EPISODE CONTEXT

Sitting at the midpoint of this eight-episode anthology, 'Mermaid Rhapsody' follows the existentially charged 'Shikaku' and deepens the collection's running fascination with supernatural encounters as mirrors for human longing and loss. It represents the series at its most visually dreamlike, offering a gentler but no less emotionally complex entry before the anthology pivots toward questions of identity and societal perception in the upcoming 'Woke-Up-as-a-Girl Syndrome.' Each standalone chapter continues to refract Fujimoto's signature blend of tenderness and dread through a different genre lens.