ChaO

Play trailer

ChaO

Apr 2026

1h 29m

Drama

Fantasy

Romance

Anime

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

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.

Elijah Gonzalez

AV Club

4d

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

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

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

Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

2d

3.5/5

The action often becomes over-the-top slapstick, while the complex imagery is an incredible mix of bright hues and varied textures.

Go to Full Review

Sebastian Zavala Kahn

Me gusta el cine

3d

3/5

Today, more than ever, when they want to shove generative AI down our throats, it's important to give these kinds of productions a chance, clearly designed and animated by humans, and with a lot of effort. [Full review in Spanish].

Go to Full Review

M.N. Miller

Nerd Alert

4d

6/10

Despite the obvious flaws, ChaO dazzles with vibrant, hand-drawn animation that is bold and imaginative.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Jessica F B

2d

Not as feel-good funny as I was expecting. Very unusual character designs.

See more

Vance

3d

The best romance movie I think I've ever watched, genuinely the most unique animation I've ever seen

See more

A L R

3d

Gorgeous depiction of mythological folklore in mermaids into a futuristic world setting.

See more

Jonathan

4d

Yo this kinda sucked, the more I think about it, the less I like it. Which is a shame because this animation style is very unique and beautiful at times, but this movie is ultimately loud, annoying, hard to follow, and cluttered in every aspect.

See more

K R

4d

Whimsical, a bit silly, but overall a great film with a pretty wholesome story. Absolutely enjoyed every minute!

See more

Khang N

6d

Definitely a fun and upbeat film. Who would have thought the tempo for a slice-of-life slow-burn fantasy would be this decent? At worst the art style is insanely rich, fun and charming at times.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Yasuhiro Aoki

Director

Oji Suzuka

Stephen

Anna Yamada

Chao

Ryota Yamasato

Sea President

Kavka Shishido

Maibei

Yuichiro Umehara

Robert

View more photos

Synopsis

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.

Director: Yasuhiro Aoki
Producer: Eiko Tanaka
Screenwriter: Saku Konohana
Distributor: GKIDS
Production Co: Studio 4°C
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 10, 2026, Limited
Runtime: 1h 29m

Most Popular at Home Now