Film opened in Japan on August 15
GKIDS unveiled on Thursday an English-subtitled trailer, visual, and April 10 opening in North American theaters for Yasuhiro Aoki and Studio 4°C’s anime feature film ChaO:
Image courtesy of GKIDS
© 2025「ChaO」製作委員会
Image via ChaO film’s X/Twitter account
©2025「ChaO」製作委員会
The film opened in Japan on August 15. The film will screen in 16 countries and regions around the world.
GKIDS licensed ChaO, and it describes the story:
From acclaimed Japanese animation production house Studio 4°C comes a wild romantic comedy and true “fish out of water” story. In a futuristic world where humans and mermaids coexist, ChaO follows Stephan, a mild-mannered office worker at a shipbuilding company, whose life is upended when he is suddenly proposed to by Chao — a princess from the mermaid kingdom. With no time to make sense of what’s happening, Stephan soon finds himself living with the unpredictable, wholehearted Chao. As her sincere love begins to break down his emotional barriers, an unexpected and touching romance begins to unfold.
Ōji Suzuka (Kimi ni Todoke, The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes) plays Stefan, a salaryman at a ship-making company. Anna Yamada (live-action Golden Kamuy, Saki) plays Chao, the pure princess of the mermaid kingdom.
The film also stars:
Yasuhiro Aoki (Kimagure Robot, Tweeny Witches) directed the film at Studio 4°C, and Hirokazu Kojima (Deadman Wonderland, Coyote Ragtime Show) was the character designer and chief animation director. Hiroshi Takiguchi (Ajin, The Case of Hana & Alice, The Garden of Words) was the art director. Takatsugu Muramatsu (Mary and The Witch’s Flower, Phoenix: Eden17) composed the soundtrack. Toei is distributing the film.
Kumi Kōda performs the opening theme song “ChaO!,” written specifically for the film.
The film premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, which ran in France from June 8-14, and also won the Jury Prize. The JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film screened the film on its opening night at New York on July 10. The film then screened at the 29th annual Fantasia International Film Festival, which ran from July 16 through August 3 in Montreal. The film competed for the Grand Prize for Feature Animation at this year’s Ottawa International Animation Festival, which was held from September 24-28. The Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, which took place from October 9-19 in Sitges, Spain, screened the film. GKIDS, Annecy International Animation Film Festival, and Variety’s Animation is Film festival screened the film in competition, which took place at Los Angeles on October 17-19. The Asia Pacific Screen Academy nominated the film in last year’s 18th Asia Pacific Screen Awards (ASPA).
Source: Press release
