studio 4ºC’s ‘ChaO’ Promises a Surreal Mermaid Tale Rooted in Cultural Coexistence
A new animated feature from the acclaimed Studio 4ºC,’chao’ aims to redefine the mermaid narrative with a visually stunning and thematically complex story set in a futuristic Shanghai.
The history of mermaid depictions in animation is rich, from hayao Miyazaki’s beloved Ponyo to Disney’s groundbreaking The Little Mermaid.However, the upcoming film ChaO, slated for release in 2026, distinguishes itself through a decidedly unconventional approach to the classic tale of love between a mermaid and a human. rather than simply retreading familiar ground, ChaO presents a staggeringly surreal and fully realized fantasy world, blending land and sea aesthetics in a way rarely seen in animated features.
At the heart of the story lies ChaO, a mermaid princess who unexpectedly sets her sights on a human named Stephan, with a sudden and initially unexplained desire for marriage. This narrative twist, coupled with the film’s unique setting, sets ChaO apart. The film’s world-building is a meaningful achievement, creating a hybrid habitat where architecture, transportation, and even the fauna are uniquely shaped by the interplay of land and sea.
Leading the creative charge is director Yasuhiro Aoki, a veteran animator with over three decades of experience in the Japanese industry. Aoki’s impressive resume includes genre-defining works such as Mind Game, Neon Genesis Evangelion, The Animatrix, and Sailor Moon. However, his passion for animation was ignited much earlier, with a 1970s series called Gutsy Frog. “Ther’s an animation called Gutsy frog where the action is really well done,” Aoki recalled. “That’s what got me interested in animation.”
Despite formal training at animation school, Aoki believes his most valuable lessons came from practical experience. “I did go to animation school, but I can’t say that it really helped me that much,” he admitted. “I think I learned more once I started work from butting heads with people and getting told off and just growing that way. But I guess you can learn a lot from watching what other people do, and I’ve been lucky enough to work with a lot of people who put a lot of work into.”
Central to the film is the character of ChaO herself, who spends much of the story as a fish-like creature awkwardly navigating the land before gradually adopting a more humanoid form as she becomes more pleasant with Stephan.”She has very tiny legs,” Aoki described. “She can’t really walk. Her steps are very small. She sways as she walks. This was the idea of the character designer Hirokazu Kojima, he loves cute things, and he came up with this rough concept of how she should move and walk. You could see straight away, this was such a cute design.”
As its premiere at the 2025 Annecy Festival, ChaO has sparked debate, with some critics finding ChaO’s character one-dimensional and motivated solely by her desire to please Stephan. Aoki acknowledged this criticism, suggesting it stems from the character’s initial design. “If people think she’s a superficial character, that means that they just saw her and promptly thought she was cute,” he stated. “But actually, the intention was that we would be more attracted to her as the film goes on, that we should find her that way in the end. but maybe some people do see her and immediately think, ‘Oh, she’s cute,’ in which case it’s probably down to the skill of the character designer.”
Despite these critiques, the film’s visual artistry and technical achievements are undeniable, generating considerable discussion within the film festival circuit. As ChaO prepares for a wider release in 2026, the debate surrounding its narrative and characterization is poised to extend to a broader audience, inviting viewers to explore the flaws and fantasy of this ambitious animated project.
