Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night

Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night (夜のクラゲは泳げない), abbreviated as YoruKura (ヨルクラ), is an original anime television series produced by Doga Kobo for its 50th anniversary and directed by Ryōhei Takeshita. It aired from April to June 2024. A manga adaptation illustrated by Niko Fujii began serialization on Kodansha's Magazine Pocket manga website in April 2024.

Plot
Four girls, Mahiru Kouzuki, an illustrator who stops drawing, Kano Yamanouchi, a former idol who wants to prove herself with singing, Nox Ryūgasaki, the self-proclaimed "strongest" VTuber, and Kimura-chan, a mysterious composer who wants to support her favorite person, together form an anonymous artist group, JELEE.

JELEE

 * Mahiru Kōzuki (光月 まひる) / Yoru Umitsuki (海月 ヨル)
 * A seventeen-year-old high school student who loves drawing but stopped out of the fear of being ridiculed. She returns to drawing after meeting Kano, and serves as JELEE's illustrator.
 * A seventeen-year-old high school student who loves drawing but stopped out of the fear of being ridiculed. She returns to drawing after meeting Kano, and serves as JELEE's illustrator.


 * Kano Yamanouchi (山ノ内 花音) / Nonoka Tachibana (橘 ののか)
 * A sixteen-year-old former member of Sunflower Dolls who worked as its center but was forced to retire after a scandal. She has been working as a cover singer, and serves as JELEE's vocalist and lyricist.
 * A sixteen-year-old former member of Sunflower Dolls who worked as its center but was forced to retire after a scandal. She has been working as a cover singer, and serves as JELEE's vocalist and lyricist.


 * Kiui Watase (渡瀬 キウイ) / Nox Ryūgasaki (竜ヶ崎 ノクス)
 * A VTuber and childhood friend of Mahiru who lives as a shut-in after realizing she cannot fit in with her prep school. She lends her talents to JELEE as its video editor and mixer.
 * A VTuber and childhood friend of Mahiru who lives as a shut-in after realizing she cannot fit in with her prep school. She lends her talents to JELEE as its video editor and mixer.


 * Mei "Kim Anouk" Takanashi (高梨・キム・アヌーク・めい) / Kimura-chan (木村ちゃん)
 * A seventeen-year-old high school student who takes up professional piano lessons and is a super fan of Kano as she helped her go through her social anxieties. She serves as JELEE's composer.
 * A seventeen-year-old high school student who takes up professional piano lessons and is a super fan of Kano as she helped her go through her social anxieties. She serves as JELEE's composer.

Entertainment industry

 * Shizue Baba (馬場 静江) / Miiko (みー子)
 * An underground idol singer who has been working for 14 years and is a single mother to Ariel.
 * An underground idol singer who has been working for 14 years and is a single mother to Ariel.


 * Mero Setō (瀬藤 メロ)
 * The new center of Sunflower Dolls after Kano's retirement.
 * The new center of Sunflower Dolls after Kano's retirement.


 * Momoko Yanagi (柳 桃子)
 * A member of Sunflower Dolls.
 * A member of Sunflower Dolls.


 * Akari Suzumura (鈴村 あかり)
 * A member of Sunflower Dolls.
 * A member of Sunflower Dolls.


 * Yukine Hayakawa (早川 雪音)
 * The producer for Sunflower Dolls, who is also Kano and Mion's estranged mother.
 * The producer for Sunflower Dolls, who is also Kano and Mion's estranged mother.

Other characters

 * Kaho Kōzuki (光月 佳歩)
 * Mahiru's younger sister.
 * Mahiru's younger sister.


 * Mion Hayakawa (早川 美音)
 * Kano's older sister.
 * Kano's older sister.


 * Ariel Baba (馬場 亜璃恵瑠)
 * Shizue's daughter who passionately supports her mother's activities.
 * Shizue's daughter who passionately supports her mother's activities.


 * Koharu (小春)
 * A woman who Kano and Kiui met at a motorcycle riding school and has gone through multiple plastic surgeries.
 * A woman who Kano and Kiui met at a motorcycle riding school and has gone through multiple plastic surgeries.


 * Ship Manager Honami (保奈美店長)
 * The manager of the bar Mahiru and Kano work part-time in.
 * The manager of the bar Mahiru and Kano work part-time in.

Production and release
On March 24, 2023, Doga Kobo announced it was producing an original television anime series titled Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night, which would be scheduled to premiere in 2024, with its story taking place in Shibuya. Later, three more batches of teaser PVs and teaser visuals were released on May 12, July 28, and October 23, 2023, respectively. According to director Ryōhei Takeshita, the teaser PVs were produced in live action, mainly because he did not want to strain the resources from the production of the anime series, and partly because he wanted to attempt to create something in live action. On November 1, 2023, its first fully animated PV was released, together with cast and staff announced, as well as the series' premiere in April 2024. On February 7, 2024, the second PV was released, as well as the series' premiere on April 7.

An advance screening of the first two episodes was held on March 3, 2024, at Marunouchi Piccadilly, Tokyo, with live broadcast in four cinemas in Saitama, Aichi, Osaka, and Miyazaki respectively.

The screenwriter, Yūki Yaku, the art director, Yūji Kaneko, and the editor, Kashiko Kimura were all invited by Ryōhei Takeshita to the crew. Ryōhei Takeshita said the production of the anime has been completed already on Twitter on April 11, 2024.

Anime
The series is created by JELEE, and takes place in Shibuya, Tokyo. Produced by Doga Kobo, it is directed by Ryōhei Takeshita, with series composition by Yūki Yaku, original character designs by popman3580, and designs adapted for animation by Junichirō Taniguchi. The series aired from April 7 to June 23, 2024, on Tokyo MX and other networks. The opening theme is "Irodori" (イロドリ), performed by Kanoerana, while the ending theme is "Ichi-nichi wa 25-jikan" (1日は25時間), performed by Anna Tsurushima. The series is licensed by Sentai Filmworks in North America, Australia, and British Isles. Muse Communication licensed the series in Asia-Pacific.

Manga
A manga adaptation illustrated by Niko Fujii began serialization on Kodansha's Magazine Pocket manga website on April 7, 2024. Two tankōbon volumes has been released as of July 2024.

Light novel
A light novel adaptation, written by Yūki Yaku and illustrated by popman3580, was published in three volumes under Shogakukan's Gagaga Bunko imprint from May 20, 2024, to July 18, 2024.