You could say Kouzuki Mahiru peaked early, and as such is in a state of arrested development. Her grade school-age little sister even notices it. Mahiru was a gifted artist when she was younger, but when her friends shat all over a jellyfish mural she was so proud of, she disowned the work and gave up on art.
Now in high school, Mahiru is trying to be as normal and ordinary a “nobody” as possible, or rather that’s kind of where she ended up. She wanders the gloriously-depicted streets of Shibuya aimlessly, like a jellyfish. Shibuya itself feels like a giant aquarium teeming with life and color.
Mahiru is searching for something she knows not what, but she does know she doesn’t want some hack PikPok idol using her mural as a backdrop for a street performance. When she can only shout out her protest in her head, another girl shouts for her, declaring her love for the mural.
Mahiru follows this girl like a stalker, but ends up getting caught. Mahuru comes out and confesses that she painted the mural, and the girl, Yamanouchi Kano, lights up with enthusiasm. She’s Mahiru’s biggest fan she never knew she had, and asks if she can call Yoru, like her social media handle.
Mahiru learns that Kano was once a pop idol, but “things happened” and she “went down in flames.” Now she posts musical performances online under the alias JELEE, with dreams of making all the fans who trashed her love her work all over again. Mahiru for her part, loves her music. Kano wants to collaborate, but Mahiru hesitates, and starts spewing boilerplate pablum about entrance exams and fitting in.
Kano doesn’t contradict Mahiru’s self-deprecating rant, instead calling Mahiru “more ordinary than she thought,” which hurts Mahiru a lot more than she thought. She snaps back that Kano can’t understand because she’s special and never hated herself. As she rides the train home, Mahiru feels awful, and worse after digging in to the circumstances of Kano’s fall from fame.
Thanks to the magic of Shibuya, Mahiru is able to reunite with Kano and apologize, and Kano is able to do the same. They’re dressed as an angel and a devil for Halloween, and it’s telling that Mahiru ditches her high school friends at the drop of a hat once she spots Kano. The truth is, she admires how Kano never gave up or gave in, and is ashamed that she did. She doesn’t want to be run-of-the-mill, and Kano’s love of her art showed her that she doesn’t have to be.
When the two see the same PikPok idol putting on another show, this time singing a cover one of Kano’s old songs while using Mahiru’s art as a backdrop, the two have common cause to protest. Kano grabs a guitar from a nearby band, steps in front of the camera, and plays the acoustic version of her song, knocking it out of the park like a pro. Before pulling this stunt, she whispered to Mahiru that she “wants to sing in front of [her] jellyfish.”
They’re her muse, and now thanks to Kano providing the light she needs to shine, she’s inspired Mahiru to get back into art. Specifically, she agrees to collaborate with Kano, who re-introduces herself to the world as JELEE not as an individual, but a duo. After her post-performance high, Kano takes Mahiru by the hand they run through the gleaming aquarium of Shibuya together, now moving with an aim and a purpose.
Even when Mahiru trips and reveals a childish jellyfish sock under her grown-up shoe, Kano thinks it’s cute as hell. So is Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night. While the writing can a bit dense and overwrought in its symbolism, I’m on board with both these characters and so happy they found each other.
It’s also to my mind the best-looking show of the Spring so far, form the the character design and animation to the creative camerawork and lighting. Strong recommend!
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