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Chiikawa
Cover of the first volume
ちいかわ
Manga
Written by	Nagano
Published by	Kodansha
Demographic	Seinen
Original run	January 2020 – present
Volumes	7
Anime television series
Directed by	Takenori Mihara
Music by	Shūgo Tokumaru
Studio	Doga Kobo
Licensed by	Sentai Filmworks
Original network	FNS (Fuji TV)
Original run	April 4, 2022 – present
Episodes	254

Chiikawa (ちいかわ), also known as Nanka Chiisakute Kawaii Yatsu (なんか小さくてかわいいやつ, 'literally translated to: Something Small and Cute'), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nagano. The main contents of the work are the daily lives and interactions of a series of cute animal or animal-inspired characters. It has been serialized online via Twitter since January 2020 and has been collected in seven tankōbon volumes by Kodansha. An anime television series adaptation by Doga Kobo premiered in April 2022.

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Chiikawa (ちいかわ)

Voiced by: Haruka Aoki^[1]

Chiikawa is creature of unspecified species or gender who lives in a big house. Very small, cute, and easily tearful, it is shy and scared of every monster it meets. However, it always tries to be stronger and to be a good friend who helps its companions in times of trouble. Recently, Chiikawa has been studying for a fifth-degree weeding certification (having already failed 2–3 times). It generally does not speak in words and expresses itself primarily through sounds. Chiikawa always says "Yada" and "Iyada", both of which are a childish way of saying "no" in Japanese.

Hachiware (ハチワレ)

Voiced by: Makoto Tanaka^[1]

Hachiware is a bicolor cat (also called Hachiware in Japan) who lives in a cave. Unlike Chiikawa and Usagi, Hachiware is a very chatty creature who likes to talk and sing, he can talk and communicate to others. He is kind-hearted and willing to help his friends.

Usagi (うさぎ, lit. 'Rabbit')

Voiced by: Ari Ozawa^[1]

Usagi is a rabbit who is friends with Chiikawa and Hachiware. He tends to shout and is incredibly hyper and playful. He is intelligent, positive, and have obtained a level three weeding certification.

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

Voiced by: Iguchi Yuka^[2]

Momonga is a naughty and playful flying squirrel. It is always focused on acting cute and is always begging for attention. Even during dangerous situations, it would ask for food and rest. In pursuit of its aim, Momonga might be motivated to "act cute". While it lacks knowledge in social cues, it makes an active effort to imitate other characters' cute actions, notably Chiikawa. In particular, it often imitates Chiikawa's yawning and crying.

Rakko (ラッコ, lit. 'Sea Otter')

Voiced by: Yuma Uchida^[2]

A brave sea otter when in battle, and he is top of the subjugation ranking. He looks very serious, but he actually loves strawberry flavored desserts. Rakko also has a car and is able to drive.^[3]

Kuri-Manjū (くりまんじゅう)

Voiced by: Takayuki Asai^[2]

Kuri-manjū's character design is based on a honey-badger and Kuri Manju, a Japanese confectionery bun made with chestnut fillings. He is always seen drinking alcohol and eating various foods, usually emitting a loud, exaggerated breath after taking a sip from his beverage.^{[4][better source needed]}

Shisa (シーサー)

Voiced by: Miyuri Shimabukuro

A hard-working and currently works at Rou ramen restaurant. Ramen no Yoroi-san is their master. Their character design is based on Ryukyuan cultural artifact of same name.

A kind, peaceful bookseller. She is a pink crab with two claws sticking out of her head. Her character design was revealed after Momonga placed a crab headband onto her.^[5] Although her name is spelt Furuhonya (古本屋), author Nagano writes Kani (かに) under it. She has not been included in the anime yet.

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

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita^[2]

One of the humanoid species that wears silver armor and carries a pink pouch. Pochette no Yoroi-san's pouch was made by himself, and "Chiikawa originally tried to buy it at his market, but it turned out it had a leaking hole, so after Hachiware pointed it out, he gave Chiikawa a new pouch". He also became friends with cuties such as Yoshi and Hachi as a result. He is good friends with the Labor Yoroi-San and the ramen store owner and the three of them often hang out together, such as going on picnics.

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

Voiced by: Hiroki Tōchi^[2]

A humanoid species wearing silver armor that works as job recruiter managing working positions for the cute creatures.

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

Voiced by: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka^[2]

A humanoid species wearing yellow armor that works at Rou Ramen.

An anime adaptation by Doga Kobo was announced on October 28, 2021.^[20] The television series is directed by Takenori Mihara, with Yuma Yamaguchi composing the music. It premiered on April 4, 2022, on Fuji TV's Mezamashi TV morning news and entertainment program.^[21][1] Sentai Filmworks licenses the series outside of Asia.^[22] In 2022, 120 English subtitled episodes were released on Hidive,^[23][24] although more episodes have been released outside of the service since then. On March 21, 2025, it was announced the anime would be on a hiatus for three months.^[25]

The manga series has over 2.7 million copies in circulation.^[16]

The series has been nominated for the 48th Kodansha Manga Award in 2024 in the General category.^[26] The series won the 53rd Japan Cartoonists Association Award in the Manga Division.^[27]

Chiikawa merchandise experienced a surge in popularity in China and Hong Kong in early 2024.^[28][29]

Chiikawa experienced a surge in popularity in the United States after clips of the anime were spread across social media sites in 2025, with users often describing it as "tuff".^{[citation needed]}

Chiikawa has given rise to a variety of merchandise. On the official online store, there is a variety of products designed based on the anime characters, including plush toys, stickers, clothing, and more.^[30] Co-branding between Chiikawa and other comics or companies are also well received. The official Chiikawa website has collaborated with Sanrio, Hankyu, and Converse,^[31] among others. A wide range of themed products are also offered, including Magic Girl series, sushi series, and Lailai Chinese restaurants series.^[32]

Chiikawa collaborated with Ariana Grande on the music video for “Santa Tell Me”.^[33] 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 could be found in Japanese Happy Meals.^[34]

Chiikawa, among other Japanese brands, partnered with Major League Baseball for the 2025 Tokyo Series.^[35]

• Anime official website (in Japanese)
• Official website (USA)
• Chiikawa (manga) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia