Chiikawa Goes Global as Official English Dub Set for October Streaming Debut

Chiikawa is officially getting its first-ever English dub, with the hugely popular anime set to begin streaming for international fans through a newly launched official YouTube channel.

English-dubbed episodes will begin arriving on October 1, 2026, with the new Chiikawa International channel set to add further episodes every week.

Created by illustrator Nagano, Chiikawa began as a manga shared through X in 2020 and follows Chiikawa, Hachiware, Usagi and their friends through everyday adventures that mix adorable comedy with work, danger and some unexpectedly emotional moments.

The TV anime followed in 2022, turning the short stories into bite-sized animated episodes and helping Chiikawa grow into one of Japan’s biggest modern character properties.

That popularity reached another level this summer with the release of the series’ first theatrical movie, “Chiikawa: The Secret of Mermaid Island,” which debuted at number one in Japan after earning more than ¥2.24 billion during its opening weekend.

The movie adapts the popular Siren Arc from Nagano’s original manga, with the creator personally supervising the production and writing the screenplay for Chiikawa’s first feature-length adventure.

Chiikawa also made history at the Japan Character Award 2026 earlier this year, winning the event’s Grand Prix for a third consecutive year and earning Hall of Fame status after taking the top prize four times overall.

The new YouTube launch now gives English-speaking audiences another way to experience the series, but this time with the characters speaking English rather than relying on translated subtitles.

Official Korean and Chinese dubs of Chiikawa have previously been produced, making the new version the anime’s first official English-language dub.

The Chiikawa International channel has already begun introducing the project through promotional videos featuring the series’ main trio, while the familiar “Hitorigotsu” song has also been uploaded ahead of the first dubbed episodes.

The announcement has already attracted plenty of attention from overseas fans, with comments on the new channel expressing excitement about finally hearing Chiikawa and its cast in English.

Chiikawa’s first official English-dubbed episodes will begin streaming through the Chiikawa International YouTube channel on October 1, with new episodes scheduled to follow weekly.