Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
After a long day at school, something small and cute can help distract us from the stress. Lately, for many in Hong Kong, this comes in the form of a cute character called Chiikawa.
A Japanese artist named Nagano created this character. It went viral as a web comic in 2017. In 2022, it was adapted into an anime, called Chiikawa.
Its name means “something small and cute”.
This show and its characters have become popular in Japan and other parts of Asia. In Hong Kong, Chiikawa fan accounts have tens of thousands of followers on Instagram.
Ken Fung is a clinical psychologist at Jadis Blurton Family Development Centre in Hong Kong.
He says the show is popular because it looks cute and has themes that young people understand. It often talks about fear and failure.
“At first glance, Chiikawa’s appearance is cute ... but the episodes are far deeper than that,” Fung said.
Why is this character so popular?
In the series, Chiikawa and his friends need to work hard to earn money for the things they need. Their jobs are not exciting or fun; they need to hunt monsters, remove weeds and put stickers on fruits.
These tasks are similar to what many students do every day.
Chiikawa’s friend, Hachiware, once complained: “I wish the stuff we wanted would just pop out of the ground.”
Even though they face many challenges, Fung said the characters openly talked about their sadness and fear of failure. He shared the example of how Hachiware admitted he did not know the answers to a test, so he just guessed.
Chiikawa was relieved because he had done the same. “The show ... helps [us] understand that these emotions are normal parts of life,” Fung said.
Happiness in the small things
The anime also shows the small moments of joy in life when yummy food magically appears or when Chiikawa has a meal with his friends.
“They really enjoy simple things like spending time together, even if it’s doing nothing special and just eating together,” Fung said.
“These scenes show us that even ordinary, everyday life can be beautiful, and we often forget that.”
The show’s message about showing support for friends is also important for young people. “I really like how the characters’ relationships show that in a world filled with challenges, kindness can help them overcome even the toughest obstacles,” Fung said.
Use the puzzle below to test your knowledge of the vocabulary words in the story.
Suggested answers
Before you read: Answers will vary.
Stop and think: Fung says that this show can introduce kids to real and difficult topics such as sadness and failure. Even though it is a kids’ show, it is not always happy. He also says the show highlights simple joys in life. It proves that everyday like is still fun.
Consider: Chiikawa has to do boring and ordinary things throughout the day, such as pulling weeds and putting stickers on fruits. Students also sometimes have to complete boring tasks. Chiikawa also has a problem where he guesses answers on a test and feels bad about it, something students can relate to.
