Latest news with #mermaids
Japan Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Futuristic mermaid tale ‘ChaO' makes a splash
Unlikely romances between humans and mermaids have been the basis for several anime films, like Hayao Miyazaki's 'Ponyo' and Masaaki Yuasa's 'Lu Over the Wall.' Now, Hans Christian Andersen's 'Little Mermaid' tale gets its latest animated spin in 'ChaO,' a new film from Studio 4°C that opens in Japan Aug. 15 after premiering in June at the Annecy International Film Festival in France, where it won the Jury Award. The romantic comedy takes place in a near-future Shanghai where humans live in relative peace alongside the merpeople who populate the city's canals and surrounding seas. Its protagonist is Stephan (voiced by Ouji Suzuka), a mild-mannered engineer who works at the city's top manufacturer of maritime vessels. One day, Stephan meets a mermaid princess named Chao (Anna Yamada), who is instantly smitten with Stephan, claiming they've met before, though he has no idea what she's talking about. Sensing a public relations coup for his company (a shipbuilder married to the daughter of a mer-king!), Stephan's boss (Ryota Yamasato) pushes his young employee to marry Chao. Even though he grumbles about the need to wed 'a talking fish,' the meek Stephan nonetheless goes through with the nuptials. The unlikely pair then begin a crosscultural coupling that brings challenges as Chao navigates life above the sea and Stephan slowly unlocks the repressed memories of when he first met his bride. 'ChaO' was directed by Yasuhiro Aoki, 56, a veteran animator and director of episodes of properties like 'Batman: Gotham Knight' and 'Tweeny Witches' in his feature film debut. For 'ChaO,' which took nine years from conception to release, Aoki was tasked by Studio 4°C producer Eiko Tanaka ('Tekkon Kinkreet,' 'Children of the Sea') to create a 'totally new' original anime film. Aoki tells The Japan Times that part of achieving that remit came in imbuing the film with a high level of visual density. Each frame is packed from corner to corner with intricate backgrounds, characters and objects with multiple blink-and-you'll-miss-it sight gags made to reward repeat viewings. Zooming out to allow for that kind of extra visual information was one of Aoki's primary goals. 'In a live-action film, you can have actors here and there across the frame doing all kinds of things, whereas anime tends to focus the camera only on what's essential to move the plot forward, on the character who's speaking, for example,' Aoki says. 'I wanted to avoid that tendency.' Proof of the film's visual spectacle is the number of frames drawn by its animators. The average anime film is said to be made up of about 30,000 to 40,000 hand-drawn frames, but 'ChaO' has over 100,000. 'That was many more frames than we anticipated,' says Aoki with a laugh. 'The truth is, with all the detail I was trying to pack in, the animators and I got excited about what we were trying to do, and we somehow ended up with over 100,000.' As the credits roll, the film gives the audience a peek behind the scenes and pays tribute to the hard work of those animators by showing how some key shots looked before they were colored and composited. 'We're entering an era where things like CG and AI are on their way in and hand-drawn animation is on its way out,' says Aoki. 'Since we're on the precipice of that change in eras, the ending sequence functions as proof that our film is drawn by hand. Ultimately, I think what humans like best is art made by other humans. AI may be gaining attention, but I think we want to watch things made by people.' Veteran animator and director Yasuhiro Aoki (center) premiered his film 'ChaO' in June at the Annecy International Film Festival in France, where it won the Jury Award. | Studio 4°C Speaking of people, another element that brings the vibrant look of 'ChaO' to life are its various characters. Created by the director and refined by character designer Hirokazu Kojima, each of the film's characters look totally different from each other but all share a sketchy, cartoony fluidity as they careen across the screen. 'I started my career in anime about 30 years ago, when the industry was starting to concentrate on anime with a lot of realism to appeal to adults,' says Aoki. 'I've done a lot of realist animation and enjoy drawing it, but for 'ChaO,' I wanted to try something you couldn't do in live-action filmmaking, something that might give live-action filmmakers a pang of jealousy. That's why the film has characters of all shapes and sizes: round, thin, tiny, large. Animation offers total freedom, after all.' Not only do the film's distinctive characters give it visual appeal, they also help fill out its expansive, zoomed-out worldview. Aoki and his team spent a lot of time making sure that even minor characters, from Stephan's inventor roommate Roberta (Yuichiro Umehara) to Chao's guide to the human world Maibei (Kavka Shishido), would be memorable even with limited screen time. 'Stephan and Chao are the main characters, so naturally we spend the most time with them,' explains Aoki. 'At the same time, Stephan is the most straightlaced, normal one among them. In contrast, we gave the minor characters enough zest to make the audience think they could be main characters in their own right. In that way, they end up leaving a lasting impression. We created all the characters to be loved even if they only appear briefly. I wanted audiences to wonder about what those characters were doing even when they weren't on screen.' Studio 4°C tasked Aoki with creating a 'totally new' original anime film, which meant imbuing 'ChaO' with a high level of visual density. | © 2025 'ChaO' Committee Another of the film's unique elements is its setting, Shanghai, a place not often seen in Japanese animation. The choice was partially inspired by China's explosive economic growth at the time the project was first conceived. 'When we visited, it felt very futuristic, but there was a lot of 'old China' left too,' says the director. 'That contrast was interesting, as was the speed of modernization. It had an atmosphere I had never felt in Japan, even though they're both Asian countries, so that made it a very interesting place for the setting of our film.' In recent years, anime has dominated the Japanese box office, and 2025 is no exception. But while franchise-based properties like 'Demon Slayer' and 'Detective Conan' are surefire hits, anime films based on original screenplays like 'ChaO' aren't guaranteed to make the same splash. Still, Aoki tried not to worry too much about box-office considerations while making his film. 'Filmmaking is a business, and everyone wants a hit, but I think every creator wants to try their hand at an original at least once,' Aoki says. 'I also think that viewers want to find something they can call their own. I have a feeling that more than big franchise hits, originals are the films that really live on in people's hearts.' 'ChaO' opens in cinemas nationwide from Aug. 15. For more information, visit (Japanese only).
BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Husband transforms into mermaid to support Guernsey Motor Neurone
Four friends are swapping their running shorts for mermaid tails as they take on a themed marathon to raise money for the Guernsey Motor Neurone Falla, whose wife Daisy was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2020, and his friends Dominic Heaume, Adam Dorey and James Draper are taking part in the Marathon du Mé challenge, which takes place in France on 6 September, takes runners on a 26.2-mile (42.16km) route through scenic vineyards, with 23 wine tasting stops, oyster tasting at the 38km mark, and steak at the 39km Falla aims to raise £10,000 for the charity because it supported him and his wife. "They're a brilliant charity... any form of support you could imaging they are there, they are ready to help and willing to help, they are amazing," he said."I wanted to do something to mark my birthday, I'll be 42 this year... I was thinking about it and at my birthday party I stood up and told everyone I was going to do it and that was that." Mr Falla explained every year there was a different theme and this year's was Under the Sea. "As Daisy heard about it she said 'you've got to go with Ariel', so that was it," he said."I said I'd better check with the boys first and they were all great sports and they said 'if that's what Daisy wants, that's what's happening', so the four of us are dressing up as mermaids and doing it." Mr Falla added: "Three of the boys came through and said 'yes I'll do that with you mate'... I'm so thankful for their support."I think any marathon, whether it's got alcohol involved or not, a lot of people say the event gets you through and I'm sure this will be just a load of fun on the day."He said he was more worried about the food than the alcohol. "I do love food and drink but running around and eating oysters and steak and cheese I'm not sure," he said."I'll be thinking about my wife when I cross the finish line... and then I'll be really proud of all the money that we've raised and be proud of finishing the distance."
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'This seaside village's mermaids myth is still growing'
From Shakespeare to Disney's Ariel and Darryl Hannah, mermaids make frequent appearances in theatre, literature and film, and are often mentioned in folk tales from all over the world. Now, the historical roots of a mermaid myth with its origins in Yorkshire - the Staithes Mermaids - have been uncovered."The Staithes Mermaids have interested me for a long time because I'm from Yorkshire and we don't have other mermaid legends," explains Prof Sarah Peverley, from the University of colleague Chloe Middleton-Metcalfe, Prof Peverley, who is originally from Hull, has been researching mermaids for the past have now released findings suggesting that while the tale of the Staithes Mermaids, which is Yorkshire's only known mermaid myth, was first published in 1924, it has probably been circulating in the local fishing community for at least 300 was no easy task trying to dive deep into the murky depths of history to find where the myth of the Staithes Mermaids first emerged, says Prof Peverley."It's very difficult to pin down where they've come from when they've circulated in oral traditions before they get captured in print," she explains."It's not until the late 19th Century and the early 20th Century that collectors of folklore started recording and going around communities capturing these great stories our ancestors told." This legend from Staithes, in North Yorkshire, tells of two mermaids who were washed up on the seaside village's beach after a storm, only to be incarcerated, mocked and even stoned by locals. When they finally escaped, one of the mermaids cursed the village with the words: "The sea shall flow to Jackdaws' Well" and, so the myth goes, part of the village was eventually lost to floods. Prof Peverley says she first tracked down the tale of the Staithes Mermaids in an edition of The Whitby Gazette from March 1924, which mentioned a talk by local resident Robert Brown."Brown had been born with paralysis of the legs, which I think is one of the reasons the legend got captured in the first place," she says."If he hadn't have been born with that disability, he would have followed his father and grandfather to sea as a fisherman. Instead, he became a kind of lifelong scholar and self-educator."He'd given this talk to the Staithes Study Circle in January 1924, and in that talk he relayed the version of The Mermaids of Staithes legend that he has in his printed version. It appeared in the paper a couple of months later." Prof Peverley says that by comparing this tale with similar legends in the North West, Cornwall and Wales, she concluded the story was probably much older."What's unique about Brown's version, and then the next version that's told 53 years later by another local resident called Ian Crowden, is that both of them contain a really enigmatic reference to 'egg broth'," she says."If you search on the internet for it, all later retellings miss that out because it didn't make sense to most people. "So, when you then start digging, other unique tales get thrown up. "There's one in the Isle of Man first recorded in 1726 that has a similar story of a mermaid talking to other merfolk about how humans are silly because they throw away their egg broth - the water their eggs have been boiled in."When that particular tale was being told, like the Staithes one, egg broth must have meant something later audiences are missing."It turns out it's connected with superstition: it's about the sea, about witches, changelings and fairies. "Supernatural creatures have special knowledge of the powers of egg broth, whereas humans don't."Prof Peverley says it was "100% difficult to prove", but it seemed to hint at the fact the story from Staithes "was circulating in a much earlier period, when all of this would have made sense to the people telling these stories".Meanwhile, further research into "Jackdaws' Well", also mentioned in the tale, and the dating of storms that hit the coastline, back up Prof Peverley's claim of a much earlier date for the legend than its telling in 1924. However, despite its age and the question marks over how far it goes back into the mists of time, the tale of the mermaids certainly lives on in Staithes to this very Peverley says: "This was one of the reasons we managed to track down Brown, because we talked to communities there, especially the staff at the museum."There are some individuals who still work in the fishing community and who have copies of typescripts of Brown's story."Prof Peverley says she believes that the telling of the story is linked with changes in the economic fortunes of Staithes, with the mermaids reportedly resurfacing at times of decline in the fishing Staithes is more reliant on tourists than trawlers, but the famous story of the mermaids continues to thrive in the local art scene and among visitors. "One gentleman we spoke to does tours and he takes people out and he'll tell them the legend of the Mermaids of Staithes, to which he adds his own unique bits," Prof Peverley says."He adds in a joke that some of the rocks near the bottom of the cliff are where Neptune meets his mermaids. So the legends are still growing." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Are mermaids real and why do bees like purple? The kids' quiz
Melanie, 11, asks: are mermaids real? Yes, there are several species of mermaid in the Pacific Ocean As far as we know, they aren't real – but they have appeared in stories all over the world Yes, they appear only on a full moon They used to be real, but now they only exist on Mars Bobby, 6, asks: why do you laugh when you get tickled? You laugh because it's such a great joke It releases little laughing fairies in your body Tickling triggers a part of your brain that makes you laugh, even if you're not really enjoying it That's your brain's way of saying STOP! Zoe, 6, asks: why do bees like the colour purple? Purple flowers make the best honey To bees, purple looks like the sky Purple flowers have a lot of nectar Bees can only see the colour purple William, 9, asks: what is the biggest star we've discovered? The Sun – the centre of our solar system Sirius, the brightest star in our sky Betelgeuse, the red giant UY Scuti, a giant star Charlie, 7, asks: how long have alligators existed for? About 25 years About 200 years About 200,000 years A long time – more than 150 million years 1:B - As far as we know, mermaids aren't real, but for a few thousand years, people have told stories of half-human, half-fish creatures. It's possible they're based on sea animals such as manatees or dugongs, which might look like mermaids from far off., 2:C - Tickling activates part of your brain called the hypothalamus – the same bit that reacts to surprise or danger. It's thought to be a defence mechanism from our ancestors. That's why you laugh, even if it feels a bit weird or you don't like it., 3:C - Purple flowers often have the most nectar. Bees can't see red, but they have enhanced UV colour receptors, so are drawn to purple and blue flowers., 4:D - UY Scuti is the biggest star we've discovered so far in terms of size. It's a red supergiant star, in the constellation Scutum, around the centre of the Milky Way. It's 1,708 times wider than the Sun!, 5:D - Alligators have existed for more than 150 million years, since when dinosaurs were still around. Dinosaurs became extinct, but alligators survived – scientists aren't sure how. 5 and above. 4 and above. 3 and above. 2 and above. 0 and above. 1 and above. Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a podcast answering children's questions. Do check out her books, Everything Under the Sun and the new Everything Under the Sun: Quiz Book.
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Study unravels mystery of how Haenyeo women spend hours underwater without oxygen
A new DNA analysis of Korea's all-women extreme divers has uncovered genetic adaptations that uniquely protect them from the intense stresses of plunging into coastal waters without oxygen. The Haenyeo women live their entire lives diving off Jeju Island, 50 miles south of mainland South Korea, spending hours each day harvesting seaweed, abalone, and other food items from the seafloor. The women, often dubbed real-life mermaids, have been diving to the ocean floor, without oxygen, for hundreds of years. The practice is waning, however, and most accomplished divers are now in their 60s and 70s. 'The practice of breath-hold diving is so integral to Jeju's culture that the shortening of words characteristic of the Jeju language is colloquially attributed to the need for divers to communicate quickly at the water's surface,' scientists who conducted the new analysis say. Some Haenyeo divers jump into the sea even during pregnancy when women must avoid potentially fatal blood pressure conditions like preeclampsia. What exactly enables the Haenyeo women to survive such extreme conditions has remained elusive. Studies have shown that factors like relative isolation shape the genetics and physiology of human populations such as those in Greenland and Tibet. Now, scientists have confirmed that the Haenyeo, renowned for their remarkable diving abilities in frigid waters, are another such population that has 'evolved for diving'. Typically, holding the breath while diving not only limits the body's oxygen supply but also raises blood pressure. In other contexts, such as sleep apnea, holding the breath is associated with pregnancy-related blood pressure disorders. 'This is not something that every human or every woman can do,' says evolutionary biologist Diana Aguilar-Gómez from the University of California, Los Angeles. 'It's kind of like they have a superpower.' 'They're absolutely extraordinary women. Every day, they head out and get in the water, and that's where they work all day. I saw women over 80 diving off a boat before it even stopped moving,' genetics researcher Melissa Ilardo from the University of Utah adds. The new study examined whether the Haenyeo women's diving abilities were aided by genetic differences. It measured factors related to their diving ability such as blood pressure and heart rate and sequenced their DNA. The study, published in Cell Reports, found two changes related to diving physiology that appeared to give the Haenyeo advantages underwater. One change makes the women over four times more likely than mainland Koreans to have a genetic change linked to lower blood pressure while diving, keeping them and their unborn children safe even when they dive during pregnancy. The second genetic adaptation appears to provide them greater tolerance to pain, specifically against cold-based pain. Even when air temperatures off Jeju Island drop to around freezing point in the winter, the Haenyeo don't stop diving. 'I asked them once if they would stop diving if it got cold enough,' Dr Ilardo said. 'They said that as long as the wind alarm doesn't go off, they'll still get in the water. The wind alarm is to keep them from blowing out to sea.' In addition, a lifetime of practice appears to be central to what makes the Korean women's diving abilities special. Previous studies have found that lifetime divers, whether Haenyeo or not, experience subtle heart rate changes to conserve oxygen for longer. But while an untrained person may see their heartbeat slow down by about 20 beats per minute over a simulated dive, an accomplished Haenyeo diver experiences a drop up to twice that number, researchers say. The latest study linking genetic differences to diving ability could advance health care for high blood pressure conditions, like stroke. 'If there's something about it that actually reduces the risk of stroke mortality, then we could help people everywhere by understanding what's special about these women,' Dr Ilardo said.
