This is the first time in eight years that a Japanese animated film nabbed an award at Annecy.
STUDIO4°C’s romantic comedy animated film “ChaO” nabbed second place in the feature film competition category of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2025, the results of which were announced last Saturday, 14 June, 2025.
“ChaO” was honoured with the Jury Award, eight years after Katabuchi Sunao won with his film “In This Corner of the World”.
Following its screenings at Annecy, “ChaO” will premiere in Japanese theatres on 15 August, 2025. Yasuhiro Aoki helmed the production as director, with Hirokazu Kojima as chief animation director and character designer. Hiroshi Takiguchi is the art director, while Takatsugu Muramatsu composed the music. Toei is credited as distributor.
“ChaO” follows a fantastical future society where a tired salaryman named Stefan is one day asked to marry a mermaid princess named ChaO. The castmembers include:
- Stefan: Oju Suzuka
- ChaO: Anna Yamada
- Shi: Ryota Yamazato
- Maibei: Kavka Shishido
- Roberta: Yuichiro Imehara
- King Neptunus: Kenta Miyake
- Juno: Shunsei Ota
- Ambassador Omede: Cookie!
