Dallas Film Now.

Director Yasuhiro Aoki’s animated fable explores the mysteries of love, romance, and shipbuilding. 

Peeling away the introductory layers, ChaO resolves into a lovely, lilting story between an eager bride and a reluctant groom. 

As with all cinematic romances, certain tropes are to be expected and, in most cases, welcomed, as long as they are taking place between two consenting adults. But what if one of them is a fish? And the other only is only engaged because all of humanity is awaiting his compliance? 

Ay, there’s the rub, Shakespeare might have written, if he were writing a play about interspecies newlyweds. 

In ChaO, it is the near future. Mermen have emerged from the sea to live among humans. It is a fragile understanding that is couched in extremely wary terms. 

Mermen retain their fishy shapes among humans, reserving the ability to transform into almost-human form for special occasions, and only if they feel extremely comfortable with the situation. Humans, on the other hand, are still inclined to conduct business as usual, even if their propeller-powered ships, to give but one example, pose a grave danger to all fish. 

Newly-employed at a shipbuilding company, Stephan (voiced by Oji Suzuka) proposes the idea of an ‘air-jet’ to propel ships more safely, an idea immediately dismissed by company CEO Mr. Sea (Ryôta Yamasato). Until, that is, Stephan, transferred to a janitorial position on one of the ships, falls into the sea and is rescued by a mermaid who just happens to be the daughter of mighty King Neptunus (Kenta Miyake). 

Awakening in a hospital, Stephan is amazed to be treated with dignity and deference, thanks to his friendship with the talking fish, who almost immediately declares that she has fallen in love with him and wants to get married.

Ungainly in appearance, klutzy by nature, and completely ignorant of the ways of humans, the mermaid who becomes known as ChaO (Anna Yamada) is an absolutely sweet and well-meaning character who does her level best to be good wife for Stephan, who felt pressured into the marriage by his boss, Mr. Sea — who insists that Stephan now call him ‘bro’ — and by the human community as a whole, since the feeling is that such a marriage will bring peace (and much more business) to the human race in their relationship with the mermen. 

Stephan’s only two human friends — his roommate, a ‘genius inventor,’ and their friendly neighbor Maibei (Kavka Shishido) — are in favor of the marriage, too, since they have borne witness to Stephan’s loneliness and awkward social interactions. As they say, he needs a ‘good wife,’ even if she is a fish. And even if she’s not quite ready to reveal her near-human form to him on a regular basis yet.

Per the press notes, the film was developed over seven years by STUDIO4°C, whose works extends from Mind Game to Poupelle of Chimney Town, and Yasuhiro Aoki, making his feature directorial debut after helming a few shorter films and working as an animator for more than 35 years, including, most recently, serving as key animator on The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The animation style chosen for ChaO is meticulously detailed in its backgrounds and landscapes, and wildly flowing in its character designs, which makes for a pleasing combination that often feels reckless and free. 

The decision to frame the narrative with a fairy tale that is revealed to be a history book for this alternative history future, and then using the device of a reporter named Juno (Shunsei Ota) stumbling upon Stephan and asking him to tell the story, feels overly complicated and unnecessary, but bear with this device and its use makes much more sense. Some initial confusion aside, once the narrative with a young Stephan kicks in, the story delights and enraptures, and it’s impossible to resist the charming ChaO. 

Besides, doesn’t every relationship have its challenges in the newlywed phase, even if both are ostensibly humans? 

The film opens Friday, April 10, in movie theaters throughout the Metroplex, via GKids Films.  For locations and showtimes, visit their official site.