GKIDS
When a movie simply titled ChaO begins with an account of a mermaid saving a boy from drowning, writer/director Yasuhiro Aoki moves away from the idea of presenting another fairy tale. Unlike those fantasy yarns from long ago, what we find here is perhaps more inspired from Splash! that Tom Hanks and Darryl Hannah film is more of a sitcom about a fish out of water trying to get used to living in the human world, and in this anime, what’s offered here is similar.
In this presentation, Stefan (Oji Suzuka) and Princess Ao Sonni Chao Neptunus (Anna Yamada) haven’t even had their first date. Technically, this film begins in the present, where the surface world lives in harmony with the aquatic one. Here, we find that this human has moved on. Although the plot makes Juno (Shunsei Ōta) look like the protagonist, he is not. He’s a reporter who loses a scoop to a story, but when he finds Stefan, this chance to interview the sailor may well save him from being fired! During my second viewing, I noticed he’s similar to the actual lead, because both are wishy-washy.
In this framing narrative, Stefan’s yarn is quite the adventure; when it’s coming from the point of view of “What have I learned from this experience?” the drama experienced is classic and heartfelt! The details recounted reveal that there’s a lot more going on than an anecdote of courtship. The set pieces are well-paced to explore the various concerns this creator wanted to convey in his story. Here, not only do I learn how their relationship evolves through many trials, but we also get the occasional peak about the tensions between humans and merfolk!
When the feelings have always been (pardoning the pun) fishy, to witness the human accept the princess’ proposal needs explanation. Although Stefan is a reluctant bedfellow, he eventually comes around. Without giving too much away, the finale dramatically turns into quite the tempestuous ride.
Because this story is so perfectly developed to establish his point of view of the events past and present, I would love to see more tales written or directed by Aoki. He’s mostly known for his talent as a concept artist (Psycho-Pass) than producer. Also, this film marks his debut as a director in a feature-length work!
As for how much influence he had on the production design, I’m sure his stamp is everywhere. This film is nothing like the studio’s past efforts, namely Poupelle of Chinmey Town and Fortune Favours Lady Nikuko. Both are wonderful in their visual design, and this one goes down a different route. There’s some big-headed folk whom I suspect were once merfolk who lived on land and transformed to feature rather unusually abnormal humanoid features. No, they’re not like King Akhenaten, but are just fish folk who blended into human society!
Some people in this world are open to merfolk living among them. Others aren’t. The movie handles this topic well, especially through Stefan and Sonni’s rocky relationship. At first, it seems like a “nurse falls for the patient” story, but it becomes something deeper—and we see their genuine love literally surface.
Aoki provided a well-balanced tale concerning environmental activism, corporate corruption and the power of media in what is considered a rom-com. To be specific, they concern keeping the merfolk safe from the blade propellers most boats have. Also, the fight between the CEO of the corporation Stefan works at and the king is a secondary concern. As for the paparazzi, it seems some people have their opinions on whether this relationship will last. This is the first interspecies marriage in the world, and nobody may gossip should they have a public row.
In classic Studio 4°C fashion, the wild action scenes really sell the movie. The performances are convincing, and the final act feels like the ending of Video Girl Ai. The upbeat music helps set the tone too. After watching ChaO, I felt like going back to that 90s classic. The energy is similar even though the mannerisms between the two are vastly different. Cuteness matters—and Stefan and Sonni totally sell it.
5 Stars out of 5
ChaO Movie Trailer
Postscript: I’m eager to see how Studio 4 °C will subvert the “Groundhog Day” trope. When the title of the work, All You Need to Kill, is known and based on the novel of the same name, the military plot sounds familiar. I’m hoping it won’t be like Tom Cruise’s Edge of Tomorrow.