I usually see her as an artist that excels on portrayal of fantastical visual atmospheres utilising many of the motifs that are associated with her works. I'd say that these motifs and their portrayal is the key when it comes to the presentation and portrayal of her pieces. However when it comes to this particular work that draws parallels to the Japanses fairy tale "Akai Rousoku to Ningyo" you can see that the presentation of the motifs and the usual portrayal that you'd expect from her art is mostly focused on the beginning act and the visual presentation of the culmination of the series which is in the latter half of the film.
The middle part of the film is spent on a unusually long build up and setting up the culmination through narratively focused portrayal of the visual atmosphere. After the vibrant start that mesmerized me into the atmosphere I was not expecting such a stark change of tone in the visual atmosphere, especially considering that it is Moe Nagata that we are talking about here.
While the middle part and the more dramatic and tragic presentation came as a relative surprise to me after the act that was presented in the beginning, I dont particularly see that as a bad thing. It is different from what we are used to getting from Moe Nagata and her portrayal of the motifs that are more familiar when it comes to her other works and the general presentation that you can see in them.
In this work the portrayal is segmented into three different "acts" first off you can immerse yourself into the fantastical setting of the mermaids, presentation using the familiar fantastical elements and motifs found in many of her other works. I see this act as something that is meant to soothe the audience into the sense of fantasy and visual atmosphere that comes with the setting. The second act fowever brings us into a very "raw" and very "human" setting that serves as a platform for setting up the tragedy and the unimaginable suffering. This is portrayed well visually as well as in the atmosphere. The presentation is done without much or any emphasis on the motifs which I think enhances the contrast and raw nature of the "raw" human sociaty versus the fantastical mermaid society where the presentation was more focused on the motifs and fantastical approach during the first act.
The last act brings these two contrasting "opposites" into a tragic mix that serves as a culmintaion point for the entire film. The atmosphere stays very raw as the motifs feel almost being ripped apart. The presentation of this visual spectacle is something that I would call a "visually violent" experience. The harmony of the motifs and the visual atmosphere is ripped apart pice by piece which I think adds another layer of horror into the atmospheric experience I'd also say that it complements the tragic narrative pretty well.
You could intrepret the film containing some relatively serious topics through the metaphors that are present in the visual atmosphere. I'd say that the main takeoout of the film for me was the incredible visual deconstruction of the usual Moe Nagata atmosphere and her visual presence. I am aware that her works usually contain themes revolving around longing, growth and youth but I'd say that the execution in this film was pretty radical when it comes to those themes and their presentation in the visual atmosphere of the film.
Overall for Moe Nagata fans I'd say it is a experience that is definitely worth it other than that the film might not provide much to you as far as visual experience goes if you're not already familiar with the approach and motifs she uses to establish the visual atmosphere in her other works.
