Movie
Description
Chao is a black-and-white cat abandoned by her owners. Dreaming of becoming a witch's cat to earn human respect, she first appears in the manga chapter "The Cat on the Broomstick," rescuing Unico from mistreatment by farm animals. Farmers throw her into a river for this act; Unico joins her in her floating basket.
Chao and Unico meet an elderly woman living alone in the forest. Mistaking the woman for a witch who can teach her magic, Chao seeks her help. Unico secretly uses his magic to temporarily transform Chao into a human girl so she can assist. The duration of her human form increases the longer she selflessly helps the elderly woman. Initial moments of selfishness after becoming human cause Unico to revert her to cat form as a consequence. However, when the old woman faces drowning, Chao selflessly rescues her with Unico's aid. This act results in Unico granting her permanent human form.
In her manga human form, Chao wears a black dress with a white apron and red boots. The 1981 anime adaptation depicts her in a pink dress with red ballet flats. Her hair is brown in the manga but blue in the anime. She retains a red bow, originally worn behind her head or around her neck in cat form, in her human appearance.
Chao's personality combines sweetness with determination, maintaining optimism despite human neglect. She easily develops affections for kind or attractive individuals, like Baron Ghost (Baron de Ghost). This trait leads her into danger when the Baron lures her to his castle, plies her with drink, and attempts to seduce her. Unico rescues her by defeating the Baron's demonic form. Following this, she moves in permanently with the old woman.
Beyond the original manga and anime, Chao appears in other media. In the *First Grader* magazine serialization, she hides in a boy's home seeking shelter and demonstrates the ability to summon cockroaches by meowing loudly. The 2024 reboot reimagines her as Chloe, a city watch cat who trains another cat named Jenkins. After rescuing Unico, she bonds with a cat named Toast and aids an elderly woman called Granny. Unico grants both Chloe and Toast the ability to shift between human and cat forms before departing.
Osamu Tezuka based Chao's design and personality on his daughter, Rumiko Tezuka, during her childhood. This influence contributes to Chao's role as a symbol of resilience and growth throughout her appearances.
Chao and Unico meet an elderly woman living alone in the forest. Mistaking the woman for a witch who can teach her magic, Chao seeks her help. Unico secretly uses his magic to temporarily transform Chao into a human girl so she can assist. The duration of her human form increases the longer she selflessly helps the elderly woman. Initial moments of selfishness after becoming human cause Unico to revert her to cat form as a consequence. However, when the old woman faces drowning, Chao selflessly rescues her with Unico's aid. This act results in Unico granting her permanent human form.
In her manga human form, Chao wears a black dress with a white apron and red boots. The 1981 anime adaptation depicts her in a pink dress with red ballet flats. Her hair is brown in the manga but blue in the anime. She retains a red bow, originally worn behind her head or around her neck in cat form, in her human appearance.
Chao's personality combines sweetness with determination, maintaining optimism despite human neglect. She easily develops affections for kind or attractive individuals, like Baron Ghost (Baron de Ghost). This trait leads her into danger when the Baron lures her to his castle, plies her with drink, and attempts to seduce her. Unico rescues her by defeating the Baron's demonic form. Following this, she moves in permanently with the old woman.
Beyond the original manga and anime, Chao appears in other media. In the *First Grader* magazine serialization, she hides in a boy's home seeking shelter and demonstrates the ability to summon cockroaches by meowing loudly. The 2024 reboot reimagines her as Chloe, a city watch cat who trains another cat named Jenkins. After rescuing Unico, she bonds with a cat named Toast and aids an elderly woman called Granny. Unico grants both Chloe and Toast the ability to shift between human and cat forms before departing.
Osamu Tezuka based Chao's design and personality on his daughter, Rumiko Tezuka, during her childhood. This influence contributes to Chao's role as a symbol of resilience and growth throughout her appearances.