Japanese horror director Takashi Shimizu, with $256,120 in its opening. Eighth was Focus Features' Obsession with $147,967 in its sixth week. Digger, Alejandro G. Iñárritu's black comedy starring Tom Cruise, placed ninth with $131,473. Rounding out the top 10 was Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame Encore with $113,467.

Total weekend box office in South Korea was $10.5 million, down from $12.6 million the previous week. The figure confirms a downward market trend, but also that Japanese anime continues to find space in Korea's commercial theaters when it arrives with a recognizable brand like Chiikawa.

"The 215-admission margin is the narrowest to decide a first-place finish so far this year in South Korea"

Next week will show whether Chiikawa can hold on or whether The Assassin(s) reclaims the lead with the momentum of three million viewers. For now, the anime film has already proven it can compete head-to-head with the country's most controversial and commercially successful local production.

Did you expect Chiikawa to perform this well outside Japan? Let us know in the comments.