GKIDS Acquires N. American Rights to Studio 4°C’s ChaO Anime Film

GKIDS announced on Tuesday it has bought the North American rights to Studio 4°C‘s fresh anime feature film ChaO. The film will premiere at the Annecy World Animation Film Festival in France, which is ready to flee from June 8 to June 14.

The firm describes the story:

From acclaimed Eastern animation production house Studio 4°C comes a wild romantic comedy and exact “fish out of water” story. In a futuristic world where folk and mermaids coexist, ChaO follows Stephan, a soft-mannered web page online of job employee at a shipbuilding firm, whose existence is upended when he’s proposed to by Chao — a princess from the mermaid kingdom. And not using a time to originate sense of what’s going down, Stephan quickly finds himself living with the unpredictable, wholehearted Chao. As her genuine savor begins to damage down his emotional obstacles, an surprising and touching romance begins to unfold.

Ōji Suzuka (Kimi ni Todoke, The Tunnel to Summer season, the Exit of Goodbyes) performs Stefan, a salaryman at a ship-making firm. Anna Yamada (Golden Kamuy, Saki) performs ChaO, the pure princess of the mermaid kingdom.

Yasuhiro Aoki (Kimagure Robotic, Tweeny Witches) is directing the film at Studio 4°C, and Hirokazu Kojima (Deadman Wonderland, Coyote Ragtime Show) is the character designer and chief animation director. Hiroshi Takiguchi (Ajin, The Case of Hana & Alice, The Backyard of Words) is the art work director. Takatsugi Muramatsu (Mary and The Witch’s Flower, Phoenix: Eden17) will invent the soundtrack. Toei will distribute the film.

The film will commence in Eastern theaters on August 15.

Oricon reported that Studio 4°C had been secretly engaged on the film for the final seven years. Producer Eiko Tanaka said in the film’s January press conference that the film is hand drawn with bigger than 100,000 drawings.

Source: GKIDS‘ X/Twitter fable