Mai Mai Miracle Achieves 0.6% Viewership Rating in Japan Last Week
According to the weekly Japanese anime television rankings published by Anime News Network, the film Mai Mai Miracle (Mai Mai Shinko) achieved a 0.6% viewership rating between June 15-21, 2025. While this figure is expected for a 2009 film re-airing on television, it shows that the film still draws an audience.
Mai Mai Miracle is directed by the renowned Sunao Katabuchi (In This Corner of the World, Black Lagoon). Based on the novel of the same name by Nobuko Takagi, the film tells the story of a young girl's growth and discoveries about her family history in 1950s Japan. Produced by Madhouse studio, the film received critical acclaim for its visual elegance and emotional depth, but achieved only limited box office success.
In Japan, television ratings are measured by Video Research, and a 0.6% rating is considered normal, especially for a film broadcast in the late-night slot. By comparison, popular anime series airing the same week garnered ratings between 2-4%, while a classic film being watched at this level indicates nostalgic interest. The film has been shown periodically on Japanese television before.
This rating for Mai Mai Miracle also reminds us that it is one of the works contributing to Sunao Katabuchi's greater international recognition. The director's 2016 masterpiece In This Corner of the World received high praise for its portrayal of wartime Japan. Mai Mai Miracle, on the other hand, showcases Katabuchi's versatility by offering a quieter, personal story.
This news offers a great opportunity for viewers who want to discover anime films from the late 2000s that did not receive the attention they deserved. If you haven't seen it yet, giving this film a chance—available on digital platforms or second-hand DVDs—can be a window into a different era of Japanese animation. Whether the film will be broadcast again on a television channel in the coming weeks remains uncertain.
