GKIDS has announced the U.S. release date and trailer for ChaO, its latest Japanese animated romantic comedy. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Annecy International Film Festival, where it received the Jury Award for a feature film before its U.S. theatrical debut.
“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 set to hit theaters in North America starting on April 10, 2026. The anime film 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 comes from veteran animator Yasuhiro Aoki, who directed from a screenplay written by Hanasaki Kino. It is produced by acclaimed Japanese animation studio Studio 4°C. The creative team includes producer Eiko Tanaka, composer Takatsugu Muramatsu, editor Kengo Shigemura, cinematographer Takanori Nakashima, art director Hiroshi Takiguchi, and others.
