Today’s offering is a trailer for an imaginative Japanese animated romance “ChaO” [pronounced: CHA-OH].
In a fantastical future, humans and mermaids share a troubled coexistence. Stephan, an anxious employee at a shipbuilding company, has big ideas to save the sea. But his life explodes into ecstatic chaos when bubbly mermaid princess Chao proposes marriage out of the blue. Between shopping sprees, giant robots, and actual fireworks, the unlikely pair flounder through their new romance and unlock their true feelings.
Crafted over 7 years by the acclaimed STUDIO4°C and veteran animator Yasuhiro Aoki, ChaO is fresh, inventive and defies the design tropes of traditional anime. It’s unabashedly colorful, and this English speaker wishes he spoke Japanese so that the performances of the actors, who clearly understand the assignment, could be fully enjoyed in their native language. Alas, subtitles will have to do for me.
The creators of the film describe ChaO as equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, its narrative is an ode to boundless love.
It is being distributed by GKIDS, and comes to theaters on April 10, 2026.
