The Jellyfish (クラゲ, Kurage) are NPCs that can be found in the The Dense Woods. They also make an appearance during the game's final scene.
Overview
The Jellyfish are maroon in color, having bulbous heads, a poncho-like frill resembling a weeping flower bud, and two single-toed feet. When interacted with, their frills shuffle from side to side as they produce a bell chime. This causes the surrounding area to change, letting Madotsuki access new areas such as the Infinite Road and the Teleport Maze.
They do not move or animate when idle and show no response to effects. They can not be killed with the Knife effect and can not be moved out of place with the Cat effect.
Trivia
- On the credits screen at the end of the game, they can be made to chime with the number keys. The lower Jellyfish reacts to the (1) key and makes a low sound, and the upper Jellyfish reacts to the (3) key and makes a higher-pitched sound.
- These same chimes can also be heard in the background music for Snow World and the Neon Tile Path, as they share the same music.
Interpretation
Jellyfish are strange characters that provoke a lot of questions. Their lack of expression and strange behavior make them very mysterious characters.
Most notably, despite being surreal creatures exclusive to Madotsuki's dreams, they appear in the real world after she jumps from her balcony. This may indicate that what was apparently the 'real world' was nothing more than another layer of Madotsuki's dreams (which could be supported by the fact that her yen is carried over, though this may just be a remnant from RPG Maker 2003, the game's engine), or may suggest that they were supernatural entities that always existed outside of Madotsuki's dreams and guided the events of the game from the beginning. The fact that they appear in the ending as well as on the way to Shitai-san is usually brought up as evidence that they are reapers of some kind, and are thus sometimes called "death gods" (死神, "Shinigami") in the fanbase. Alternatively, their appearance may just be a symbol that Madotsuki will never escape her dreams, even in death.
They are also the only standard NPC character (other than Uboa, Pain Blob, and the Toriningen) to be immune to the Knife effect. This could imply that they represent a very powerful force in Madotsuki's psyche on par with these other characters, yet unlike Uboa and the Toriningen, Jellyfish show no obvious signs of hostility. This trait may also tie into the theory of them being supernatural or deific figures. Further evidence to support this is the sound they make when interacted with, a chiming bell. In the Japanese Shinto religion, bells are often placed on shrines and are a part of the ceremonial ritual associated with praying to the Gods.
It has been suggested that Jellyfish are actually modeled after the lotus flower, specifically the nelumbo nucifera species, which are also known as the sacred lotus and are a common flower symbol in general. In Japanese culture (including Buddhist symbolism), the lotus flower represents purity, divinity, and spiritual awakening. The lotus flower was also used to represent the path from death to the afterlife in ancient Egypt. This symbolism may be a metaphor for Madotsuki's suicide being a transcendence from her disturbed life into a state of 'nirvana' and peace or her 'awakening' from the dream into the true real world, with the Jellyfish's appearance during the ending signifying this.
Gallery
A Jellyfish in the Dense Woods A.
The Jellyfish that transports the player to the Teleport Maze.
Two Jellyfish in the ending.
A Jellyfish in the manga.
