Character Relationship Map: ChaO

Characters

• Stephan (played by Ouji Suzuka) — protagonist

  Stephan is a journalist in Shanghai who initially misses the harbor arrival of King Neptunus and disappoints his Editor-in-Chief. He is drawn into a political and business arrangement that makes him C...

• Chao (played by Anna Yamada) — protagonist

  Chao is a mermaid princess whose marriage to Stephan is promoted to improve human-merman relations and protect business interests. She sincerely tries to understand human life, cares for Stephan, and...

• King Neptunus (played by Kenta Miyake) — supporting

  King Neptunus is the ruler of the merman kingdom whose arrival in Shanghai is important enough for Stephan to cover as a journalist. His visit forms part of the diplomatic setting surrounding the prop...

• Editor-in-Chief (played by Anna Tsuchiya) — supporting

  The Editor-in-Chief is Stephan's superior at the newspaper. This character expects Stephan to report on King Neptunus's arrival at the harbor and is disappointed when Stephan misses the ship. The reac...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Chao → King Neptunus (Power Royal Connection) — They are connected through the royal and diplomatic structure of the merman kingdom.

  Chao is identified as a mermaid princess, and King Neptunus represents the merman kingdom in the same diplomatic storyline.

• Stephan → Editor-in-Chief (Professional Journalist And Supervisor) — The Editor-in-Chief oversees Stephan's journalistic work.

  Stephan works as a journalist, and the Editor-in-Chief is disappointed when he misses the arrival of King Neptunus.

• Stephan → Chao (Romantic Spouse) — Their arranged marriage gradually develops into genuine love.

  The plot describes a promoted marriage between Stephan and Chao, making Stephan the mermaid's husband.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Stephan → King Neptunus (Social Diplomatic Counterpart) — Stephan becomes connected to the king's diplomatic arrival and kingdom.

  Stephan attempts to cover King Neptunus's arrival, while the later marriage scheme concerns relations between humans and the merman kingdom.

Story Analysis

A politically arranged human-merman marriage becomes a genuine love story after business ambition and technological progress expose their consequences.

Plot Progression

1. A Missed Arrival — A fairy tale establishes human-merman friendship as an ideal. In Shanghai, Stephan misses King Neptunus's arrival and is drawn toward a larger political story.
2. The Arranged Bridge — Stephan is pushed into marriage with Chao to improve human-merman relations and protect business interests. He initially regards the arrangement as an obligation.
3. Love Under Pressure — Chao enters Stephan's human world and shares her people's values. Stephan begins to admire her, but ridicule and business commitments strain their relationship.
4. The Cost of Progress — The Air Jet is presented as a safer alternative to harmful screw propellers. A robot accident at the demonstration injures Chao and exposes the danger of treating people and technology as tools.
5. A Promise Reclaimed — Chao returns to the sea, leaving Stephan separated from her. He searches for her, remembers his parents and promises, and finally commits to Chao for love rather than diplomacy or business.