Summary
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Studio 4°C is filming a new anime film titled ChaO, which is scheduled to premiere in Japan in summer 2025.
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The film has been in production for seven years, hand-drawn with over 100,000 drawings.
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Directed by Yasuhiro Aoki, the plot follows a mermaid princess who asks an office worker to marry her.
Quick links
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Directed by: Naruto: The Last Assistant Animation Director
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The plot of ChaO looks like some kind of funny fairy tale about the Little Mermaid
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Studio 4°C is working on a new original anime film! The project was announced during Toei's 2025-2026 lineup press conference, as Toei (Dragon Ball, One piece) will distribute the film at least in Japan.
4°C was founded in 1986 and has been increasingly involved in anime production since the 2000s – they were already producing animated series before the 2000s, but their involvement in this type of production was more sparse. They have produced some Animatrix (2003) episodes and also animated the Berserk: Golden Age Arc Trilogy.
The new The film is titled ChaOand is scheduled to premiere in Japan in summer 2025. Since Toei is involved in this production, there is a possibility that they will aim for an international release, be it in theaters or directly on streaming services.
No international release information has been released yet, but Studio 4°C has posted about the film in English, also giving the impression that the film aims to reach a foreign audience:
Accordingly OriconStudio 4°C has been working on this film for seven years and the production is hand-drawn and includes over 100,000 drawings.
Directed by: Naruto: The Last Assistant Animation Director
Yasuhiro Aoki is responsible for directing. He is listed as associate animation director The Last: Naruto the Moviea film that leads up to Naruto and Hinata's wedding and is considered canon by many fans. He also worked, this time as a director Senjutsu Choukoukaku Orion, Honey Tokyo and episode 4 of Batman: Gotham City.
Hirokazu Kojima (Deadman Wonderland) is the character designer and chief animation director, while Hiroshi Takiguchi (Ajin, Weather with you) is the art director. The lead writer (or writers) have not been announced, but there is a possibility that Aoki will also write the script.
The plot of ChaO looks like some kind of funny fairy tale about the Little Mermaid
The story takes place in the future, but in a future where mermaids and humans live together. In this scenario, Chao, a princess from the Mermaid Kingdom, suddenly asks an office worker named Stephen to marry her.
No international release information has been officially announced.
Source: MyAnimeList, ANN