Introduction
Hello there, fellow adventures! Blaziker is back for the first 2026 Animated Movies Rundown, and while there was not a single mainstream animated movie in sight, we got a few non-mainstream animated movies to explore, so let’s get to our first four animated movies of the year!
The first movie, ChaO, is the latest movie from famed animation studio, Studio 4C (the studio that brought so many Masaaki Yuasa’s works to life), and focuses on a human and his (accidental) romance with a mermaid who also happens to be a mermaid princess. When it comes to Studio 4C, they love going outside of the box and producing animated movies with weird concepts but great execution of such concepts, and it seems ChaO looks like no exception. With that getting a competition spot at last year’s Annecy Film Festival, is this another top-notch Studio 4C hit?
The second movie, Panji Tengkorak, focuses on a cursed Indonesian warrior in his revenge for the murder of his wife, who was cursed to remain immortal, in his quest to find a relic that would finally break his immortality curse. Last year, I covered a fantastic animated movie from Indonesia in Jumbo, but there was another Indonesian animated movie that also turned heads, and that is the movie I am reviewing now. With its Netflix release, will this be another great Indonesian animated movie?
The third movie, Living Large, is a stop-motion animated movie about an overweight boy who strives to change his earing habits in the hopes of winning the heart of the girl of his dreams. Living Large has such an interesting concept and most importantly, it was part of the Contrechamp category in the 2024 Annecy Film Festival, so it must be really good. Is it?
The fourth and final movie, Three Kingdoms: Starlit Heroes, focuses on one of the main characters of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms novels in Cao Cao, the general of the Wei region, as he went on a quest to defeat Yuan Shaoat the famed Battle of Guandu. As someone that loved the many adaptations of the Three Kingdoms series, I am quite curious to see how an animated adaptation of this classic will fare. Will this further convince me why I loved the novels in the first place?
Without further ado, let the first Rundown of 2026 begin!
ChaO
Key Information
- Director: Yasuhiro Aoki
- Animation Studio: Studio 4C
- Country of Origin: Japan
- Rating: PG
- Release date: 15 August 2025 (in Japan)
Trailer
The Review
Considering this is technically the first animated movie that I am covering, I am curious to see whether Studio 4C will once again score with this one, and I am happy to report that ChaO truly delivers on what it was aiming to do.
To start, ChaO is a movie that defies belief where humans and mermaids co-exist with each other, and in a similar vein to the acclaimd animated series BoJack Horseman, this movie did not explain the worldbuilding on this co-existence, but does it as it wants to, and that is ok. This is because not every animated movie needs to have complex storytelling to work, and all you need is a fun and quirky rom-com animated movie that has a personality of its own; fortunately, ChaO is one of those movies. Sure, the story is not that complex, and some of the romance parts can be cheesy and underwhelming, but it is a story that does not need to try too hard to impress, and I appreciate an animated movie that does that.
With that said, however, the animation easily took the cake for me. Even though Masaaki Yuasa did not direct this movie, you can say it has his influence over it with its unique and quirky animation style that is messy in its own unique way. The designs feel authentic and integral to this movie’s whimsical story, the animation movements are fluid (pun intended) and it is a nice break from the typical perfect-looking anime style that we are getting used to.
The minor elements are fantastic and well-executed, but if you ask me, I enjoy this movie a lot. It is an anime movie that feels quite unique and entertaining, which makes for quite an enjoyable experience. ChaO is a movie that did not have a complex and rich story, but makes up for it in its charming vibes.
Overall, I can see why ChaO was selected as a competition entry for last year’s Annecy Film Festival, as this is quite a different feeling anime movie with a rare rom-com story that does its job. It is a movie that aims to entertain, not provide further unnecessary baggage, and that is why ChaO is such a delight to behold.
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
Panji Tengkorak
Key Information
- Director: Daryl Wilson
- Animation Studio: Falcon Pictures
- Country of Origin: Indonesia
- Rating: M18
- Release date: 31 December 2025 (on Netflix)
Trailer
The Review
Given this was months after seeing Jumbo, I was excited to see how this movie would fare compared to that, especially when it comes to Indonesian animated movies. Overall, while it is not as top-tier as Jumbo, Panji Tengkorak is still a great enough animated movie for what it is.
In terms of the negatives, probably the biggest negative I could think of is that certain animation sequences do not look as impressive, but that is understandable given this has a limited budget and that for the studio and the people involved, this was their first theatrical animated movie. With that said, I pretty much enjoyed most of Panji Tengkorak for being quite daring with its concept.
First off, despite the limited animation, the designs look fantastic, and some of the fight sequences went pretty hard, particularly in the climatic fight scene that single-handedly makes it so worth watching it on Netflix. Secondly, while I do not like certain characters, the main character of Panji (Denny Sumargo), the cursed Indonesian warrior, is one of the better anti-heroes I had seen for any animated movie, and the voice actor is also decent. However, the thrill level in this is sky high, especially given how brutal and gory this movie was.
Thirdly, the minor elements are also well executed, and you feel the energy this movie provides in its music score and sound mixing, which heightens the moviegoers’ sense of hearing, resulting in quite an immersive experience. As for my level of enjoyment, Panji Tengkorak might not be as enjoyable as Jumbo personally, but this is yet another example on the rise of Southeast Asian animation, especially with its climatic fight scene that rounds up this fantastic experience.
Overall, Panji Tengorak is an enjoyable movie inspired by Indonesian folklore that is as exciting as it is, despite not being as great as Jumbo as far as Indonesian animated movies go. Still, if you want to have another proof that animation is not just for kids only, this is another one of them.
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
Living Large
Key Information
- Director: Kristina Dufkova
- Animation Studio: Barletta, Novanima and Novinski
- Country of Origin: Czechia, Slovakia and France
- Rating: PG13
- Release date: 12 February 2025 (in France)
Trailer
The Review
Let me be fair to this movie, it is definitely not for everyone. In fact, seeing Living Large, I felt uncomfortable throughout the first part of this movie, but as I went on with the movie, I realised how misunderstood this movie was. In fact, seeing the reviews for this movie prior to publishing my Letterboxd review, I can understand why Living Large had such a low 3.1 rating. However, I disagree; Living Large really hits me.
Living Large is a movie exploring certain uncomfortable topics, such as obesity, body shaming, bullying and other topics that would be considered spoilers for this movie, and it has this distinct ugly stop-motion style that fits this movie’s uncomfortable vibe. However, beneath the ugliness is a sweet and endearing animated movie that works better than I expected thanks to its unique cast of characters that fit into this movie’s uncomfortable vibe. If you had been through the traumatic experience showcased in this movie, chances are, you would more likely resonate with the movie’s message about changing for the better even if the world is going against you.
It is also poignant to talk about how the final 30 minutes of this movie turn this already accomplished, daring animated movie into one that floored me. The writing for this ending is what made Living Large so damn good. You see through how the main character was trying to change his habits for the better, and what happened to him in the end took this in a new direction that ended up becoming unpredictable but satisfying in the end. It takes a lot of nerve to explore obesity and body shaming in this movie, but this movie took guts in forcing its viewers to take a complete leap of faith with its ending, which I absolutely admire.
Overall, I adore how Living Large took such a risky story and animation style, and turned it into something that is both poignant and beautiful despite the ugliness of its subject matter and animation style. It will challenge your perception of animated movies, but it will change your perception for the better by the end, especially for the niche audience this movie was targeting. Definitely well-needed kudos from me given how underappreciated Living Large was.
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
Three Kingdoms: Starlit Heroes
Key Information
- Directors: Meng Yu and Yuan Yuan
- Animation Studios: Beijing Enlight Pictures
- Country of Origin: China
- Rating: PG
- Release date: 15 January 2026 (in Singapore)
Trailer
The Review
As someone that is a fan of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms literature piece, and its various adaptations in general, I was excited to see how this animated movie adaptation will fare, and I got to say, while I had issues with this movie, Three Kingdoms: Starlit Heroes managed to be great.
In terms of the issues I had, considering how top tier many Chinese animated movies are, Starlit Heroes is not in the same league as the likes of Ne Zha 2, Nobody and many others. Given the many fantastic Chinese animated movies felt, it is not a huge standout. Perhaps the big reason was the pacing in this movie, as there is a clear inconsistency between acts. The first act is quite exciting, but the second act felt slow due to the lack of action but it cranks up the action with the conclusive Battle of Guandu which is the main focus on this movie. I just feel there should be a bit more action, given the Three Kingdoms is all about the fight sequences and strategic brilliance.
However, issues aside, I actually found this movie to be competent and technically on point. This movie focuses on a heroic approach to Wei’s top dog Cao Cao and his battle against his former friend turned enemy Yuan Shao. It’s not easy to depict Cao Cao as a righteous hero, especially since he is normally depicted as a villain, but here, the writers did a good job connecting his humble beginnings to the audience (especially with his pet dog Maizi, although that is a creative liberty from the writers given he does not own dogs in the original novels). The writing also take certain decisions that would be out of the ordinary, such as not involving Dong Zhuo and Lu Bu, who are integral to the early chapters of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and bump up Liu Ye, who is normally a minor character, into a supporting role, but it did a good job with both writing decisions.
This movie also had some fantastic animation sequences that you would expect from the best Chinese animated movies out there. A lot of the action sequences were fantastic, and reminded me why I love the Three Kingdoms in the first place. The cinematic shots in the battles depicted, including the Battle of Guandu, amp up the excitement. However, some of the quieter moments, such as the night time sequences, are a massive highlight, showcasing a fantastic contrast of colours and backgrounds to make this movie so memorable. It’s not that easily to pull off this level of detail and flair, but for Chinese animated movies, it is Tuesday for them, so as a result, the animation stole the show for me.
The minor elements are very competent, and as for my level of enjoyment, I was sceptical about this movie, but I find myself enjoying this movie a lot more than I should. Yes, there are other Chinese animated movies that I love more, but Three Kingdoms: Starlit Heroes whet my appetite for what’s to come in 2026.
Overall, I am very satisfied with the end result despite it not being a standout Chinese animated movie. It’s a great animated movie that is worth seeing, but I am unsure whether I want to see it again.
Blaziker’s Hot Sauce Rating
Conclusion
Well, unlike last year, we are kicking off 2026 with a great note. These four animated movies are nothing much, but they are overall unique in their own right, and are competently made. At least we didn’t start off with something as terrible as SuperKlaus, am I right?
Thank you so much for joining me on this adventure. Well, I can guarantee our next adventure is about to be even more dangerous as next time, it’s time to search for a backwards-facing groundhog that could change our destiny for the rest of 2026. Until next time, see you on the next adventure!
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