The Japanese animated film "Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island" pulled off an impressive feat by topping the weekend box office in its third week of release.

According to the Korean Film Council's integrated computer network for movie tickets on October 19, "Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island" drew 378,474 moviegoers nationwide from October 16 to October 18. Its cumulative audience stands at 1,828,909 viewers.

Released on September 30, "Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island" had remained in second place under the momentum of "The Assassin(s)", but showed late-stage staying power in its third week to conquer the weekend box office. At this rate, surpassing 2 million admissions during this week is considered all but certain.

"Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island" is an animated film depicting a suspicious subjugation mission where Chiikawa and friends, lured by the sweet temptation of 100 times the usual pay, journey to an unknown island and uncover the secrets hidden there. It is based on the popular long-form episode "Siren arc" from "Chiikawa," serialized by Japanese illustrator Nagano.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Ji-hye)