Mama! We'll be together forever. That's right, but Mama's getting old. Don't say that. I know. Even if you go up to the sky, I'll sacrifice the islanders and bring you back to life! I saw it in an anime. There's nothing you can't do as long as you have faith. That's what you taught me, Mama!
Oh, my. You've never stopped dreaming, have you? But that's what makes little boys so cute. I'm sure you can do it. Mama believes in you.
The Beautiful Love of a Parent and Child
People with brains who offer their opinions are the enemy of peace.
That's why I tried to get the Moris to leave the island, but they just won't do it.
It's the father.
He's a little guy who seems carefree, but he's pretty sharp.
That's right.
We've painted the Moris' son as someone constantly faking suicide attempts,
but the Kiriharas' father might've realized it's not true.
Well, we have various methods at our disposal.
The other islanders will believe anything we say.
We can lie to them as much as we need.
What'd you learn? Tell me.
In other words...
The island's royal family does whatever it takes to stay in power.
They make the islanders dependent on them and rob them of their judgment.
That family are pros at cleverly manipulating people's minds and controlling them.
On top of a supernatural ritual that engenders a sense of unity,
Waaah
Bounce Bounce Bounce
instilling an even greater sense of unity with an "us versus them" story
is particularly clever.
Those they deem useless or impudent are driven to desperation and disposed of.
They don't care if they die.
Worst of all are the boss lady, her Oedipus complex puppet,
and that strong-willed walking minefield.
My island's even shadier than I thought.
Simply put, they're a crazy bunch.
What do they think other people are?
Mori-kun's one of their victims.
I'd bet this island has produced countless victims.
They've made the merfolk bigger.
Swell
Swell swell
Swell swell swell
I knew there were surprisingly few spirits on the island.
When we arrived at the harbor, they even stared at us.
Most of them probably get swallowed up by the merfolk.
In other words,
Where bodies wash up
this place has always attracted spirits.
The spirits that end up there form a single blob.
It's a pretty standard type of ghost in ghost stories.
Very little sense of self
It has a propensity to attract spirits with strong negative emotions.
It's a ball of regret, so it craves company.
So lonely
Any friends around?
Ball of regret
It absorbs every spirit it can and eventually begins luring in the living.
Those in a weakened state are especially susceptible.
I can't be satisfied
Anyone will do, please be my friend
Growing negativity
That produces haunted spots where accidents frequently occur
Sad people who exist only to become victims at the start of movies
or places that bring about death.
And the most important part in all of this is...
What did the royal family do to Mori-kun to drive him to desperation?
Episode 10 "True Worth"
We should go check on him ASAP.
He needs a doctor, but the merfolk could lure him into the ocean first.
The barrier between his mind and the merfolk isn't clear anymore.
In fact...
That's probably why he was hanging out in a place with a view of the sea yesterday.
Should we mind our own business?
Honestly, I don't know.
But Yae-chan, I know you'll regret not doing anything, even if there's nothing you can do.
Essay Contest Kirihara Yaeko
Call it being a busybody or being self-serving. I can't deny that.
But at the very least,
I've seen too many people who die without anyone noticing,
and others who feel regret because they didn't notice.
I'm going.
Yae-chan!
Take someone with you.
It can be just Magi, but if you don't mind, take me, too.
Better to go with someone who doesn't know the island's rules.
They just have to be present.
I'm going to continue investigating the merfolk like I originally planned.
You all know what I look like.
The Face of Death
I'm not suited to dropping in on someone and getting them to open up.
Let us know if anything happens.
Do you understand what's going on?
Oedipus complexes are gross.
Honestly, good enough.
There he is! Mori-kun!
Wait! Don't run away!
Wh-What's going on?
Eh heh heh
Um, I wasn't sure how to start, so I thought I'd pull you close.
Can we talk?
It'd be scarier if we didn't.
Sorry to be so frank, but did Yui-chan do something to you?
Um, what makes you think that?
Uh, a woman's intuition?
These people don't know the island's rules.
That's the reason I realized it.
This island is weird.
I thought you might want to talk to people who think that.
What do you think?
I moved here six years ago.
Chatter chatter chatter chatter
The students on the island took the boat every morning.
Everyone was considerate and kind.
You were popular!
People said a boy who looked like a TV character had arrived.
This cosplay would look great on you.
You're right.
I felt pretty good about it.
That's when the island's princess asked me out.
Top Chat What's up, guys? Dokumayu Acherontia here! Today we're gonna play some Boogie Crush!
I turned her down simply because she wasn't my type.
Around the same time, my father had his incident at the factory.
Mori-kun is cute.
He's so nice, too.
Yeah.
But he's too handsome.
I'd be worried about him cheating.
I recently saw a video on the qualities of cheaters, and it described him to a tee.
What?
He's always surrounded by girls.
There's no way he's not fooling around with them.
We tend to assume beautiful people are beautiful on the inside, too.
Oh, I don't have any proof.
I'm just speaking hypothetically.
Mori-kun's close with Hayashi-kun, don't you think?
A little too close, right?
What?
Tee-hee
They're both pretty, so maybe they really are like that.
Don't you kind of hope they are?
It makes me want to root for them.
Mori-kun made a move on me once.
I rejected him, of course.
But since he's normally so nice, I was a little surprised.
Maybe Mori-kun's like that because he wants to get close to otaku girls.
All the girls are obsessed with him because he's like a fictional character.
Blah
True. He definitely presents himself that way.
Blah blah
There's no way it's not on purpose.
Don't talk to us again.
Stay away from Yui-chan.
You should flirt with boys more!
What? You don't want to?
Sorry, Mori. I don't like how the girls jeer at us when we hang out, so don't talk to me again.
Stay away from Yui-chan!
People fuss over you because you're beautiful. You should just enjoy it.
It can't be helped since you've got a handsome face.
Do you like boys?
Do you like girls?
You worry about it too much.
What? You don't want to? Isn't that homophobic?
Cute, cute, cute, cute!
Flirt with boys more!
I heard he's a cheater.
Isn't that homophobic?
The rumors spread among the islanders eventually became the "truth"
and spread among the other students.
The more I denied them, the more "true" the rumors became.
Samejima Yui.
I was certain she'd started the rumors,
but no one remembers where rumors come from on this island.
I never cheated on anyone. I wasn't even dating anyone.
I never discriminated against anyone either.
I wasn't trying to deny anyone's preferences.
But every day, I was forced to recognize that alternate reality.
Maybe I was wrong for not conforming with their rumors.
Casually making baseless suggestions to incite the public
and drive a person to desperation...
It's a method she understands well.
Mori-kun, I'm attending a college in Tokyo.
Let me know if you find any more interesting VTubers.
I'm going to check out the Tokyo Game Show.
Really? Wow.
My one kind friend with common interests who would rather talk about games than the rumors...
Don't leave me behind.
Everyone else's version of "reality" will become the same.
Who am I, anyway?
This isn't even a big deal.
I'm weak. I'm sorry.
Nobody believes me.
Everyone goes through hard times.
I want to die
You're handsome. You're already winning.
Turn it into a joke.
You're so unreliable.
I'd find a way to do my best to live.
I don't understand outsiders.
Young people are so sensitive.
Why do you think that?
I want to die.
I know I shouldn't think that, but...
Man. You're not even allowed to think that on this island?
In that case, I'd be a total failure, since I constantly want to die.
People say whatever they want without realizing they're killing people.
Scratch scratch
I've probably said something like that, too.
Meanwhile, sometimes people want to die because they want to live.
This world is oppekepe, kid.
You're doing good.
I had no idea.
I thought so.
So it was true.
You sure are popular, Mori-kun.
Yeah. I appreciate it since I'm new here.
I didn't see myself as involved.
I failed to notice because my family are old-timers.
I'm sorry, Mori-kun.
Thanks.
By the way, who is this guy?
R-Right. Of course.
Nice to meet you!
Merfolk legend, merfolk legend...
I wonder if we've got anything on it.
We chuck all our ancestors' stuff in here, so I don't know what's what.
Grandpa, do you know anything?
We've got my father's notes.
That's in here?
Let's see. Grandpa's father would've been...
Born in the Meiji era? Wow.
My father wrote everything down.
Like Yaeko, he was good at writing.
Bought a lot of books, too.
Wow, this is a first edition of The Restaurant of Many Orders.
This is a wartime newspaper.
There's an article on a German speech.
This is why private storehouses mustn't be underestimated.
Merfolk Island
We found some kind of souvenir picture book.
We've got everything in here.
That's from when I was little.
You can have it, sensei.
Are you sure?
It's fine.
You teach Yaeko, right?
Hey, I found my rucksack.
Maybe I'll give it to Sato-san as a souvenir.
He doesn't need that.
You really like that guy, huh?
You gotta stop pestering young people.
And that's not Sato-san. His name's Mogura-san.
Mogura and the cat professor, huh?
Actually, Mogura-san's backpack looks just like that.
Is he into that sort of thing?
May I read this?
Go ahead.
Mori-kun, are you okay?
You don't have to strain yourself.
Yeah.
Strangely, having people who understand suddenly cleared the fog in my head.
My parents are helping with the festival.
I should help, too.
Mori-kun, you're feeling better?
That's great.
We were all worried about you.
Shriek Shriek Shriek Shriek
Mori-kun!
What's wrong?
It's the Moris' kid!
Stop!
Calm down!
No! Don't be hasty!
Something's pulling me?
Well, I guess this is fine.
Someone understood me in the end.
It'd be less trouble for everyone if I just went away.
Magi!
Magi-kun!
Oh, no. I didn't consider the difference in our weight.
Before going to sleep last night, I thought about who I'd be 20 years from now,
but I might not be around 20 years from now.
Wub-wub-wub
Skreeeee
In Life
Maggie-kun loves apples!
Both in life and in the present, safety is important to Maggie-kun.
He has no interest in winning, being number one, or thrills.
Currently, the only thing Maggie-kun cares about is having a good host.
I feel like eating apples.
Grawr Grawr
Meanwhile, as a spirit, Maggie possesses greater abilities than Nabeshima and Ikebukuro.
The ability to affect physical objects is a considerable talent.
However, it does not occur to a coward to use such an ability to attack,
Competitions like entrance exams also give his host stomachaches
so its true worth is only activated when his safety is threatened.
Limit Reached
They floated for a second.
They must've caught a sudden updraft.
Are you okay?
Call the rescue and emergency crews!
Send out a fishing boat! Hurry!
Watch out for reefs! Hold onto something!
The tidal currents here are unique.
Huff huff
The waves should be jostling us around more.
I'm not drowning because Maggie-kun is forcing the water away from my head.
If we ride this current, we can hold onto the merfolk's rock.
Slap Slap
Red Panda Punch!
The merfolk isn't sure what to do either.
You can do it, Maggie-kun!
Yae-chan, get in touch with Nekozuku.
All these unexpected turns are making the merfolk mad.
Okay.
It's like a level 100 out-of-control fussy toddler.
At this rate, it could cause major damage.
Mori-kun, are you okay?
Oh, right. When we fell into the sea...
How long will it take to be seen by a doctor on this island?
Surely not hours, right?
If he keeps bleeding like that...
Depending on how long, he could be in danger.
Mogura-san?
Magi! Hold Mori-kun in place!
Don't move a millimeter!
He poured some flame into him by grazing his wound.
If this were a manga or anime, I could've said "Wow!" and forgotten about it.
But I've never wondered this more since meeting him...
Mogura, who the hell are you actually?
No, wait. He saved him.
I shouldn't be afraid of him.
Hey! Retrieve the arrowhead!
If any fish or birds swallow it, it could hurt them!
It's odd that he can worry about that right now.
The island's...
Our ancestors'...
Mother's... sacred festival...
That arrow...
An islander fell into the sea.
You should be heading down there first.
Sir, you can't do this.
I've been watching you since you're so suspicious.
Is that what Mama told you to do, sonny?
Not only am I suspicious, I know everything.
An Oedipus complex fogey, an evil little girl, and a monstrous hag.
I doubt it'll do any good, but let me say the decent thing anyway.
You call yourself a company president, you fogey?
Who are you?
What did you do with that arrow?
What is that lamp?
Did you do something to the Moris' boy?
Why is the other one uninjured?
It doesn't make sense!
You think pretty clearly for a puppet.
You're wasting your potential.
You've got a way with words, and you're quick-witted.
Careful with that. Is that a knife for butchering fish?
You don't have many openings.
You practice a martial art, don't you?
You must've been raised well.
You even look pretty good for your age.
You'd be a desirable man if you were weaned.
Anyway, nobody wants to see a fight between a middle-aged man and an old-timer.
Let's not do this.
On top of that, you've got that boss hag and minefield girl behind you.
If this were a manga or anime, you wouldn't have any fans.
You gotta at least have a young handsome boss.
Don't insult my family!
Your family, huh?
About This Shrine The merfolk of the island's merfolk legend is enshrined on the reef on the north side of Masago Bay. With a head resembling an infant and the body of a woman, it lures men into the sea with its voice. Originally a human girl, its life was filled with grief. When its child was taken by humans, it became a malicious spirit, and its beautiful form transformed into an unsightly merfolk, causing rough seas, and the surrounding eight islands are said to have been destroyed in a single night. In the third year of the Keicho era, Koetsu the priest dedicated a child's mummy to Sakazukiyama Watatsumi Shrine (present day Samejima Shrine), sparing the island from disaster. During the annual Spring festival, the islanders perform a ritual using arrows and flames to quell the malicious spirit and pray for safety on the sea. While feared as a source of calamity, the shrine has also been used for many years as a landmark for those returning to the mainland.
With a head resembling an infant and the body of a woman, it lures men into the sea with its voice.
Isn't this what it said?
Goo-goo ga-ga!
"With a head resembling an infant
and the body of a woman,
Yes, yes!
it lures men into the sea with its voice."
Shriek Shriek Shriek Shriek
The unsightly merfolk
is your family!
Episode 11 "The Merfolk and the Bakeneko"