Iro's Mermaid

The whimsy of Studio Ghibli meets the simplicity of Malgudi Days in this atmospheric tale. On the far side of Enmei, life is simple for eight-year-old Iro take her Dongi into the lagoon, make shell pendants for her clattering house, help her father make meal parcels to take to the Big Island, and scour the ocean for Myia. This 'Big Island' was once Iro's grandmother's home, before the uniformed men came. Those who could leave, did. And the rest? The uniformed men took them to the Dark Place. Now, her grandmother keeps her island alive through ever-changing folktales she tells Iro of old gods and their wars, guardian crustaceans, and her magical ancestors. But Myia remains the fabled guardian Iro is fascinated by, and won't stop till she makes him grant her two wishes. When a great typhoon washes in a creature - which Iro believes belongs to her grandmother's legends - into her lagoon, she is certain Myia has listened to her. But keeping a mythical creature is easier said than done. Whispers spread across Enmei, soon reaching the ruthless Governor-General on the Big Island. Can Iro ensure the creature's safety, and save something far precious in turn?