ChaO (2026) – Review and Summary

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

Additionally, some images and text may include affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission or receive products if you make a purchase.

“ChaO” Film Details

• Director(s): Yasuhiro Aoki
• Writer(s): Hanasaki Kino
• Distributor: GKIDS
• Runtime: 1 Hour(s) and 30 Minutes
• Public Release Date (In Theaters): April 10, 2026
• Genre(s): Comedy, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Animation
• Content Rating: Not Rated
• Primary Language: Non-English (Japanese)
• Images © of / Courtesy Of GKids

Movie Summary

Stephan has been an orphan since he was a young boy, but growing up with a love for the sea, fishing, nature, and the vessels that made it all possible, he wanted to make things better. So, he became an engineer, focused on creating a new type of boat which didn’t require a propeller, but getting his boss to see this design was impossible, especially when it meant completely changing what product they sold, their financials, and more.

Enter Chao, the princess of the Merpeople, who presents the idea that Stephan is her soul-mate, and with her association with him, he gets every opportunity he could dream of. The problem is, Stephan doesn’t know Chao from any other merman or mermaid in existence. Also, while Merpeople can look physically human under certain conditions, Chao often is just a giant talking fish, in huge sneakers.

So as we watch ChaO, we witness Stephan trying to learn to love Chao for who she is, despite her many mistakes, and understand why in the world she is so in love with him?

Cast and Characters

Stephan (Oji Suzuka)

• Character Summary: Orphaned at a young age, due to an incident on the family boat, Stephan dedicated his life to society moving away from the propeller system. But, coming from a fishing village and lacking connections, he found himself having to work from the bottom to get where he needed to be to make a difference.

Chao (Anna Yamada)

• Character Summary: Chao is the princess of the merpeople and often appears in fish form. Because of this, paired with memories and promises that Stephan doesn’t recall, while Chao is a lovely young woman, with the prestige Stephan needs, he also finds her to be a burden.

Mybae (Kavka Shishido)

• Character Summary: Mybae is Stephan’s neighbor and one of his closest friends, who tries to help Chao navigate the human world and romance, as she tries to navigate her own relationship with Robert.

Robert (Yûichirô Umehara)

• Character Summary: Robert is Stephan’s best friend, a genuine engineer and creator, who is in love with Mybae but too shy to convey his feelings. So, they have an awkward, but comical, relationship.

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

Investment In Characters [84/100]

What ChaO does surprisingly well is not just world-building and making things visually stimulating, but also making those who fill the world mean something, too. Whether it is Stephan’s boss, Chao’s father, Stephan’s friends, surrogate parents, or his actual parents when they were alive, everything feels like it has purpose.

Now, to be clear, sometimes the purpose is small, like Stephan’s kindness being repaid when he needs it, by a character you may not have taken much note of. But then there is Mybae and Robert, Stephan’s closest friends, who have a b-line story about their relationship. It never feels like a distraction or meant to compensate for the drama of Stephan’s relationship with Chao. Instead, it shows other people have stuff going on and could be seen as just deserving of the audience’s focus, without having to compete. It’s complimentary, and I don’t believe too many movies really pull that off well.

The Film Addresses How It Could Have Had Less Drama If Chao Spoke Up [82/100]

ChaO is one of the few films that admit that one conversation that provided clarity could have made all the drama non-existent. It’s a comical part of the film, which comes towards the end, but you appreciate the self-awareness.

Now, let it be clear, while the acknowledgment is appreciated, you aren’t likely to feel like the film would have been better if there had been clarity early on. Because ChaO lacks that, you get a sense of how the love between Chao and Stephan was earned, built, and even if there were those who didn’t understand it, and think it was exploitative on Stephan’s part, it did become something real. And as we’re exposed to the reasons Chao fell in love with Stephan, especially during a difficult time in his life, if you are of the sappy variety like I am, you may get in your feelings and become teary-eyed.  

Overall

Our Rating (83/100): Positive (Worth Seeing)

While ChaO is visually bizarre, what it isn’t is gimmicky. It knows how to stand out and earn a place in your memory for something beyond the superficial. For with a romance that feels earned, and not simply a meet-cute, happenstance situation, paired with supporting characters who you get just as invested in as the lead, ChaO is a reminder that when animated movies are about more than a cash grab, they are more intentional about creating memories than some of the best live-action films.

Hence, the positive label. ChaO is one of the best romantic comedies we’ve seen in a long time that balances the lead’s trauma, their personal growth, the romance we were marketed, and creates a world and people worth investing in.

What To Check Out Next

Check out our movies page! There you’ll find our latest movie reviews and recommendations, like some of our posts below:

• 

  Inkwo for When the Starving Return (2025): Review and Summary

  “Inkwo for When the Starving Return” has the makings of an anime that could aspire to the levels of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

• 

  Love Death + Robots: Kill Team Kill (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)

  Government soldiers face off against a mecha bear that has killed dozens without mercy.

• 

  Sing ‘Yesterday’ For Me: Season 1 Episode 1 “Scene 01” [Series Premiere] – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

  “Sing ‘Yesterday’ For Me,” as it addresses the regrets that come with early adulthood, makes you hyper-aware of what is and isn’t going right in your life.

Images used for editorial and commentary purposes. All rights remain with their respective copyright holders.