GKIDS has unveiled the U.S. release date and trailer for ChaO, its newest Japanese animated romantic comedy. Before its U.S. theatrical release, the movie first had its world premiere at the 2025 Annecy International Film Festival, where it won the Jury Award for a feature film.
“In a fantastical future, humans and mermaids share a troubled coexistence. Stephan, an anxious employee at a shipbuilding company, has big ideas to save the sea. But his life explodes into ecstatic chaos when bubbly mermaid princess Chao proposes marriage out of the blue,” reads the official synopsis. “Between shopping sprees, giant robots, and actual fireworks, the unlikely pair flounder through their new romance and unlock their true feelings.”
Check out the ChaO trailer below (watch more trailers):
When is the U.S. release date for ChaO?
ChaO is scheduled to arrive in theaters in North America starting on April 10, 2026. The anime movie features the voices of Anna Yamada as the titular character, Ouji Suzuka as Stefan, Yūichirō Umehara as Roberta, Ryota Yamasato as President Shi, Kavka Shishido as Maibei, Kenta Miyake as King Neptunus, Anna Tsuchiya as the Editor-in-Chief, Shunsei Ôta as Juno, and more.
Described as “an ode to boundless love,” the movie hails from veteran animator Yasuhiro Aoki, who directed from a screenplay written by Hanasaki Kino. It is a production by acclaimed Japanese animation house Studio 4°C. The creative team consists of producer Eiko Tanaka, composer Takatsugu Muramatsu, editor Kengo Shigemura, cinematographer Takanori Nakashima, art director Hiroshi Takiguchi, and more.
