Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night – Ep. 5

In the last episode review, I had a hard time buying JELEE being able to bang out an entire MV in one night. To the credit of Jellyfish however, the follow-up is a bit more realistic. Since she was sleep-deprived, Yoru accidentally uploaded the wrong version of the MV, where a drunk and depressed Mion can be briefly heard at the end, crying out for help. I thought this was a sort of retcon added in for this episode but no, if you go back to Episode 4 and watch the ED again, you can actually hear Mion. So to JELEE’s embarrassment, their video is partly getting traction because someone randomly noticed that slip up and they called it cursed, thus getting people’s attention. I still find it ridiculous that JELEE pulled an all-nighter but learning that it doesn’t entirely go smoothly does make it easier to accept. Plus, it’s a pretty funny joke to kick off the fifth episode.

As embarrassing as the screw up is, there is no denying that it’s still free publicity for JELEE. Once people look past Mion’s cry for help, reactions to the MV are mostly positive and JELEE receives an uptick on social media. Out of the four members, Yoru seems particularly pleased with the news, even checking up on the MV at an obsessive and frankly concerning level. This eventually backfires on Yoru when she starts to see comments criticizing her drawings. It gets even worse when a popular illustrator named Kuroppu draws JELEE’s avatar and it receives a warmer reception than Yoru’s own drawing, causing Yoru to develop a case of imposter syndrome. I can see someone arguing that Yoru shouldn’t let any of this get to her, this is the internet after all, but I think Yoru’s reaction is completely understandable. She’s only recently came back to drawing and she doesn’t have a lot of self-esteem. Of course the responses would make her depressed.

Yoru tries to keep her self-doubt a secret from everyone though Kano manages to sense her distress, prompting the latter to visit the former at her home. What I love most about this heart-to-heart is the smile Yoru makes as she’s confiding in Kano about her imposter syndrome. It’s as if Yoru is trying to convince herself that everything is fine. And yet, the more she talks to Kano about what’s wrong, the weaker her smile gets. I also like that Kano’s words of encouragement doesn’t entirely resolve Yoru’s insecurity. It is a little frustrating that Yoru doesn’t feel better and it also forces Kano to try again later, which can cause the episode to feel a bit repetitive, but the lack of a resolution makes Yoru’s arc more believable. It’d be more of a disservice if one chat is all it takes for Yoru to feel confident again.

The next day, JELEE hosts their first ever livestream. At one point, someone suggests that JELEE should get Kuroppu to draw for them, causing Yoru to question her abilities again. On the train ride back home, Yoru impulsively asks Kano if she prefers her art or Kuroppu’s, though she immediately regrets it and leaves. I want to know what Kano would answer but it probably goes without saying that even if she does think Kuroppu’s art is objectively better, she’d still want Yoru as her illustrator. To cheer Yoru up, Kano takes her to a nearby aquarium. Naturally, the two check out the jellyfish exhibit. I find it interesting that Kano doesn’t repeat her words of encouragement from earlier. She did say them already and if they didn’t remedy the situation already, she probably doesn’t think it’s worth repeating them. Showing Yoru something that she adores instead seems like the right move to make.

Kano’s efforts do pay off in the end. Thanks to her, Yoru eventually decides that she doesn’t want to be left behind by her friends and she doesn’t want to resent the fanart anymore. Not only does Yoru get back to drawing for JELEE, she also decides to take classes and study art to further improve her craft. A particularly nice touch here is Yoru rewriting her name on her old jellyfish mural. Come to think about it, it’s strange that she did not do that when she updated the painting back in Episode 1. I suppose Yoru still had some reservation about reclaiming the mural as her own. Her finally putting her name back on it feels like she’s fully committing to her art career and she’s refusal to be put down by any naysayers. I also like that Yoru’s new drawing is what inspires Kano for the lyrics of JELEE’s next song. It demonstrates why Kano is adamant about having Yoru as her artist. Yoru is pretty much her muse.

You know, throughout all of this, I could not help but think that Kano is awfully relentless in making Yoru happy. Like, it makes sense for her to do that. She’s the leader of JELEE after all and Jellyfish started out with just these two. If anything would help Yoru out of her predicament, it’d be Kano. At the same time, I’m kind of amazed at the lengths Kano goes here. First, she visits Yoru’s home. Then, she takes Yoru to the aquarium (and for all I know, Kano probably paid for Yoru’s ticket). These are great gestures of friendship but they can also be interpreted as romantic instead. There’s also these other little moments that border on yuri. Like, while Kano is at Yoru’s house, she tries her friend’s clothes. While cheering Yoru up, Kano warps her around to her waist. During the aquarium scene, Kano promises Yoru to open an aquarium if JELEE gets 100,000 followers and she more or less admits in a livestream that she wants to do it because Yoru is important to her. Maybe I’m overthinking this. This is a CGDCT anime and that genre is full of ships that stay at the docks. Maybe Kano is just that amazing of a friend and everything between her and Yoru is just platonic. That’s what I thought at first…but then I got to the end of this episode.

I can see the ending being the moment that stands out the most to viewers, even overshadowing the rest of the episode. During a New Year’s hangout, Yoru tells Kano that she likes her and in response, Kano kisses Yoru in the cheek. Yoru thinks Kano is kidding around but she becomes unsure when her friend runs off, ending the episode. I admit that I still have a modicum of doubt here. Watching so many CGDCT anime has conditioned me to think that two characters being chummy with each other is more of a tease and nothing more than that. That said, there’s no denying that Kano just kissed Yoru. Admittedly, it’s not on the lips but that doesn’t stop this moment from coming across as romantic. Also, the fact that Kano runs off suggests that she’s either extremely committed to a bit or she really did intend to kiss Yoru, meaning that she indeed has feelings for her friend.

One thing is for sure, there is no going back on this. Yoru and Kano don’t necessarily have to end up together but to not explore a romantic angle on their relationship after such an explicit scene would be incredibly insulting. The show has to do more with them. I’m also curious how this might affect the rest of the story. Like, should I take Mei’s feelings towards Kano more seriously or consider that Kiui might have feelings for Yoru? Are we about to have the most awkward love quadrilateral ever? Also, if Kano is a lesbian, does that play a role in her backstory? This is a shot in the dark but knowing how controversial it is for idols to have a relationship, I can’t help but wonder if Kano was in one before and that factored into her getting kicked out of The Sunflower Dolls.

ED: “Shibuya Aquairum” by JELEE

I seldom comment on OPs/EDs these days but I don’t know where else to fit my comments for this MV. I like how the visuals get increasingly more elaborate with each MV. It really shows JELEE’s growth throughout the story. The song is nice but it also kind of drives me crazy. Look at that title and read some of the translated lyrics and tell me this show isn’t building Yoru and Kano as a legit couple. In general, the speaker is singing about wanting to build an aquarium for someone dear to them, which is the exact same promise Kano makes to Yoru in this episode. The second and third lines, “It might make it seem like you don’t make a difference at all. But without you I wouldn’t be singing this song,” refers to Kano’s efforts to make Yoru feel important. The very last line, “That’s the night I love” is just Kano saying she loves Yoru. I thought it was just a ship but now, I’m not so sure anymore.

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