Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island Dominates South Korean Box Office for Third Consecutive Weekend
The South Korean box office experienced a slight contraction over the weekend spanning from October 30 to November 1, registering a collective market gross of $5.3 million—a modest dip from the previous week’s $5.6 million. Despite the minor cooling in overall theatrical attendance, the box office was anchored by the continued, unyielding dominance of Japanese animated powerhouse Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island. Distributed by Toho and directed by Kei Oikawa, the film successfully fended off a slate of domestic and Hollywood challengers to claim the number one position for the third consecutive week.
According to official tracking data provided by the Korean Film Council (KOBIS), the fantasy-adventure feature brought in $1.7 million from 221,651 admissions across 1,167 screens. This commanding performance captured 32.1% of the total weekend market share. Adapted from Nagano’s widely popular manga series, the film has proven to be a juggernaut since its initial September 30 release. To date, Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island has amassed a cumulative gross of $20.1 million, fueled by a staggering total of 2,583,851 admissions. Industry analysts attribute the film’s longevity to its cross-demographic appeal, resonating deeply with both younger audiences drawn to its distinct aesthetic and older viewers who follow Nagano’s original literary works.
Hollywood Challengers and Mid-Week Openers Make Their Mark
While the top spot remained firmly under the grasp of the animated phenomenon, the rest of the box office hierarchy saw notable shifts with several fresh theatrical entries. Sony Pictures and TriStar’s survival thriller Heart of the Beast made a strong statement in its debut frame, capturing the second-place position. The film grossed $1.2 million from 162,790 admissions across 1,106 screens, securing 23% of the weekend’s theatrical revenue. Having opened mid-week on October 28, Heart of the Beast sits at a cumulative gross of $1.5 million from 215,237 total admissions.
Further down the rankings, local productions carved out notable spaces for themselves. By4M Studio and Barunson E&A’s workplace comedy Ugly Duckling Ms. Maeng debuted in third place. The film brought in $326,609 from 44,799 admissions across 677 screens, accounting for 6.09% of the market. Marking the directorial debut of screenwriter Lee Yong-jae, the comedy features a high-profile ensemble cast including Lee Sun-bin, Yoo Jae-myung, Kim Young-min, and Jeon Seok-ho. The narrative centers on a high school language teacher who finds herself unexpectedly sequestered into the top-secret, high-stress 40-day test-writing committee for the grueling national college entrance examination. Following an enthusiastic preview run at the Busan International Film Festival and its commercial rollout on October 28, Ugly Duckling Ms. Maeng has pushed its overall gross to $505,208 from 71,767 viewers.
Political Thriller Persists Amid Controvery and Legal Complaints
In the fourth position, director Hur Jin-ho’s politically charged crime thriller The Assassin(s) demonstrated impressive staying power, holding firm during its sixth frame in theaters. Distributed by Hive Media Corp and starring a powerhouse cast of Yu Hae-jin, Park Hae-il, and Lee Min-ho, the film collected $307,719 from 41,265 admissions across 620 screens, accounting for 5.7% of weekend receipts.
The historical drama, which meticulously reconstructs the high-stakes events surrounding the August 15, 1974, assassination attempt on President Park Chung-hee, has been dogged by controversy since its September 23 launch. The title has faced ongoing legal complaints and vocal protests from conservative civic groups alleging historical distortion, specifically regarding its dramatic portrayal of contradictions within state investigative bodies. Despite these off-screen headwinds—or perhaps amplified by the public discourse surrounding them—The Assassin(s) continues to draw audiences, lifting its cumulative total to an impressive $25.5 million from 3,448,036 admissions.
Mid-Tier Performers and Milestones Across the Board
The middle tier of the box office featured a mix of theatrical re-issues, genre sequels, and prestige dramas. Taking fifth place was the anime re-release Attack on Titan: Crimson Arrows. The theatrical re-issue of the 2014 feature pulled in $266,616 from 30,263 admissions across 233 screens, pushing its updated cumulative haul to $547,187 from 72,324 admissions.
In sixth place, CJ ENM’s gritty gambling drama Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub added $208,310 from 26,650 admissions across 498 screens. Directed by Choi Kook-hee and starring Byun Yo-han, Noh Jae-won, and Ayaka Miyoshi, this fourth installment in the comic-adapted franchise officially crossed a major box office milestone over the weekend, surpassing the two-million-ticket threshold to reach a cumulative total of $15.7 million from 2,055,522 total viewers.
Psychological thrillers and comic-book adaptations occupied the seventh and eighth slots. CJ Entertainment’s Paradise Lost, directed by Yeon Sang-ho and starring Kim Hyun-joo and Bae Hyun-sung, placed seventh with $124,104 from 17,053 admissions across 593 screens, bringing its cume to $1 million from 151,429 admissions. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. and DC Studios’ Clayface placed eighth in admissions with 16,641 viewers across 444 screens, though it generated a slightly higher revenue gross of $140,321. The dark comic adaptation has now accumulated $899,915 from 115,464 admissions.
Long-Run Veterans and New Debuts Round Out the Top Ten
Entering the twilight of its historic theatrical run, Universal’s tentpole epic The Odyssey secured the ninth position in its remarkable 13th weekend. The film added $108,833 from 13,332 admissions across 254 screens, capturing 2.02% of the frame. The enduring blockbuster has now amassed a massive cumulative total of $106.4 million from 12,335,377 admissions since its premiere on August 5, cementing its status as one of the year’s definitive box office events in the region.
Rounding out the top ten, the Japanese romantic drama You, Like a Star debuted with $77,264 from 10,091 admissions across 154 screens. Directed by Michihito Fujii and starring Ryusei Yokohama alongside Suzu Hirose as young lovers bound by shared hardship on an isolated island in the Seto Inland Sea, the film has grossed $146,509 from 20,478 admissions since its October 28 release.
Broader Market Implications and Industry Outlook
The box office metrics from the October 30–November 1 weekend illustrate a shifting consumer landscape in South Korea, where localized dramas and targeted international imports are successfully sharing theatrical space with major Hollywood tentpoles. While the slight drop in overall gross revenue reflects normal seasonal fluctuations between major holiday windows, the robust performance of counter-programming—ranging from the lighthearted workplace comedy of Ugly Duckling Ms. Maeng to the culturally resonant political friction of The Assassin(s)—demonstrates that theatergoers remain selective yet engaged. As the industry looks toward the winter release slate, distributors will be closely analyzing the long-term legs of enduring hits like Chiikawa the Movie and The Odyssey to gauge consumer appetite heading into the final month of the year.
