My father, so lovingly, in the family group chat, let us know that today, 3 November, is World Jellyfish Day. He did this because he knows that Jellyfish are one of my favourite animals, if not my favourite marine animal. I have my bathroom decorated and themed with jellyfish, and I just enjoy learning more about them. Whenever I have the opportunity to go to an aquarium, I am almost guaranteed to spend way too long just watching them bob about.
And when I say I enjoy watching jellyfish, I mean it. I even have jellyfish videos playing on YouTube as background noise. From live streams to these, beautiful jellyfish aquarium videos, although this three-hour jellyfish aquarium video is probably the one I have played the most because of how the colour on my projector influences my whole home. It has been on for many hours while I go about my day, and I am quite happy to have jellyfish floating around on my screen without actually paying much attention to what is happening.
They are slowly becoming an obsession that I am finding ways to work into my day-to-day. As evidenced above. However, the reason I am bringing it to your attention on my anime and manga blog is that I will find any way and excuse to blend my otaku side with my real-world side. I figured I had a few options for my integration, but decided I would start with a list of loved Jellyfish characters ~ and watch a jellyfish-linked series. For each character I include, I shall add a random fact that I know about my beloved jellies.
5 Anime Jellyfish Characters
Tentacruel and Tentacool [Pokémon]
An obvious inclusion is the jellyfish Pokémon Tentacool, along with its much larger and more intimidating evolution, Tentacruel. I doubt anyone who remembers episode 19, “Tentacool & Tentacruel”, has forgotten the enormous Tentacruel causing chaos in the city. While I adore jellyfish, I would rather admire these two from a safe distance.
Jellyfish fact: The lion’s mane jellyfish is one of the longest jellyfish ever recorded, with one specimen measuring 36.5 metres from the top of its bell to the ends of its tentacles. Nomura’s jellyfish is another giant, with a bell that can reach approximately 2 metres across and a weight of around 200 kilograms.
Clara (Kurara) [Princess Jellyfish]
I couldn’t put together a list of jellyfish characters and leave out Clara from Princess Jellyfish, also known as Kuragehime. This spotted jellyfish belongs to Tsukimi Kurashita, a young woman who shares my fascination with these creatures. Tsukimi first meets Kuranosuke when she becomes worried about Clara, who has been placed in an unsuitable tank at a pet shop. I can become attached to jellyfish I have only watched through aquarium glass, so I understand her concern.
Jellyfish fact: Spotted jellyfish (Mastigias papua), like Clara, have microscopic algae living inside their tissues. The algae use sunlight to produce food, which the jellyfish benefit from. Some spotted jellies even move towards the surface during the day to give their algae better access to sunlight.
Jellymon [Digimon Ghost Game]
From Pokémon to Digimon, jellyfish have found their way into more than one monster franchise. Jellymon from Digimon Ghost Game is a jellyfish-inspired Digimon with a cheeky personality. She teases her human partner, Kiyoshiro Higashimitarai, and particularly enjoys frightening him. Her colourful design and long, tentacle-like appendages make her an interesting addition to my little jellyfish collection.
Jellyfish fact: Jellyfish do not have brains in the way that humans and many other animals do. They have a network of nerves that lets them detect and respond to their surroundings, including light and movement.
Pura-chan [Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch]
Another little jellyfish character is Pura-chan, also known as Kura-chan, from Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch. This small pink jellyfish belongs to Hanon Hōshō and occasionally appears alongside Hippo. She is not one of the series’ major characters, but a cute little jellyfish deserves a place on this list.
Jellyfish fact: Jellyfish are about 95% water. They have no bones, blood or heart, and they have survived in our oceans for hundreds of millions of years.
JELEE-chan [Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night]
JELEE-chan is a slightly different inclusion because she is not an actual jellyfish within the story. She is a jellyfish-inspired mascot associated with the creative group JELEE in Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night. The character originates from an illustration by Mahiru Kōzuki, and the jellyfish imagery became closely connected to the group’s identity. I like the idea of a jellyfish finding its way into a story about art and music.
Jellyfish fact: The immortal jellyfish (Turritopsis dohrnii) can reverse its life cycle. When stressed or injured, an adult can return to an earlier developmental stage and eventually produce new adult jellyfish. This does not make it immune to predators or disease, but repeating its life cycle is fascinating.
Honourable animated jellies
Of course, I couldn’t leave out a few favourite animated jellyfish simply because they aren’t from anime. Here are two honourable mentions from Western animation.
Ernie and Bernie [Shark Tale]
Ernie and Bernie are two jellyfish from DreamWorks’ Shark Tale, and they are probably among the most entertaining henchmen in the film. Working for Sykes, the two blue-purple jellies have no problem using their stinging tentacles to intimidate Oscar, although their laid-back personalities and constant banter make them difficult to take seriously. I love their designs, with their large, pink-streaked bells and long, flowing tentacles. They certainly know how to make being a jellyfish look cool.
Jellyfish fact: Jellyfish can still sting after they have died. Their tentacles contain specialised stinging cells called cnidocytes, which house tiny structures known as nematocysts. These can still discharge once a jellyfish has washed ashore, and detached tentacles can sting too, so it is best to admire any jellyfish you find on the beach without touching it.
Jellies [SpongeBob SquarePants]
How could I leave out the jellyfish from SpongeBob SquarePants? Those pink, buzzing jellies are practically synonymous with SpongeBob and Patrick’s adventures in Jellyfish Fields. I have always found it amusing that they behave more like bees than actual jellyfish, with the buzzing, the swarming and the jelly they produce. Then there is the episode “Jellyfish Jam”, where SpongeBob brings one home and ends up with an entire jellyfish dance party in his pineapple. I wouldn’t mind having Jellyfish Fields nearby, although I would probably spend more time watching the jellies than trying to catch them.
Jellyfish fact: Some jellyfish have eyes. Certain box jellyfish have 24, arranged in four clusters. These include different types of eyes that help them detect light and navigate their surroundings, and they manage this without a central brain like ours.
Happy Jellyfish Day!
Here are a few of my own jellyfish recordings that I converted to gifs.
That is my list for this Jellyfish Day. Clara is already on it, so Princess Jellyfish seems the right series to watch, and I will be starting it today. I will write about it here once I have finished.
If your favourite jellyfish character is missing from the list, leave it in the comments and I will add it.
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