Guinea Pig: Mermaid in the Manhole (1988) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language

1988 · 63 mins · Japanese

Directed by

Hideshi Hino

Starring

Go Riju, Shigeru Saiki, Masami Hisamoto, Mari Somei, Tsuyoshi Toshishige

Grieving after his wife abandons him, an artist seeks refuge by documenting the filthy depths of the city sewers. There he encounters a trapped mermaid and, moved by compassion, carries her to his studio to tend her injuries. As her health deteriorates, she implores him to capture her likeness on canvas before she slips away.