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ChaO

Play trailer ChaO 2025,  Anime/ Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 86% 28 Reviews Tomatometer - - Popcornmeter
86% Tomatometer 28 Reviews Popcornmeter
From acclaimed Japanese animation production house Studio 4C comes a wild romantic comedy and true "fish out of water" story. In a future society where humans and mermaids coexist, Stephan, a regular office worker at a shipbuilding company, is suddenly proposed to by Chao -- a princess from the mermaid kingdom! With no time to make sense of what's happening, Stephan finds himself living together with Chao. As he is showered with Chao's pure and wholehearted love, Stephan gradually begins to fall for her. What will become of their unlikely romance?

Critics Reviews

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Elijah Gonzalez AV Club Apr 14, 2026
C
A talented animation team does its best to bail water from this sinking ship, but an overreliance on contrivances and slapstick leaves too many holes to plug. Go to Full Review
William Bibbiani TheWrap Apr 10, 2026
Whether the love story completely works or not, 'ChaO' is such a visual wonder that it hardly matters. It’s a lush and emotional and, despite the sugar-addled intensity Yasuhiro Aoki crams into every scene, oddly inviting. Go to Full Review
Simon Abrams RogerEbert.com Apr 10, 2026
3.5/4
The most enchanting thing about 'ChaO’ isn’t necessarily its hyperpoptimism, but the many little ways in which its breezy and arresting style reflects its creators’ lightly held Utopianism. Go to Full Review
André Didyme-Dôme Rolling Stone en Español Aug 18, 2026
The film, beneath all its visual hyperactivity, ends up being exactly that: a story about learning to live with what we don't fully understand. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Abhishek Srivastava The Times of India Aug 8, 2026
3.5/5
You may not remember every twist the film has to offer, but you will remember the world Aoki creates and the optimism that runs through it. Go to Full Review
Christie Cronan Common Sense Media Jun 2, 2026
3/5
This quirky, vibrant anime movie offers an optimistic take on the classic mermaid love story, but the forced slapstick humor clashes with the sincere tone, resulting in a "fish out of water" feel. Go to Full Review
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Cast & Crew

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Yasuhiro Aoki

Director

Oji Suzuka

Voice

Anna Yamada

Voice

Anna Tsuchiya

Voice

Cookie

Voice

Kavka Shishido

Voice

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ChaO

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Movie Info

Synopsis From acclaimed Japanese animation production house Studio 4C comes a wild romantic comedy and true "fish out of water" story. In a future society where humans and mermaids coexist, Stephan, a regular office worker at a shipbuilding company, is suddenly proposed to by Chao -- a princess from the mermaid kingdom! With no time to make sense of what's happening, Stephan finds himself living together with Chao. As he is showered with Chao's pure and wholehearted love, Stephan gradually begins to fall for her. What will become of their unlikely romance?
Director
Yasuhiro Aoki
Producer
Eiko Tanaka
Genre
Anime, Romance
Original Language
Japanese
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