The New York-based animation distributor GKIDS has announced that tickets are now being sold forAyumu Watanabe’s (Children of the Sea) most recentanimefilm,Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko, which will be having a special premiere event and a limited theatrical release next month. Tickets went on sale this weekend on Saturday, April 29.
From acclaimed Studio 4°C, the anime film is based onKanako Nishi’s 2014 novelNikuko of the Fishing Harbor(“Gyokō no Nikuko-chan” in the original Japanese) which has sold over 350,000 print copies. A manga adaptation was released last year drawn by artistSugisakuand has since been collected in a single volume. The film originally premiered in Japan on June 29, 2025.
This heartwarming dramedy with a touch of magical realism is set in a relatively quiet seaside town and centers around Nikuko’s family of two. Lady Nikuko (Shinobu Otake) is a single mother with an imaginative 11-year-old daughter named Kikuko (Cocomi). Together they both live in a small boat in the harbor, but that’s where their similarities end. While Nikuko is brash, bold, and sometimes gullible, Kikuko is quieter and pensive. Unlike her mother, the young girl simply wants to fit in while navigating the daily dramas of being a middle school student. One day, their peaceful life is shaken by a revelation from the past which threatens their bond.
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The script was written bySatomi Ooshima, withKenichi Konishias chief animation director and in charge of the character design, andSanma Akashiyaas creative producer. Other members of the voice acting cast includeNatsuki Hanae(Tanjiro Kamado inDemon Slayer),Hiro Shimon(Connie Springer inAttack on Titan), andRiho Yoshioka(Akane Aioi inHer Blue Sky).
In partnership with Fathom Events, GKIDS is holding fan viewing events for the anime movie which will be played in theaters across the nation on Thursday, June 2. This will be followed by a limited theatrical release which begins the next day, June 3. In addition to the full feature, the Fathom Event screening will be having an introduction to the picture by Watanabe and Akashiya, as well as a premiere ofUshio Tazawa’s anime short seriesDeji Meets Girl.
Tickets for theFortune Favors Lady Nikukofan event are currently on sale atFathom Events' official website— theaters and participants may be subject to change.
