MAGMELL SHINKAI SUIZOKUKAN - OCEANIC MAJESTY

MAX R. - Writer

Originally published in Vol. 57 Issue 6 - Underwater

Actual jewel in the vast sea of manga.

SPOILERS FOR MAGMELL SHINKAI SUIZOKUKAN!

Kiyomi Sugishita’s MagMell Shinkai Suizokukan is frankly something that I suspected I’d love long before even starting it, not only due to how I’d been specifically seeking out good underwater anime/manga, but also because it’s something that I had wanted to exist. As a currently ongoing series, there’s still plenty of room for future character arcs, though as of now, it thoroughly satisfies all that I would come to expect and hope for, becoming an instant favorite even from the prologue chapter while serving to further cultivate my vague interest in marine biology. MagMell Shinkai Suizokukan is centered around the titular underwater aquarium of MagMell; the facility itself being submerged within the ocean allows incorporation of surrounding sea life into exhibits, witnessed as such through the initial chapter’s giant squid, alongside the unique specimens preserved on the interior in more typical aquarium fashion. Design aside, there remains a focus on abyssal sea life, creatures rarely observed and found deep amidst the ocean’s depths where light never reaches. Chapters generally go about introducing different species as a focal point, tying them to psychological struggles stemming from staff and guests alike, furthering character progression and incentivizing reflection while simultaneously adopting an educational angle.

The name, Mag Mell, speaks to a mythical realm in Irish mythology, alluding to an underwater utopia while also meaning, ‘land of death.’ This feels applicable as the aquarium’s bottommost room extends to the seafloor, where it stands as a memorial for the countless lives lost over time. Director Minato notes to Koutarou, the main protagonist, how becoming a keeper is akin to ‘resolving yourself to face the death of the things you love’. MagMell insists death’s regularity as natural, and interestingly, one manner in which such is conveyed is through the aquarium’s restaurant, specializing in seafood. This may seem like a bizarre decision, cruel even. After all, why serve seafood in a place intended to research, preserve, and educate people about sea life? The twenty ninth and thirtieth chapters confront this dilemma as Ran, an apprentice chef, destroys the innocence of Minato’s young daughter, Nagisa, who gazes upon him preparing a flapjack octopus, an animal she’s particularly fond of. As a child infatuated by oceanic life, it’s painful for Nagisa to comprehend how creatures she loves could end up on someone’s plate, but the series doesn’t shy away from this reality of death, the innate essence of living organisms persisting via cyclically feeding upon the lives of others, and how pretending that such a reality doesn’t exist is degrading and deceptive. MagMell courteously expresses respect for life as Ran exhibits gratitude for each fish used in his open cooking demonstrations, cleaning and carving up their flesh before spectators’ eyes while relaying insightful facts pertaining to them. Nagisa matures to understand that she, herself, is part of and has her own place in the web of life, accepting that humanity feeds on the lives of others just as other animals would, and becomes able to consume Ran’s cooking once more. However, it’s hardly just the aforementioned Ran who’s subjected to dealing with these types of issues, as each aquarist grapples with their own distinct predicaments.

The veterinarian, Haruno, is yet another example of MagMell’s staff who’s shrouded in death, largely due to his position, which entails performing necropsies on deceased organisms. Haruno is eccentric, albeit interesting, being one who enjoys horror films because, ‘it’s comforting to see someone despair over a fear they can’t escape,’ an aspect that parallels his own struggle of constantly confronting all the lives he couldn’t save throughout his operations. However, he believes that the information obtained through researching the deceased will prove invaluable towards potentially assisting lives in the future, and admirably remains dedicated to his cause, viewing his role as rewarding rather than futile. The series carefully avoids indicating any inherently ‘correct’ solution to his struggles, with Haruno internally acknowledging the realistic prospect of going his entire lifetime without determining what ‘the way forward to save lives’ constitutes. He believes that death is inevitable, and ‘never truly in the shadow of the brightness of life’, rather, it’s a ‘system devised for the birth of new life.’ With this in mind, as a veterinarian, his job is to prevent unnatural deaths rather than all death in itself. On this note, the characters of MagMell are fantastic and well-realized, each with interesting philosophies and varying methods in which their passion manifests itself. Koutarou and his peers work diligently, cooperating behind the scenes to provide a compelling visitor’s experience for aquarium-goers while also conducting maintenance and tending to the diverse necessities of the broad array of creatures that inhabit MagMell, a monumental task to say the least.

Of course, the series is hardly doom and gloom the whole way through either, as there are still myriad instances of pure magic, where visitors become utterly entranced by the exhibits of display; the jellyfish planetarium and flashlight fish come to mind. For this reason, I deem it appropriate to draw the comparison between it and Giant Squid Studios’s diving simulator, Abzû, which evokes similar emotions due to both its atmosphere and aesthetic sensibilities, as well as the similar emphasis placed on said ‘magic’ that arises from exploring beneath the sea, to which the game goes so far as to deliberately not include any semblance of health or stamina mechanics as to not detract from the experience of freely swimming about. Throughout the manga, the deep ocean is most frequently compared with vast reaches of outer space, in both being enigmatic, mostly untouched realms by mankind with still so much yet to be discovered, and that’s perhaps part of why I personally remain fascinated by both. MagMell is a celebration of oceanic life, seeking to educate its readers alongside its own characters in-universe. Though I may be no professional myself, last I’ve heard, Kiyomi Sugishita has been working closely with marine specialists to ensure informational accuracy whenever possible. One’s mileage may range depending on the degree of which one cares for the subject matter, but regardless, the series does an exceptional job in remaining informative and providing intrigue while exemplifying the deep ocean’s majesty. I’m pleased with how the series has turned out thus far and am eager to await more greatness on the horizon.