Once in a while, something slips past me when I’m looking through the seasonal charts to pick out what I’m going to be watching. Yoru no Kurage wa Oyogenai (Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night) was one of those shows. I heard it gaining traction online so when I looked up the synopsis, I discovered that this show was right up my alley; however, I didn’t remember seeing it when looking through things. Well, I added it to my list, watched the first episode, and… was I right to pick it up or was I better off not knowing about it?
Let’s go!
First Episode Synopsis
Mahiru was an artist… despite being 17 and still in high school. When she was younger, one of her pictures of a jellyfish got picked to become a mural out on the city’s streets. She was so excited that she brought her friends to see it without telling them who painted it. They openly made fun of the mural and it broke her heart; however, she pretended to go along with their insults. Since then, she couldn’t bring herself to draw anymore.
One day, a street performer was singing a song in front of it and she wanted to yell at her for putting her posters all over her mural but she just couldn’t do it. Suddenly, a girl in a mask did it for her, proclaiming that she really loved that painting. Mahiru followed her until she got caught stalking her. After the misunderstanding cleared up, the girl gushes over the fact that Mahiru painted it, claiming that she’s a huge fan of her artwork. The girl turns out to be Kano… a former pop idol who quit due to getting into a physical altercation with one of her group members.
Now, she writes her own songs and posts them online under the anonymous handle of JELEE. She offers Mahiru the chance to become her artist and collaborate, combining the power of art and music together! Of course Mahiru accep…..nope… she runs away crying.
It’s now Halloween. Mahiru is about to go out with her friends when she sees Kano. She chases after her and they arrive back in front of the mural where that same street performer is doing her thing again… this time, she’s covering one of Kano’s songs. Kano overcomes her fear, steals her spot, and sings the song. She then announces that she and Mahiru are the duo known as JELEE. Mahiru is so moved, she silently accepts and a rekindling of artistic passions begins!
Worth Watching?
YES – According to the synopsis, there are supposed to be more characters than just Kano and Mahiru in JELEE; however, in the first episode, we are introduced to two of them… or have we been? There are hints that we’ve already been introduced to the other members but they just haven’t been fully incorporated into the story just yet. For now, the show chose to focus on Kano and Mahiru and, I have to say, while Kano’s backstory is a bit more impactful on a wider scale, Mahiru’s carries its own weight due to how young she was.
Having something you worked hard on be made fun of is never a pleasurable experience but we, as older and more mature people, typically brush it off. Someone that was Mahiru’s age can’t truly cope with things such as ridicule at that level. Children are impressionable and things that are not as big of a deal as we, as older people, think of them as could mean the world to someone younger and that’s why Mahiru’s situation had such a profound impact on her character. In her case, this seems like a story of her getting past that initial impression and overcoming her own insecurities while Kano’s is a story of redemption… to right the wrongs that she committed in the past and to erase the shame she brought upon herself.
It’s two completely different goals; however, there is a commonality between them… they both have something to prove and their admiration for each other’s talents is the key to their individual journeys of healing.
This makes me wonder how the remaining members of JELLE will fit in, what their stories are, and what is their healing path. Needless to say, I’m glad the online community hyped this one up because this show proves to be an absolute banger!
