A glorious and vibrant feature-film debut from legendary Japanese animator Yasuhiro Aoki.
After its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June this year, ChaO has travelled around the world. In doing so, it has allowed the world to become aware of the talents of Aoki.
Written by Hailey Passmore
A young ship worker finds himself caught up in a whirlwind marriage to a mermaid in this whimsical and tense Japanese anime movie. At its heart, ChaO is a reminder that beauty is more than just what is on the outside; it comes from within. A tale about trust and love; how this can be lost just as easily as it can be gained. With attractive anime animation from veteran Japanese animator Yasuhiro Aoki, one cannot help but be drawn into the world of ChaO.
Shanghai is now a futuristic and fantastical world where humans and mermaids coexist. The city is hustle and bustle, there are methods of transport for both species. With transit systems, there is a need for employees to work on redesigns and maintenance. Stephen (Ouji Suzuka) is a young ship worker and one day finds himself caught up in a whirlwind. After a major wreck, he is saved by the princess Chao (Anna Yamada), of the merpeople. Stephen is barely given the time to breathe when he finds out that Chao has proposed, and they are to spend the rest of their lives together. As the two begin their relationship and the journey into unknown territory, Stephen’s emotional barricades are broken down, and the two learn things they might never have discovered before.
From its two-dimensional, rigid, and abrupt anime design, ChaO at first appears compelling to its viewers. Audiences, in the end, could be mixed on whether or not they believed the film was for them. As a typical Japanese animated film, the style appears most like manga, as one might expect. Aoki’s style attracts and pulls the audience into the story. This way, he is able to carefully craft his characters and fit them properly into the story with all elements. For his feature-animation debut, the skill and precision that went into his craft prove he is a new voice in Japanese anime to keep an eye on.
ChaO opens as a beautiful and saturated in colour, futuristic Shanghai. The filmmaker’s ideas are expressionistic and rich, with a wide future at the helm. There is no shortage of imagination present, and the world crafted feels surreal. There may be parts missing that seem a bit overbearing, but the humour that is included works even if a Western audience member might not fully understand.
There are moments in the film as well, where the style of the characters changes. By shaping them from sturdy and straight, then to more round and soft, it provides the audience context that they are witnessing something apart from the main storyline. The creativity of the animation team, led by the fantastic Aoki, does the film justice.
At times, ChaO becomes overwhelmed in the subplot with those who are against Stephen and Chao. Its important underlying themes are what is most significant. They allow for the film to have grit and character, without becoming too much like Romeo and Juliet. Within ChaO, the lessons learned are what are valuable. Stephen learns the most, and the subplots do not take away from the moments he experiences.
ChaO is a masterfully crafted anime film. With some slow portions, overall, the film is a door into the new possibilities of Japanese anime. For his first feature directorial debut, Aoki shows promise. With its premiere at BFI’s London Film Festival on October 11, 2025, ChaO presented itself to British audiences. Keep a lookout for the film’s release and new pieces of work from Aoki himself.
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