GKIDS Sets ChaO Blu-ray for September 22, With Digital Available Now

What GKIDS announced

GKIDS has set a North American home video release for ChaO, the STUDIO4°C feature from director Yasuhiro Aoki. The distributor confirmed the film arrives on Blu-ray on September 22, 2026, and that it is available now on digital in the United States, with a Canadian digital release still to follow.

The film

ChaO is a fantasy romance set in a future where humans and mermaids share an uneasy coexistence. Stephan, an anxious employee at a shipbuilding company, has his life upended when Chao, a mermaid princess, proposes marriage to him out of nowhere, and her wholehearted affection slowly wears down his defenses. STUDIO4°C spent roughly seven years on the project, and its bold, color-saturated animation earned the Jury Prize at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2025. Toei Company released ChaO in Japanese theaters on August 15, 2025, and GKIDS brought it to North American theaters on April 10, 2026 ahead of this home video window.

What is on the disc

According to GKIDS, the Blu-ray presents the film in 1080p high definition at its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, with Japanese DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio and English, English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles. Bonus features include storyboards, animatics, teasers, trailers, and ending credits. Anime News Network reports the same September 22 date and disc specifications.

Behind the film

Aoki directed at STUDIO4°C, with Hirokazu Kojima serving as character designer and chief animation director and Takatsugu Muramatsu composing the score. Oji Suzuka voices Stephan and Anna Yamada voices the title character, while Kumi Koda performs the opening theme "ChaO!," written for the film.

Why it matters

Genre-defying original features rarely get the physical treatment stateside, so a fully loaded Blu-ray for an Annecy honoree is a notable pickup for collectors. With the digital edition already live in the US, fans who missed the limited theatrical run now have two ways to catch one of the year's more distinctive animated releases.