ChaO (2025)
Out of every operational anime studio, few feel quite as audacious as Studio 4°C. Responsible for classics including Memories, Mind Game, and Tekkonkinkreet, Studio 4°C has continually pushed the limits of what anime can be visually, and how that can translate into bold and exciting storytelling. Screening as part of the 2025 Animation is Film festival, Yasuhiro Aoki's ChaO, the newest film from the studio, continues to do just this. Set in a fictionalized world where mermaids and humans live side-by-side, ChaO follows a young man named Stephen (Ouji Suzuka) who has a chance meeting with a mermaid princess named Chao (Anna Yamada). Chao turns Stephen's life upside down, immediately proposing to him and making him a celebrity overnight.
ChaO is a movie that is an attack on the senses in the best of ways. Clearly drawing influence from the work of Masaaki Yuasa, who Studio 4°C and Aoki have both previously worked with, ChaO is bright and playful. The animation throws color and creative ideas onto every inch of the frame. The linework and character design are highly stylized, not trying to create an illusion of reality but instead creating a world that is subjective and exciting. The movie moves at a quick pace, flying the audience through this world in a way that echoes how disorientingly fast Stephen is pulled into his new life.
Similarly paced, the comedy of the film moves at a mile a minute. Whenever there is an opening for a joke or comedic bit, the film jumps on it. The result is a film that is relentlessly entertaining and watchable. Even if every joke doesn't land, the film moves on as quickly as it introduces each comedic bit, with the next one coming shortly. Enough of these attempts are strong enough that the film never grows annoying or unwatchable as a result, often coming off as clever and genuinely funny. It is especially appreciated how much energy and thought the film devotes to physical comedy, making the most of its identity as an animated feature where it can take full advantage of individualistic character design and unrealistic settings. It doesn't feel like any technical element of the film is left untouched or uninspired, with every part of the film being used to generate something of value.
This extravagantly noteworthy exterior is a blessing for the film, as below, the interior of the film is overall lacking the same flair. While the narrative beats and character arc of Stephen play well and have the desired impact of the film, much of the work here feels far more predictable and standard than the presentation would lead it to seem. It never feels like the film goes quite deep enough into the darker parts of the story, always wanting to alleviate tension or sadness with comedy and brightness. The pace never allows the characters to sit or for real gravitas to form within their emotional journeys.
While the viewing experience isn't overly hampered as a result, the pace and comedy always keep it on track and moving; it does weaken the impact of the film that remains in the memory as a fun comedic experience rather than a deeply moving one. There is also a third-act reveal that fails to land. While this explanation might help audience members understand some of the brash decisions made by characters throughout the film, the feature is already operating removed-from-reality where it is hard to imagine anyone would get stuck on a jump in logic or typical behavior as expressed here.
While ChaO might not reach the emotional or narrative highs of a Yuasa feature or some of Studio 4°C's previous work, this is still worth a watch. Especially when it plays into its lightning-fast absurdist humor, the film finds a momentum that just won't stop. Featuring some of the best animation of the year, this is a world that is impossible not to get sucked into and have a good time with.
ChaO is a movie that is an attack on the senses in the best of ways. Clearly drawing influence from the work of Masaaki Yuasa, who Studio 4°C and Aoki have both previously worked with, ChaO is bright and playful. The animation throws color and creative ideas onto every inch of the frame. The linework and character design are highly stylized, not trying to create an illusion of reality but instead creating a world that is subjective and exciting. The movie moves at a quick pace, flying the audience through this world in a way that echoes how disorientingly fast Stephen is pulled into his new life.
Similarly paced, the comedy of the film moves at a mile a minute. Whenever there is an opening for a joke or comedic bit, the film jumps on it. The result is a film that is relentlessly entertaining and watchable. Even if every joke doesn't land, the film moves on as quickly as it introduces each comedic bit, with the next one coming shortly. Enough of these attempts are strong enough that the film never grows annoying or unwatchable as a result, often coming off as clever and genuinely funny. It is especially appreciated how much energy and thought the film devotes to physical comedy, making the most of its identity as an animated feature where it can take full advantage of individualistic character design and unrealistic settings. It doesn't feel like any technical element of the film is left untouched or uninspired, with every part of the film being used to generate something of value.
This extravagantly noteworthy exterior is a blessing for the film, as below, the interior of the film is overall lacking the same flair. While the narrative beats and character arc of Stephen play well and have the desired impact of the film, much of the work here feels far more predictable and standard than the presentation would lead it to seem. It never feels like the film goes quite deep enough into the darker parts of the story, always wanting to alleviate tension or sadness with comedy and brightness. The pace never allows the characters to sit or for real gravitas to form within their emotional journeys.
While the viewing experience isn't overly hampered as a result, the pace and comedy always keep it on track and moving; it does weaken the impact of the film that remains in the memory as a fun comedic experience rather than a deeply moving one. There is also a third-act reveal that fails to land. While this explanation might help audience members understand some of the brash decisions made by characters throughout the film, the feature is already operating removed-from-reality where it is hard to imagine anyone would get stuck on a jump in logic or typical behavior as expressed here.
While ChaO might not reach the emotional or narrative highs of a Yuasa feature or some of Studio 4°C's previous work, this is still worth a watch. Especially when it plays into its lightning-fast absurdist humor, the film finds a momentum that just won't stop. Featuring some of the best animation of the year, this is a world that is impossible not to get sucked into and have a good time with.