: When the fish dream or express deep emotions, the art style shifts into vibrant, psychedelic, and experimental 2D segments. These musical interludes provide a haunting glimpse into the characters' inner lives. Critical Reception

If you search for , you will inevitably find forum posts and video essays warning you about specific scenes. They are not exaggerating.

For a deeper analysis of the film's social commentary and disturbing themes, you can watch this video essay:

If you watch it (and you can find restored versions on indie streaming platforms like Tubi or Kanopy under its English title Padak or sometimes The Fake Fish ), go in prepared. This is not a film to watch while scrolling on your phone.

While the characters are fish, they serve as poignant metaphors for human societal structures.