What's the main idea/short summary ?
There was a boy who found a mermaid at the ocean and brought it back home to show it to his parents. To the boy's shock, his parents could only see it as a fish. The boy is then sent to a facility where he is put through multiple experiments and mental torture to make him see the mermaid as a fish, like everyone else. Eventually, he stops being able to see the mermaid and becomes horrified by the fact. He goes back to the ocean out of desperation, and fortunately reunites with the mermaid. The two of them disappear into the ocean.
What do you think is going on? Social forces/commentary
I believe that this is commenting on how individualism was heavily frowned upon in Japan at the time(still sort of is today) and the negative implications forcing everyone to the same mindset could have.
What happens at the end?
The boy is able to see the mermaid again and they both swim away in the ocean. The boy becomes a mermaid as well.
