The small, cute somethings that grew up on social media

When a character's creator works for a company, it is common for the company to hold the trademark. That was the case with Jokebear, which Nagano created in 2014. After leaving the company, Nagano for a while used the name ‘Nagano Bear’ instead of Jokebear.

The new character, Chiikawa, was serialized not in a publisher's magazine but on the creator's own social media account. In August 2020, the ‘Chiikawa’ trademark was filed in the creator's own name, and it was registered the following year. The character's name and rights stayed with the creator.

Over three years, more than 800 comics were posted on social media. Fans shared the comics and spread Chiikawa.

Licensing and merchandise were entrusted to a company specializing in character goods. The creator holds the rights, and specialists handle operations. Even while profits were shared with publishers, broadcasters, and distributors, the character and story did not waver.

Chiikawa won the Grand Prix at the Japan Character Awards in 2022, and again every year from 2024 to 2026. Three Grand Prix wins in a row were a first for the award. The first feature film, released in July 2026, drew 11.55 million viewers by the end of September, ranking 14th in Japan's all-time box office.

Chiikawa, on social media platforms, grew by communicating with its fans and became the most popular character.
Social media is now the most powerful platform.