After watching Osamu Tezuka's "Mermaid"
Summary
The protagonist is a boy "who likes fantasy", as he is described in the sentence that appears in the beginning. He finds a fish in the ocean, which turns into a mermaid. However, others don't see the mermaid. Moreover, he will be arrested for claiming the fish being a mermaid.
The authority uses different majors such as machine, confinement, and education to brainwash the boy. Right when he was about to forget the mermaid, he escapes from the authority. He returns to his home and finds a fish, and not a mermaid.
Message
A contrast is made between the first half and the second half of this film: the first half peacefully illustrate the boy and the mermaid swimming with muted colors, whereas the second half depicts the intimidating authority with vivid colors. The main message of this film is to criticize oppressionist government. Tezuka argues that some authority are so oppressive that it kills people's creativity, and the freedom to think out of the box.
The film also makes audiences think what actually is "real" in a world where someone is always in control of the society. In the film, those who don't see the mermaid, always appear in a group. This is suggesting that there are social oppression and peer pressure, that also stops creative people to be themselves.
Ending
I think the film had a happy ending for the boy. Tezuka was trying to argue that it is important to embrace one's imagination even after facing oppression. The boy was able to turn himself into a mermaid by not giving up his fantasy, which no one of the people on the shore could not oppress.
