Still from ChaO (2025), by Yasuhiro Aoki
Still from ChaO (2025), by Yasuhiro Aoki
ChaO
Directed by Yasuhiro Aoki (Japan, 2025, 90 min.). Japanese with English subtitles.
In a fantastical future, humans and mermaids struggle to coexist. 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. Amid shopping sprees, encounters with giant robots, and actual fireworks, the unlikely pair flounder through their new romance and unlock their true feelings.
Crafted over seven years from more than 100,000 drawings, ChaO is an inventive and genre-defying delight bursting with color and character. Equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, this singular narrative is an ode to boundless love.
“Visually spectacular and energetic in style, this is a bracingly anarchic piece of storytelling that announces a distinctive new voice in Japanese anime.” —ScreenDaily
“Utterly Charming, Chaotic, And Often Hilarious … It is a stellar debut from Yasuhiro Aoki, who must have been aching for the world to know this story.” —ScreenAnarchy
Wheelchair accessible
With English subtitles
Ticket Information
To order tickets by phone, call 1-800-440-6975 ($6 processing fee applies); to order in person, visit any MFA ticket desk.
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