Dev here! Thank you so much for playing Manly! I have literally binged all your videos while making this game, so you checking it out is a dream come true. I also appreciate you taking the time to think about the themes and such. I will say the game is entirely purposeful when it comes to theming and meaning ;P I love to read people's interpretations! The musical number is "Little Lily Swing" by Tri-Tachyon. We're a three person team of student developers, this is our first release. We're very proud! Thank you everyone for watching! We're moving right along to our next game, so please keep an eye on our socials to follow development. Thank you all again!
@@suitov I've hated fish as a food my whole life, the smell of them makes me nauseous. I like crustaceans and such though, so maybe I'd snack on our parasite friend here. I'll bet he's salty sweet!
Yo, hi. Thanks for the experience. Is this game atmosphere, by any chance, inspired by MDK games? I can see some resemblance between aesthetic styles, like it a lot
I enjoy how manly doesnt play the same popular games over and over again and plays these smaller games that I've never heard of before and each video is always very interesting and never boring
That's why hes literally the only "let's play" youtuber I watch. I like playing games myself so I only want to watch games I'd never hear of or play otherwise. (Console gamer, dont play on PC)
So I looked a little more into this and based off of how fish processing is done, there are two major outcomes that seem to very much align with the up or down options. Up Option where all the fish are being amalgamized together is the secondary process that involves canning fish. In this ending, it's likely we are seeing all the fish being turned into unrecognizable canned food. Whether this is for human or animal consumption doesn't exactly matter too much as it can be used either way. Down Option where all the fish mostly still retain pieces of their old self but are served up more into a fine dining experience is a primary process that revolves around filleting fresh fish in order to use in other potential food production or eaten as-is. As we saw, regardless of the options presented, neither ended well for the fish. It's definitely a game that revolves around the agency of one's self and the lack of control people really have in their lives as the path has been mostly decided for them. We got to see this with a lot of the fish we came across that have no agency themselves and rely on others or a higher power to make choices for them in order to convince themselves the path they're going is right. Then we have other situations where the fish are trapped in plastic or alternatively have their tongues eaten and replaced by a parasite. The plastic and parasite fish had their choices taken from them and are now trapped in a situation where they completely lack their own agency. The parasite doesn't care about the fish it inhabits, only cares about its own survival and the goal of spreading infection onto others. Manipulation with a song and dance in order to seem cheerful and like a friend on the surface but with the dark inherent meaning of going down the wrong path and suffering as a result of your own choices. And of course, regardless of the ending, regardless of what anyone else is going through, we'll all be the same in the end. We all will suffer to get to that end, but some of that suffering is dressed up prettier and more appealing than the true horror of the situation. Honestly, it's really cool to use the metaphor of fish processing to convey lack of agency in life. Especially with the questioning phrase of "Do fish feel pain?" coming up, which was a question that people asked a lot or used to justify the methods of poorly treating fish. It should be obvious that, like humans and other animals, fish can feel pain and react when subjected to any infliction of pain. Fish also have things worse because once their fate is decided, they are placed into a controlled environment and their own movements are manipulated in order to insure that they are kept for either breeding purposes or death to satiate the fish market. It's really depressing no matter how you look at it.
13:21 Yeah, the tongue eating louse eat the fishes tongue to replace it. It then eats some of the food, or sucks blood. If the fish dies, it leaves. If it dies, the fish will as it can no longer swallow.
Just like real life. If you live out in the woods by yourself, you'll have a hard time surviving and will have little comfort if you don't trade with society, but you'll have agency over your life. If you group up with other survivors or live in modern society, you're sucked dry by greedy people whether through taxes, labor, or time exploitation. You lose free will.
@@acevaver5425 Living with another person requires concession of your ego. Even if you live outside of society, if you have a family, you will have to lose some of your free will to carry out your duty toward your wife and children. And yes, you may feel exploited by your wife and children because we tend to overvalue our own effort, and undervalue other's.
"... are in the same general area the mommy fish shits out a bunch of eggs and the daddy fish ejaculates all over it and then they fuck off because fish brains boil down to being capable of three of the four Fs."
A fish game with no water, a musical number with a dirty Q-tip, full on fish personalities...a throwback to the chaos of creation. Flavor torpedoes. What a wild ride.
There was water. Or was that supposed to be oil? It seemed to behave more like water. Although I really didn't get any fish-into-water vibe from the experience, hah.
It was a great idea! And after seeing it, I'm surprised there aren't more 3rd-person games that do the same. It's common in 1st-person multiplayer games, but I dunno about 3rd-person ones.
I noticed it right away!! I always love when developers or modders add stuff like that into games, it's something that seems simple but makes it more immersive! What an amazing game!
Time to explain how I feel this is similar to the video game “Rain World” (or, at least, it’s lore) In Rain World’s lore, the civilization in it (called the Ancients by the community) did not have machines. They had giant, weird organisms. The way the giant, horrifying being was a living organism while also technically being a machine sort of reminded me of that. It’s honestly crazy how two games that probably had no idea about each other came up with such a similar concept! Also, THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS GAME SKXHUXOAN B
@@Theystolemyhandle I think he’s trying to communicate that he’s washing the neighbors now, since the dirty dishes started to complain about the smell.
@@Theystolemyhandle I think he's try to communicate that he's complaining now about the smell, since the neighbors are dishing their dirty complaints.
@@Yukiandyumi23 IKR, the used q tip, the parasites and decompositions in the background, the fish unable to speak as it needs to scream out against it's captor, its horrific
At one point in time, someone sat down and came up with a game that involves a fish-tongue-eating louse that does a song and dance number using a dirty Q-tip as a cane and a plastic bottle cap as a top hat... And I'm not sure if I should thank them or question their state of mind. Maybe both?
Time to explain how I feel this is similar to the video game “Rain World” (or, at least, it’s lore) In Rain World’s lore, the civilization in it (called the Ancients by the community) did not have machines. They had giant, weird organisms. The way the giant, horrifying being was a living organism while also technically being a machine sort of reminded me of that. It’s honestly crazy how two games that probably had no idea about each other came up with such a similar concept! Also, this game really is amazing. Good work!
They're actually crustaceans, a type of isopod. Some people seek out fish with them on purpose, because they apparently taste similar to crab or lobster. I wouldn't eat them just because I don't want to eat isopods.
Just curious how did you interpret this from his perspective? I’ve heard people say that before but I’m having some trouble having a main takeaway about how he feels from all this
@@melmel1-3-4I personally believe this game could be interpreted from his perspective by looking at the fishes that were encountered, ultimately the fish has to make a choice, and that choice determines its fate, the first two fish encountered are pretty confident, which could show how curly is somewhat confident with his choices at the beginning of mouthwashing (chronologically), then further along the next fish is uncertain which could show how curly was uncertain of what to do either when Anya confronts him about jimmy?? (Possibly I’m not 100% sure😅) It could also be thru his perspective as the beginning we know the fish already made its choice of up or down, just as curly made his choice of trying to keep everybody content, as the fish continues and interacts with others it could either lie to them about where it’s going or tell the truth, this interactions can also change the fishes/players thinking of what choice it ultimately wants to choose at the end. Similar to how curly can lie to reassure the others. As u continue thru the game there’s a line that talks about how u subsequently ‘already made ur choice’, just how curly made his choice already of trying to help everyone on the crew without hurting anyone else. Which is why he never really tried to help Anya fully bc he would hurt j*mmy. I think this game is a representation of curlys thought process was while trying to save everyone and how his choices led to the final fate of his self and his crew. (Sorry if this didn’t make much sense tbf it didn’t make much to me either)
I ate mine while watching, right through the grossest (IMO) bit with the tongue-eating louse. Hated that. Didn't kill my appetite one little bit, though. *My ramen.*
I think the theme of this game might be like, Kafkaesque? You are thrown into this incomprehensible structure with no sense of what you are meant to do beyond going forward, others hazard guesses of what the purpose is but they are just as clueless as you are. However you do have agency in this scenario, and seemingly going *up* is Joining this incomprehensible nightmare, perhaps with some motive of improving it but as the ending says you are all too disparate and conflicting to actually do Anything with what control you as a group have. Going Down is just accepting doom at this system you have no means to fully understand. The game is set in a mixture of flesh and machinery because there is no distinguishing between the structure that was once built and the bodies that now oil its gears.
To me the game seemed kind of like a commentary on cosmic horror vs psychological horror, and the player's choice decides which interpretation applies. Like the Up option represents the literal kind of horror story where there is an actual multi-eyed monster that absorbs you into its hivemind and the Down option represents Silent Hill 2/PT type psychological horror where everything is just symbolic of some real world problem, in this case the food industry.
tbh one could interpret down as a cosmic horror for the fish for they are unable to comprehend and understand what is going on. it is so removed from their experiences that it could be equivalent to humans being devoured by cthulu
Time to explain how I feel this is similar to the video game “Rain World” (or, at least, it’s lore) In Rain World’s lore, the civilization in it (called the Ancients by the community) did not have machines. They had giant, weird organisms. The way the giant, horrifying being was a living organism while also technically being a machine sort of reminded me of that. It’s honestly crazy how two games that probably had no idea about each other came up with such a similar concept!
18:30 Yes! The book trilogy "Leviathan" by Scott Westerfeld is AMAZING, and focuses on it. A mechanized flying whale leviathan, a warship-eating gigantic sea behemoth, and the Clankers, with mechanical steampunk equivalents of the Darwinists's creatures! I highly recommend these books for people interested in the concept!
I never expected to find a comment about that series in a YT comment section, much less on a Manly video. But I am glad that plenty of people have read and enjoyed it. Its honestly very cool trilogy of alternative history and the clanker mechs are really cool. Plus the books have nice illustrations of certain scenes and either clanker mechs or biological beasties
(Dev Here) Yoooo thanks. This was just a student project, and we're shocked to see this kind of attention. Thanks for appreciating all the work we put into this : )
I always like the little break down of the game after he finishes playing. Really helps to wrap everything up nicely and help interpret what the game is trying to say.
I truly was not prepared for how weird this game about sardines was going to get. I somewhat suspect the endings are just cool imagery the developer thought up and that's entirely fair to do. If I had to assign some kind of meaning to them, going down could be viewed as giving up; you fell into this place so going down was never going to lead you to an exit. By going down, the sardine accepts death and ends up being made into food. Now, how moving upward results in you being a flesh blob, that I don't quite get.
@Dion Fortune I think you've got the main idea right, but I think you went more specific than the meaning, up was to an ugly useless apotheosis, where as down was to an ugly 'useful' purpose. Up was to follow a passion and nervous energy (some idea of god or religion)(group); down was some an _attempt_ at seeing true (measured or scientific) reality, (the wise fish proclaiming knowledge but clearly getting things wrong)(individual). The final big fish was a show of purpose, and that either option could bring purpose, but the end result was "soft?" (is it weak, or comforting?)
@@kalezuki9231 Absolutely? We are interpreting it. If this was in reference to the original commenter they were interpreting it as well. What were you trying to say?
@@ambiguousduck2333 ☹ I just meant that not every one is going to have the same interpretation.... I _wasn't_ saying that people aren't interpreting it. I don't get how my post was ambiguous or rude or some thing if that's what you're implying. I didn't mean any thing mean by it. 🤔 If I am misunderstanding the tone of your post how ever , I do apologize.
@@kalezuki9231 I was just really confused because we were all interpreting it, and you brought up interpretation? It seemed very redundant, so I was confused.
Manly: Recommends a manga about a mermaid eating fish (The Mermaid Princess's Guilty Meal) Me: immediately stops the video for 3 hours to binge read said manga It was really nice and funny! It wasn't horror though at all, despite it being labeled as such on the app I was using
The tongue eating louse is real, it's specifically the females that are most often seen on the tongue (lack of one) as the males are smaller and go into the fish through the gills so they are more in the back of the mouth
The weird lotus pod eyes really got to me Also the thing I hate about "a lot of people are going throught what you're going through" isn't that I want to be special or that my suffering is greater than all else. It's that it sounds and is often used as a "you're not the only one so get over yourself" rather than actually sympathizing. The same with being told that others have it worse than you, ofc they do but a problem is still a problem and my suffering is a problem. It does actually piss me off.
I think some people mean well by saying it; but it never really helps. You aren't all of those other people, and you have to deal with things on your own. You can't magically absorb their experience.
@@I_Dont_Believe_In_Salad OP makes it very clear in their comment that they already recognize that lol. Trying to sound smarter than everyone else just makes you look dumb.
_"Kinda hungry now"_ Yeah, seeing that poor fish in the cogs get chopped when you hit the button.... kinda made me hungry too. Sardines are awesome! :D This game was a wonderful surprise - the snapper and the parasite number was great. We're not so far removed for the sardine life, trying to decide on up or down. Ro-whee I guess all we can hope for is landing somewhere soft.
I personally like smoked or fried mackerel. There is another fish that literally translates to "Tongue" - "Язык" - Yazik, emphasis on "i", sounds like harsher "e" (I'm really bad at explaining stuff, sorry). It doesn't have many bones, has a pleasant pale pink colour than raw and it's delicious then fried, but it's a bit more expensive that the usual, so that's why we rarely buy it. Oh, and it's really fat as well, that's another reason why we rarely eat it. I don't know, maybe you'll be able to find this fish somewhere and try it.
@@mistakesregretsandimperfec7740 I'm thinking you might mean barabulka... it is a pink fish with few bones. Another name for it is red mullet. Oh, I like mackerel too! -I love all fish!
With Manly bringing up manga, I remember one that was about the life of a group of salmon that I read way back. Starting out as guppies born in a lake in Japan and follows their lives as they grow up, migrate to the ocean where they live their adult life until migrating back to the lake to lay their eggs and die. It was extremely brutal too with the fish being attacked and eaten while also reminding me a lot of the darker manga out at the time like Akame ga Kill, Gantz or Highschool of the Dead with the main group constatly brutalized and no character really being safe from death.
That parasite actually does eat the fish’s tongue, unfortunately. I believe it basically replaces the tongue and eats all the food the fish consumes, starving it. Gross Edit: apparently I was wrong about the isopod starving the fish, I have been educated by the replies lol
It doesn't seem to eat it's food. It is believed that it is the only parasite that functionally replaces a consumed organ. At least that is what is on some articles on it.
The parasitic isopod (depending on species I'd have to guess) doesn't always eat enough food to starve the fish. But it is still an inconvenience for the fish.
Did not regret eating while watching this until the parasite part. Great game and great video tho and yes for a fish game it really is very atmospheric. And entertaining. Thank you!!!
I want to point out that the fish always laying on his side might tie into the theme as well. "Up" or "Down" is actually "Right" or "Left", and either way you're still moving forward.
"You know i always hated hearing, "dont worry, a lot of people are going through the same thing. You're not alone." Theres this selfish, barbed wire inside my chest that coils up at that. "No, my pain is more tragic. Grander! Deeper! If only you knew!" Thats not true of course, i hate talking about it." I don’t usually relate to this sort of stuff but that line hit me directly
Did anyone else notice that the elder sardine dialogue sounds at like 20:20 actually sound like words? Because at like 21:24 if you just pay attention to the sound, I think it’s saying “come back again”
12:29 I think one of the manga that he's mentioning is called "Ningyohime no Gomen ne Gohan" or "The Mermaid Princess's Guilty Meal, Forbidden Fish is Sweeeetest!!!" The series is just so surreal I don't even know how to explain it from the last time I've read it, I think I should reread it sometimes, it's pretty good.
Ok, so: I've read a lot of theories comments before writing this and seeing how everyone viewed the meaning differently made me think. This game gives you carte blanche in every way, form the "main" choice to the message behind it. What I've came up with is that every theory of this game just adds up with the others. The atmosphere was very vague and so were the characters and the message in the two endings. Every time you talk with one fish, you'll end up thinking "oh ok! So this is the actual meaning of the choice we're making" but, as you stand before the exits deciding which road to take, when you're finished you will realise that it wasn't really like that. So what does everything really mean? Is there really an explanation? We play just like we live our life - making choices - but, at the very end, who decides if we played well? What is there after we finished? Are we really the ones making choices, thinking of our own? Or are we just pre-set with ideas and have our very specific role that after we die doesn't count anything? Is there really a good choice and a bad one? Are they all different or are they all the same? Have we understood the creator's message ? Was it made like this because it should be open to every theory? Was there really a message behind it? The fishes don't know how they arrived in that place and don't know that someone created them as they are at the moment. But do we, in our life, also know? This game could be considered an horror for the images in the parasite's show and for those eyed blobs, but as soon as you start thinking about its meaning and realise how much those questions apply to reality too it sends shivers down your spine. (Sorry if there are grammar mistakes, English is not my first language and I didn't double check because I kinda rambled. Also I'm not very used to idioms, so I translated them online)
Finally, my future marine biologist knowledge will be put to good use!!! There's a specoes of parasitic isopod called the Cymothoa Exigua, which are specialized in living in the mouths of fish (and yes, they eat the fish's version of a tongue through blood sucking), and live there for the majority of their lives, which sadly affects the fish's breathing since the isopod grows big enough to somewhat block their gills... Anyways I think it's so fucking neat that someone made a horror game where you're a fish, maybe it's cuz I'm a little biased, BUT LIKE, GOD I'D LOVE MORE GAMES WHERE YOU'RE A FISH, MAN...
There's ECCO the Dolphin and Fight Crab, but they aren't fish. 😂 Oh, but there's NEO AQUARIUM - The King of Crustaceans and Ace of Seafood! There's also Feed and Grow : Fish, EVO: the Search for Eden, and Seaman, too. Maybe that will be what you're looking for?
So... are we just going to ignore the fish at 7:32 that perished in a cond- I mean, rubber? I don't even want to think about the horrors that fish saw... not to mention how horribly unsanitary that is in the fish processing factory.
For me it really feels like this is about democratic choices. We don't talk or discuss officially. We hear what they say and make our individual choices. Each fish has particular quirks/flaws we've seen time and time again. The moron who has it really bad but plays it off as if it was always his choice and it was the best choice, The person who has his family's traditions instilled into him, despite not even being that close of a family, while his friend is telling him to make his own choices. The isopod inside the fish, basically stealing that fish's voice and presenting it as "their" idea. Speaking for him if you will. Being a parasite. The fish in the grand room, who specifically tells us, "That was smart, or did it just sound smart because I am in this huge imposing room". So basically people of wealth, who haven't really done anything for it, or people who did one thing to get them in the spotlight and then presenting their ideas as great because, hey they were his ideas, and whatever he says has to be amazing right? Otherwise he wouldn't be there. And the one with the broken neck, basically just stuck into his mentality without any reasoning. And I also think the fish crying at the other dead fish was a representing how we take specific random actions that just happen and make them politically charge, or polarizing, try to add more meaning to them than they have, which is just a tragic event. Now you also have the fish stuck in the gears, the system. Who can stop the system, and unless he is removed the system cannot move forward. As he is a cog in the machine, he is probably there unintentionally, or to better put it, he just had that forced on him due to some arbitrary decisions he made. Perhaps pushing the button is just a metaphor for them having to be removed to allow the system to function properly. It can also be those smartasses that just think they are doing something clever with no ill intent, but end up fucking everything because they either don't think it through, or through sheer incompetence. And finally, the choice. It doesn't really matter, from the fish' perspective both are horrible. cut up and eaten, or absorbed into the unwashed masses so to speak. All opting for the same choice, but still arguing, and bickering. I think I covered them all and I tried to keep it as unbiased as possible in terms of politics or global issues, but I am fairly certain it's to do with how we currently chose what system governs us. If the fish at the end does track all the players choices, and it's not just random numbers (a bit doubtful it does) it would be very interesting to observe that whichever is the minority ends up in the sandwich, as the "finer" meat, while the rest end up in the unconscious blob of vast knowledge. That would really hint towards the 1% vs the rest of us. Thank you for playing this game for us, Manly, as always it was quite the fun time!
The manga Manly is talking about at 12:30 is "The Mermaid Princess's Guilty Meal" by Hiroshi Noda. Sounds horrific, but it's actually funny af. It's also finished.
The manga about a mermaid that eats fish is called "the mermaid princess's guilty meal" and I guess it's a celebration of Japanese cooking? The food always looks amazing, it's just a bit weird that the fish are presented as people before they become food.
in my opinion the difference in the choices is not actually supposed to be there, i think the plant has a broken conveyor and a functioning one down is the functioning one where by going down you are reaching the end of your intended path as food while going up is the broken conveyor leading to an amalgamation of rotting fish and possibly the source of the disgusting things you see leading up to this choice. do you go to the end intended for you? or do you take the path that leads to a comparably horrible end but you made it yourself? there are rational arguments for both sides.
*trypophobia warning* // (a lot of it) - stop watching from 11:53 to 12:12. you wont be missing any dialogue or scenery, just him floppin so no worries about that - there's another brief flash of a photo that could be triggering at 15:31 so ill mark it here too just in case - and definite warning all from 18:58 til 22:23. there is dialogue and story that you'll be missing if you skip, so maybe just look away? figured i'd give a head's up anyway
@@Latasha977 of course! i dont personally have trypophobia but i know of people who do and just wanted to provide a warning for you guys. happy to help!!
I came scrolling through the comments after witnessing that first, VERY lotus pod thing (which is ironic because I DESPISE LOTUS PODS!!!!!). I wish this had been higher up. But thank you for posting the rest of them! As soon as I saw that lotus pod thing I put my hands up on the screen, and then he kept getting closer!!!! hahaha I was like nooo manly stahhppp haha
Since it’s all but confirmed that you were eaten by something that’s both mechanical and organic, I assume the pathways are supposed to kinda indirectly refer to what role the fish serves. Going ‘up’ turns the fish into a mass of empty thoughts and ideas, but with no influence. It essentially adds to this weird creature’s ‘brain’ by going up into it’s brain stem-thingy. Going down shows a commercial for a fish themed meal. Which I’m guessing obviously means you go down it’s digestive tract and get eaten by the creature.
12:30 the manga, in case anyone wanted to read it, is 人魚姫のごめんねごはん (Ningyohime no gomen ne gohan, like 'the mermaid's regrettable meal') it's really funny in a slightly dark way and the art makes you hungry if you like seafood. I'm sure there is English translation. Highly recommend
The game reminds me of the movie Padak where a mackerel tries to escape from a restaurant, and from what I can remember it's like Watership Down and Plague Dogs with its animal depiction
The manga you were talking about is called "The Mermaid Princess' Guilty Meal". It's a good read, as long as you don't mind the fact that every chapter has the same punchline. It does humanize the fish a lot, though.
Was having an absolutely horrible shift, not only did I get to watcha manly video on break but I got s phenomenal musical number as well, instant day improvement. Now I need a video of just the musical number to watch on repeat
This is two years late lmao but my interpretation of the endings is that one achieves higher thinking (hence, up) and being so isolated in one's mindset that you cannot come to a consensus with those that also chose higher thinking. Nothing got done, even if you choose what might be perceived as "morally/practically right", because in the end, whatever is "right" is subjective. Whilst the other ending might represent how one can choose not to pursue higher thinking, and be more satisifed with life that way. You might've ended up as human food but hey, at least you still serve some purpose you can understand, right? I also find it interesting how there are two preacher fish, one for UP and one for DOWN. Almost like the game wanted to sway you in some way.
Manly you are legit my favorite RUclipsr dude! I enjoy your content so much and I appreciate all your effort and personality you put into your vids! Please keep it up brotha!!
i have to say: manlys videos are very nice to listen to when you’re booster recovering or sick in general-its soothing to those with headaches :,) thank you manly !
i always enjoy surrealist media like this, i love to chew on it and theorize. the highlight definitely was the amusing and stomach turning parasite performance.
I was hungry for breakfast before watching this but the parasite musical grossed me out so much I'm just going to wait till dinner time to eat, where i will have forgotten about it by then
This feels like it has religous themes. Up and down both being death but all the fish think they will live. With the friend fish it sounds like his friend is a god (jesus fish?) stand in when he talks about needing to be forgiven by him. The eel(? He was staring at the fish trapped in the condom) insists down no matter what and wants to bath in what the dead fish is in. That seems a lot like a "prophet" along with baptism. The set up is pretty funny for that one too. The fish at the very end kind of seems like a old man who never came to terms with his faith. Either way he finds comfort with help from the player. Another comment mentioned down results in canned sardines and up into more processed meat in real life. The up ending is no where near as literal as down. The up ending seems to a horrific take on dying and just no longer existing. In that you end up fueling the factory that you started in? It seems that the guts and such that hung everywhere was connected. This seems pretty comparable to a atheistic belief that you just turn into worm food for plants and shit, all though the never ending knowledge of being one being for all of time doesnt fit that mo to well. It could just be a eldritch alternative of religon instead of an atheistic alternative to the after life. The up end with its nice pretty roll out seems way more comparable to heaven. It's a nice meal and none of the fish are truly aware of whats happened to them. They thought they would be like, swimming in the ocean or something. Not getting eaten by the creators of the machine. Either way though, with the way the fish speak of the down it does seem to be meant to be more akin to christianity than anything else. Seriously, that eel is like a prophet or a priest or something. Also the isopod's fish looks so sad :( Sad and the only one not worried about religon because theres a bug controlling him and he has way more pressing things. Like the deadline at the office or something. Seriously, i cant think of much for that fish other than he just hates his job.
18:38 Genre that Manly just mentioned here is called "biopunk" I must say, rather underrated genre, that is similliar with cyberpunk in it's core idea: "what will wait us in future", but biopunk is much more focused on technologies, that allow to construct machines, buildings, etc. using "animal material" like bones, flesh and so on. "Meaty creatures being shot with a meaty gun in a very meaty environment."
(not entirely sure why I share this but it was funny) watching this on opera GX so I have a mod that plays matryoshka by hatsune miku and Gumi and when the parasite's dance number started, it was quiet enough for it to unmute itself in the middle of the chorus it got a chuckle out of me, funniest thing I ever saw
The last fish, talking about the choice of UP and DOWN sounded like it was saying actual words, something like "Everyone", "Action", "You've tried to come back", "Are you", "Did he" etc.
Welcome to the UP or DOWN Club, how UP or DOWN are ya?
I'm very UP today Manly, How about you?
Finding Nemo 2
*I'll go wherever you go Manly Kun...*
3rd floor please
I'm very up👍
“Oh my god, it’s a musical number…” Manly’s last words before RUclips silenced him.
just so you know, this video had music when it was uploaded two years ago
Dev here! Thank you so much for playing Manly! I have literally binged all your videos while making this game, so you checking it out is a dream come true. I also appreciate you taking the time to think about the themes and such. I will say the game is entirely purposeful when it comes to theming and meaning ;P I love to read people's interpretations!
The musical number is "Little Lily Swing" by Tri-Tachyon.
We're a three person team of student developers, this is our first release. We're very proud! Thank you everyone for watching! We're moving right along to our next game, so please keep an eye on our socials to follow development. Thank you all again!
Can you tell us what the most accurate interpretation is?
Did making this game make you hungry or did it put you off fish for a while?
@@suitov I've hated fish as a food my whole life, the smell of them makes me nauseous. I like crustaceans and such though, so maybe I'd snack on our parasite friend here. I'll bet he's salty sweet!
Yo, hi. Thanks for the experience. Is this game atmosphere, by any chance, inspired by MDK games? I can see some resemblance between aesthetic styles, like it a lot
What is "USP"? "Unique Selling Proposition"?
I enjoy how manly doesnt play the same popular games over and over again and plays these smaller games that I've never heard of before and each video is always very interesting and never boring
I followed him because he was one of the few gamers who still play pixelated RPGs after the craze died down.
@@sxatcychan1988 what are you saying?
@@thomasramirez5132 well, it depends on what you're confused about. 😐
That's why hes literally the only "let's play" youtuber I watch. I like playing games myself so I only want to watch games I'd never hear of or play otherwise. (Console gamer, dont play on PC)
Indie Games >>>>>>>>> AAA
So I looked a little more into this and based off of how fish processing is done, there are two major outcomes that seem to very much align with the up or down options.
Up Option where all the fish are being amalgamized together is the secondary process that involves canning fish. In this ending, it's likely we are seeing all the fish being turned into unrecognizable canned food. Whether this is for human or animal consumption doesn't exactly matter too much as it can be used either way.
Down Option where all the fish mostly still retain pieces of their old self but are served up more into a fine dining experience is a primary process that revolves around filleting fresh fish in order to use in other potential food production or eaten as-is.
As we saw, regardless of the options presented, neither ended well for the fish.
It's definitely a game that revolves around the agency of one's self and the lack of control people really have in their lives as the path has been mostly decided for them. We got to see this with a lot of the fish we came across that have no agency themselves and rely on others or a higher power to make choices for them in order to convince themselves the path they're going is right. Then we have other situations where the fish are trapped in plastic or alternatively have their tongues eaten and replaced by a parasite.
The plastic and parasite fish had their choices taken from them and are now trapped in a situation where they completely lack their own agency. The parasite doesn't care about the fish it inhabits, only cares about its own survival and the goal of spreading infection onto others. Manipulation with a song and dance in order to seem cheerful and like a friend on the surface but with the dark inherent meaning of going down the wrong path and suffering as a result of your own choices.
And of course, regardless of the ending, regardless of what anyone else is going through, we'll all be the same in the end. We all will suffer to get to that end, but some of that suffering is dressed up prettier and more appealing than the true horror of the situation.
Honestly, it's really cool to use the metaphor of fish processing to convey lack of agency in life. Especially with the questioning phrase of "Do fish feel pain?" coming up, which was a question that people asked a lot or used to justify the methods of poorly treating fish. It should be obvious that, like humans and other animals, fish can feel pain and react when subjected to any infliction of pain. Fish also have things worse because once their fate is decided, they are placed into a controlled environment and their own movements are manipulated in order to insure that they are kept for either breeding purposes or death to satiate the fish market. It's really depressing no matter how you look at it.
Kool explanation! Thanks
fish
Fish
Fish
Perfect for me, but wonder if it would taste nice…?
damn what a powerful explanation..
fish
13:21 Yeah, the tongue eating louse eat the fishes tongue to replace it. It then eats some of the food, or sucks blood. If the fish dies, it leaves. If it dies, the fish will as it can no longer swallow.
Just like real life. If you live out in the woods by yourself, you'll have a hard time surviving and will have little comfort if you don't trade with society, but you'll have agency over your life. If you group up with other survivors or live in modern society, you're sucked dry by greedy people whether through taxes, labor, or time exploitation. You lose free will.
@@acevaver5425 Living with another person requires concession of your ego. Even if you live outside of society, if you have a family, you will have to lose some of your free will to carry out your duty toward your wife and children. And yes, you may feel exploited by your wife and children because we tend to overvalue our own effort, and undervalue other's.
@@acevaver5425 not necessarily. i do not think i agree with this cynical look at society.
@@acevaver5425 This take is too black and white for me. Real life is more abstract, so either choice has way more pros and cons than you mention.
@@acevaver5425 I mean the louse is already in real life, so
“I hated hearing “don’t worry, a lot of people are going through the same thing. you’re not alone””
Felt on a deeper level.
Reminded me of this whole pandemic thing we're all goin through...
@@jonnyfavors7585 THE WORLD IS ENDING
I read this comment in that part what a coincidence
@@jonnyfavors7585 except the part where it's fake
@@АнтонБатон-д8к i'll assume this is bait
"How fish is made"
Well you see ManlyBadassSardine, when a Mommy-fish and a Daddy-fish...
"... are in the same general area the mommy fish shits out a bunch of eggs and the daddy fish ejaculates all over it and then they fuck off because fish brains boil down to being capable of three of the four Fs."
ManlyBadassherring
@@Quenlin I like how other species do all the smem stuff in the body but fish just reject that and just cum on their eggs. Truly marvellous
@@theentiretyofthelgbtq5479 that's why being a fish is not exciting
*Gasp
*Covers your mouth
It's nothing, Kids, HAHA!
*Nervous laughter
A fish game with no water, a musical number with a dirty Q-tip, full on fish personalities...a throwback to the chaos of creation. Flavor torpedoes. What a wild ride.
There was water. Or was that supposed to be oil? It seemed to behave more like water.
Although I really didn't get any fish-into-water vibe from the experience, hah.
(dev) Great video! Thanks for noticing the fish neck rotating with the camera. Makes my little programmer heart happy : )
It was a great idea! And after seeing it, I'm surprised there aren't more 3rd-person games that do the same. It's common in 1st-person multiplayer games, but I dunno about 3rd-person ones.
I noticed it right away!! I always love when developers or modders add stuff like that into games, it's something that seems simple but makes it more immersive! What an amazing game!
Wait..if you're Dev, then who's the person above???
@@Lola1912 Its a dev team of 3 people and I have two accounts. I'm the programmer. Kasuraga did the narrative and art.
Time to explain how I feel this is similar to the video game “Rain World” (or, at least, it’s lore)
In Rain World’s lore, the civilization in it (called the Ancients by the community) did not have machines. They had giant, weird organisms. The way the giant, horrifying being was a living organism while also technically being a machine sort of reminded me of that. It’s honestly crazy how two games that probably had no idea about each other came up with such a similar concept! Also, THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS GAME SKXHUXOAN B
These fishies last outside of water longer than the dirty dishes in my house
What?
@@Theystolemyhandle I think he's trying to communicate that he's washing dishes now, since the neighbors started to complain about the smell.
@@Theystolemyhandle I think he’s trying to communicate that he’s washing the neighbors now, since the dirty dishes started to complain about the smell.
@@Theystolemyhandle I think he’s trying to communicate that he’s complaining about the smell of his neighbors now, since he’s dishes.
@@Theystolemyhandle I think he's try to communicate that he's complaining now about the smell, since the neighbors are dishing their dirty complaints.
the musical part with the parasite was the funniest crap ive seen in so long how were you quiet
I had to look away cuz the imagery was upsetting to my eyes lol
the dirty q-tip cane made me lose it
he probably muted the mic, sometimes you can hear him doing that
That musical number was more disturbing than most of the horror games around
@@Yukiandyumi23 IKR, the used q tip, the parasites and decompositions in the background, the fish unable to speak as it needs to scream out against it's captor, its horrific
Steering a flopping fish sideways through a weird drippy tunnel: "Oh, this is gonna be one of THOSE games."
reminds me of myself playing Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future, back in the day on PS2..... .......
not gonna lie, that scene with the parasite straight up made me feel sick about eating fish, so....good job game...
I was already like that after learning about fish by keeping them, but the game reminded me about it.
Not that other meat is much better, though.
Good thing I'm not alone ;-;
Ha, ngl between that and the trypophobia stuff there were multiple times I kinda just had to look away from the screen
Also hey, fancy seeing you here
@@VeeVee_Is_Here fr I felt like looking away too, I regret watching that scene now
you've been effectively propagandized.
At one point in time, someone sat down and came up with a game that involves a fish-tongue-eating louse that does a song and dance number using a dirty Q-tip as a cane and a plastic bottle cap as a top hat... And I'm not sure if I should thank them or question their state of mind. Maybe both?
"thank you for this wonderful experience of a game you have created also are you mentally okay?"
Most definitely both
Ya'll seriously act like this is the weirdest game out there lmao
It's creative. Hell yeah! Way to go devs
Time to explain how I feel this is similar to the video game “Rain World” (or, at least, it’s lore)
In Rain World’s lore, the civilization in it (called the Ancients by the community) did not have machines. They had giant, weird organisms. The way the giant, horrifying being was a living organism while also technically being a machine sort of reminded me of that. It’s honestly crazy how two games that probably had no idea about each other came up with such a similar concept! Also, this game really is amazing. Good work!
The tongue-eating louse is a real thing FYI !!! Also called the "Cymothoa exigua"
You're right and I hate it 🙂. Those things are freaky
They're actually crustaceans, a type of isopod. Some people seek out fish with them on purpose, because they apparently taste similar to crab or lobster. I wouldn't eat them just because I don't want to eat isopods.
@@TheTheninjagummybear bruh please tell me you are lying
Watched that scene while eating, safely said my meal was cut short
@@knightwing1224 Some people see maggot infested cheese as a delicacy
I can see something seeing a parasitic isopod as a delicacy, too
23:39
I found it interesting that the colors for up and down switched when the big fish told how many fish went which way. 🤔
(dev here) Hmm... Yes. Very deep and philosophical. We defo didn't just fuck up the color tagging on that text.
@@jeffreytomec I dont understand it but i can feel my brain growing
@@jeffreytomec cool game!
@@MrSkme I think it was an accident
@@jeffreytomec happy accident.
Omg watching this now again and realizing its entirely from curly's perspective
Just curious how did you interpret this from his perspective? I’ve heard people say that before but I’m having some trouble having a main takeaway about how he feels from all this
@@melmel1-3-4I personally believe this game could be interpreted from his perspective by looking at the fishes that were encountered, ultimately the fish has to make a choice, and that choice determines its fate, the first two fish encountered are pretty confident, which could show how curly is somewhat confident with his choices at the beginning of mouthwashing (chronologically), then further along the next fish is uncertain which could show how curly was uncertain of what to do either when Anya confronts him about jimmy?? (Possibly I’m not 100% sure😅)
It could also be thru his perspective as the beginning we know the fish already made its choice of up or down, just as curly made his choice of trying to keep everybody content, as the fish continues and interacts with others it could either lie to them about where it’s going or tell the truth, this interactions can also change the fishes/players thinking of what choice it ultimately wants to choose at the end. Similar to how curly can lie to reassure the others. As u continue thru the game there’s a line that talks about how u subsequently ‘already made ur choice’, just how curly made his choice already of trying to help everyone on the crew without hurting anyone else. Which is why he never really tried to help Anya fully bc he would hurt j*mmy.
I think this game is a representation of curlys thought process was while trying to save everyone and how his choices led to the final fate of his self and his crew. (Sorry if this didn’t make much sense tbf it didn’t make much to me either)
I'm just imagining this is his final dreams before he eventually dies after being put in the cryopod
... ya know, it's my own fault that I thought I'd be able to get through eating dinner while watching this. That's on me. I'll own it.
I had mine slightly before and blegh.
yeah the musical number really ruined my snacking
Me eating breakfast n hating seafood :👁👄👁
I ate mine while watching, right through the grossest (IMO) bit with the tongue-eating louse. Hated that. Didn't kill my appetite one little bit, though.
*My ramen.*
same xD
I think the theme of this game might be like, Kafkaesque? You are thrown into this incomprehensible structure with no sense of what you are meant to do beyond going forward, others hazard guesses of what the purpose is but they are just as clueless as you are. However you do have agency in this scenario, and seemingly going *up* is Joining this incomprehensible nightmare, perhaps with some motive of improving it but as the ending says you are all too disparate and conflicting to actually do Anything with what control you as a group have. Going Down is just accepting doom at this system you have no means to fully understand. The game is set in a mixture of flesh and machinery because there is no distinguishing between the structure that was once built and the bodies that now oil its gears.
Its VERY Kafka
So the game is about nihlism?
@@LordZanas More absurdist than nihilist
11:06 Rip fish
14:48 Musical
26:00 Up ending
27:26 Down ending
To me the game seemed kind of like a commentary on cosmic horror vs psychological horror, and the player's choice decides which interpretation applies. Like the Up option represents the literal kind of horror story where there is an actual multi-eyed monster that absorbs you into its hivemind and the Down option represents Silent Hill 2/PT type psychological horror where everything is just symbolic of some real world problem, in this case the food industry.
I think it's highlighting that divide. I'm not sure its commenting on it.
tbh one could interpret down as a cosmic horror for the fish for they are unable to comprehend and understand what is going on. it is so removed from their experiences that it could be equivalent to humans being devoured by cthulu
@@aurum-anadeus4875 if we’re looking from the fish’s perspective, both options would be equally as horrifying.
@@supe4701 yeah that is true.
Time to explain how I feel this is similar to the video game “Rain World” (or, at least, it’s lore)
In Rain World’s lore, the civilization in it (called the Ancients by the community) did not have machines. They had giant, weird organisms. The way the giant, horrifying being was a living organism while also technically being a machine sort of reminded me of that. It’s honestly crazy how two games that probably had no idea about each other came up with such a similar concept!
18:30 Yes! The book trilogy "Leviathan" by Scott Westerfeld is AMAZING, and focuses on it. A mechanized flying whale leviathan, a warship-eating gigantic sea behemoth, and the Clankers, with mechanical steampunk equivalents of the Darwinists's creatures! I highly recommend these books for people interested in the concept!
I didn’t know he’d written something like that! I read his Uglies series and really really enjoyed it, so maybe I’ll check out that trilogy too.
I never expected to find a comment about that series in a YT comment section, much less on a Manly video. But I am glad that plenty of people have read and enjoyed it. Its honestly very cool trilogy of alternative history and the clanker mechs are really cool. Plus the books have nice illustrations of certain scenes and either clanker mechs or biological beasties
i still can't get over the concept of the flechette bats lol
@@Thelothuo modern clanker problems require modern darwinist solutions
Loved that series!
I cant believe this was connected to mouth washing! I had no idea until someone told me lol- cause i remember watching this video a year ago
Such an... interesting game...
The clear effort they've put in this game! It actually looks cool and pretty polished
(Dev Here) Yoooo thanks. This was just a student project, and we're shocked to see this kind of attention. Thanks for appreciating all the work we put into this : )
@@jeffreytomec really?? It looks stunning.
Can't wait what to see you'll do in the future :)
I always like the little break down of the game after he finishes playing. Really helps to wrap everything up nicely and help interpret what the game is trying to say.
I truly was not prepared for how weird this game about sardines was going to get. I somewhat suspect the endings are just cool imagery the developer thought up and that's entirely fair to do. If I had to assign some kind of meaning to them, going down could be viewed as giving up; you fell into this place so going down was never going to lead you to an exit. By going down, the sardine accepts death and ends up being made into food. Now, how moving upward results in you being a flesh blob, that I don't quite get.
@Dion Fortune I think you've got the main idea right, but I think you went more specific than the meaning,
up was to an ugly useless apotheosis, where as down was to an ugly 'useful' purpose.
Up was to follow a passion and nervous energy (some idea of god or religion)(group); down was some an _attempt_ at seeing true (measured or scientific) reality, (the wise fish proclaiming knowledge but clearly getting things wrong)(individual).
The final big fish was a show of purpose, and that either option could bring purpose, but the end result was "soft?" (is it weak, or comforting?)
@@kalezuki9231 Absolutely? We are interpreting it.
If this was in reference to the original commenter they were interpreting it as well.
What were you trying to say?
@@ambiguousduck2333 ☹ I just meant that not every one is going to have the same interpretation.... I _wasn't_ saying that people aren't interpreting it. I don't get how my post was ambiguous or rude or some thing if that's what you're implying. I didn't mean any thing mean by it. 🤔 If I am misunderstanding the tone of your post how ever , I do apologize.
@@kalezuki9231 I was just really confused because we were all interpreting it, and you brought up interpretation? It seemed very redundant, so I was confused.
@@ambiguousduck2333 Oh , ok...
Remember manly, there is no trash cannot, only trash can.
Hah!
and its empty.
I think it's just a factory, but to a fish's mind, it looks like a giant monster swallowed them whole.
Thanks to the sequel game, this is all canonically a hallucination brought about by surviving on mouthwash.
10/10; there was a musical number sung by a parasite wielding a dirty q-tip
Manly: Recommends a manga about a mermaid eating fish (The Mermaid Princess's Guilty Meal)
Me: immediately stops the video for 3 hours to binge read said manga
It was really nice and funny! It wasn't horror though at all, despite it being labeled as such on the app I was using
Damn, I see you’re a little more dedicated than me. I just finished reading it.
Okay, I want read this manga too...
I did the same thing, it’s a really funny manga. Thanks manly for introducing it
@@bloodorange7428
I think the end could have been paced a little better tho
Whats the manga's name
The dancing isopod made my day :’)
Agreed!! With the parasite imagery with meat to go with it? Couldn't ask for a better musical..
I loved the little guy, couldn’t bring myself to look back after the living meat though.
yeah youd say that
The tongue eating louse is real, it's specifically the females that are most often seen on the tongue (lack of one) as the males are smaller and go into the fish through the gills so they are more in the back of the mouth
The weird lotus pod eyes really got to me
Also the thing I hate about "a lot of people are going throught what you're going through" isn't that I want to be special or that my suffering is greater than all else. It's that it sounds and is often used as a "you're not the only one so get over yourself" rather than actually sympathizing. The same with being told that others have it worse than you, ofc they do but a problem is still a problem and my suffering is a problem. It does actually piss me off.
I think some people mean well by saying it; but it never really helps. You aren't all of those other people, and you have to deal with things on your own. You can't magically absorb their experience.
Poor You.
the world does not revolve around you or anyone.
@@I_Dont_Believe_In_Salad pOoR YoU.tHe wOrLd dOeS NoT ReVoLvE ArOuNd yOu oR AnYoNe.
@@I_Dont_Believe_In_Salad OP makes it very clear in their comment that they already recognize that lol. Trying to sound smarter than everyone else just makes you look dumb.
you just havent accepted yourself
_"Kinda hungry now"_
Yeah, seeing that poor fish in the cogs get chopped when you hit the button.... kinda made me hungry too. Sardines are awesome! :D
This game was a wonderful surprise - the snapper and the parasite number was great. We're not so far removed for the sardine life, trying to decide on up or down. Ro-whee I guess all we can hope for is landing somewhere soft.
I personally like smoked or fried mackerel.
There is another fish that literally translates to "Tongue" - "Язык" - Yazik, emphasis on "i", sounds like harsher "e" (I'm really bad at explaining stuff, sorry). It doesn't have many bones, has a pleasant pale pink colour than raw and it's delicious then fried, but it's a bit more expensive that the usual, so that's why we rarely buy it. Oh, and it's really fat as well, that's another reason why we rarely eat it.
I don't know, maybe you'll be able to find this fish somewhere and try it.
@@mistakesregretsandimperfec7740 I'm thinking you might mean barabulka... it is a pink fish with few bones. Another name for it is red mullet. Oh, I like mackerel too! -I love all fish!
With Manly bringing up manga, I remember one that was about the life of a group of salmon that I read way back. Starting out as guppies born in a lake in Japan and follows their lives as they grow up, migrate to the ocean where they live their adult life until migrating back to the lake to lay their eggs and die. It was extremely brutal too with the fish being attacked and eaten while also reminding me a lot of the darker manga out at the time like Akame ga Kill, Gantz or Highschool of the Dead with the main group constatly brutalized and no character really being safe from death.
Manga named?
@@tiffanyngo4273 it's called Crimsons - The Scarlet Navigators of the Ocean
@@SharkSnoot Ty
That's so cool! I need to check it out someday
I read that!!! Crimsons is so weird. It's so freaking wild. 🤣
Can't believe I just spend 30 minutes watching a tuna flopping around and never regret it. You're really something Manly.
*sardine
That parasite actually does eat the fish’s tongue, unfortunately. I believe it basically replaces the tongue and eats all the food the fish consumes, starving it. Gross
Edit: apparently I was wrong about the isopod starving the fish, I have been educated by the replies lol
Fish is as ok as they can be after having tongue replaced it takes blood and scraps
The fish basically can't live if the thing inside of it is removed
So it like making a bad deal with the devil having that thing replace your tongue
It doesn't seem to eat it's food. It is believed that it is the only parasite that functionally replaces a consumed organ. At least that is what is on some articles on it.
The parasitic isopod (depending on species I'd have to guess) doesn't always eat enough food to starve the fish. But it is still an inconvenience for the fish.
@@redraptor1838
So it is an isopod of sort, I was confused for the longest time
Did not regret eating while watching this until the parasite part. Great game and great video tho and yes for a fish game it really is very atmospheric. And entertaining. Thank you!!!
I want to point out that the fish always laying on his side might tie into the theme as well. "Up" or "Down" is actually "Right" or "Left", and either way you're still moving forward.
I liked the fishes models and some of them even adorable.
I thought some were adorable too. Glad there's others who think the same. I was starting to think I was crazy lol
@@yeahgirl11
Hahaha, I'm happy to not be the only one as well.
Gonna need a real good sturgeon to help out these fish...
Edit: The manga he mentioned is The Mermaid Princess's Guilty Meal
Thanks 👍, gonna give it a read now.
Ah, sh!t, here we go again!
i dunno how to say this, but it's a fish eat fish world down there
"You know i always hated hearing, "dont worry, a lot of people are going through the same thing. You're not alone." Theres this selfish, barbed wire inside my chest that coils up at that. "No, my pain is more tragic. Grander! Deeper! If only you knew!" Thats not true of course, i hate talking about it."
I don’t usually relate to this sort of stuff but that line hit me directly
Did anyone else notice that the elder sardine dialogue sounds at like 20:20 actually sound like words? Because at like 21:24 if you just pay attention to the sound, I think it’s saying “come back again”
It does sound like he says "Try" and stuff.
12:29 I think one of the manga that he's mentioning is called "Ningyohime no Gomen ne Gohan" or "The Mermaid Princess's Guilty Meal, Forbidden Fish is Sweeeetest!!!" The series is just so surreal I don't even know how to explain it from the last time I've read it, I think I should reread it sometimes, it's pretty good.
Be four warned, because being three warned is hard to phantom.
Ok, so: I've read a lot of theories comments before writing this and seeing how everyone viewed the meaning differently made me think.
This game gives you carte blanche in every way, form the "main" choice to the message behind it. What I've came up with is that every theory of this game just adds up with the others. The atmosphere was very vague and so were the characters and the message in the two endings. Every time you talk with one fish, you'll end up thinking "oh ok! So this is the actual meaning of the choice we're making" but, as you stand before the exits deciding which road to take, when you're finished you will realise that it wasn't really like that.
So what does everything really mean? Is there really an explanation? We play just like we live our life - making choices - but, at the very end, who decides if we played well? What is there after we finished? Are we really the ones making choices, thinking of our own? Or are we just pre-set with ideas and have our very specific role that after we die doesn't count anything? Is there really a good choice and a bad one? Are they all different or are they all the same?
Have we understood the creator's message ?
Was it made like this because it should be open to every theory?
Was there really a message behind it?
The fishes don't know how they arrived in that place and don't know that someone created them as they are at the moment. But do we, in our life, also know?
This game could be considered an horror for the images in the parasite's show and for those eyed blobs, but as soon as you start thinking about its meaning and realise how much those questions apply to reality too it sends shivers down your spine.
(Sorry if there are grammar mistakes, English is not my first language and I didn't double check because I kinda rambled. Also I'm not very used to idioms, so I translated them online)
For some reason I feel like the used condom bit has some kind of meaning. If not then they put an alarming amount of detail into that one.
7:05 I have got to admit, the “flop flop flop I’m a fish” part was pretty funny 😂
The fish in 21:40 is actually saying words if anyone wants to decipher it or take a weird listen
It sounds like he's saying "come back"
sounds like "Come back and try". ?
I'm watching a tongue-eating louse dance in the first month of 2022, this is going to be a wonderful year.
Was it a wonderful year?
@@NoYes-pl4fu nope, I lose my job
I really like how the fish flopping has weight and rhythm to it. cute detail
when the fish speak the little audio that plays over sounds like “try again” and “comeback” at some points, that’s crazy
So one becomes chum and the other becomes a gourmet meal.
“Don’t worry, other people are going through the same thing”
THEY DON’T DESERVE TO
*murders fish in cold blood*
*exclaims in disgust*
"I'm kind of hungry now"
Finally, my future marine biologist knowledge will be put to good use!!! There's a specoes of parasitic isopod called the Cymothoa Exigua, which are specialized in living in the mouths of fish (and yes, they eat the fish's version of a tongue through blood sucking), and live there for the majority of their lives, which sadly affects the fish's breathing since the isopod grows big enough to somewhat block their gills...
Anyways I think it's so fucking neat that someone made a horror game where you're a fish, maybe it's cuz I'm a little biased, BUT LIKE, GOD I'D LOVE MORE GAMES WHERE YOU'RE A FISH, MAN...
There's ECCO the Dolphin and Fight Crab, but they aren't fish. 😂
Oh, but there's NEO AQUARIUM - The King of Crustaceans and Ace of Seafood! There's also Feed and Grow : Fish, EVO: the Search for Eden, and Seaman, too. Maybe that will be what you're looking for?
So... are we just going to ignore the fish at 7:32 that perished in a cond- I mean, rubber? I don't even want to think about the horrors that fish saw... not to mention how horribly unsanitary that is in the fish processing factory.
I was wondering if that's what it was lol 😢
At least someone mentioned it.
For me it really feels like this is about democratic choices. We don't talk or discuss officially. We hear what they say and make our individual choices. Each fish has particular quirks/flaws we've seen time and time again. The moron who has it really bad but plays it off as if it was always his choice and it was the best choice, The person who has his family's traditions instilled into him, despite not even being that close of a family, while his friend is telling him to make his own choices. The isopod inside the fish, basically stealing that fish's voice and presenting it as "their" idea. Speaking for him if you will. Being a parasite. The fish in the grand room, who specifically tells us, "That was smart, or did it just sound smart because I am in this huge imposing room". So basically people of wealth, who haven't really done anything for it, or people who did one thing to get them in the spotlight and then presenting their ideas as great because, hey they were his ideas, and whatever he says has to be amazing right? Otherwise he wouldn't be there. And the one with the broken neck, basically just stuck into his mentality without any reasoning. And I also think the fish crying at the other dead fish was a representing how we take specific random actions that just happen and make them politically charge, or polarizing, try to add more meaning to them than they have, which is just a tragic event.
Now you also have the fish stuck in the gears, the system. Who can stop the system, and unless he is removed the system cannot move forward. As he is a cog in the machine, he is probably there unintentionally, or to better put it, he just had that forced on him due to some arbitrary decisions he made. Perhaps pushing the button is just a metaphor for them having to be removed to allow the system to function properly. It can also be those smartasses that just think they are doing something clever with no ill intent, but end up fucking everything because they either don't think it through, or through sheer incompetence.
And finally, the choice. It doesn't really matter, from the fish' perspective both are horrible. cut up and eaten, or absorbed into the unwashed masses so to speak. All opting for the same choice, but still arguing, and bickering.
I think I covered them all and I tried to keep it as unbiased as possible in terms of politics or global issues, but I am fairly certain it's to do with how we currently chose what system governs us. If the fish at the end does track all the players choices, and it's not just random numbers (a bit doubtful it does) it would be very interesting to observe that whichever is the minority ends up in the sandwich, as the "finer" meat, while the rest end up in the unconscious blob of vast knowledge. That would really hint towards the 1% vs the rest of us.
Thank you for playing this game for us, Manly, as always it was quite the fun time!
The fish with the family values also asks about ones destination despite claiming to make their own decisions
The manga Manly is talking about at 12:30 is "The Mermaid Princess's Guilty Meal" by Hiroshi Noda. Sounds horrific, but it's actually funny af. It's also finished.
Oh boy I’ve always wanted to know how fish is made, I’m sure the fish-making process is very enjoyable
The manga about a mermaid that eats fish is called "the mermaid princess's guilty meal" and I guess it's a celebration of Japanese cooking? The food always looks amazing, it's just a bit weird that the fish are presented as people before they become food.
Lmao
Manly has summoned us again
in my opinion the difference in the choices is not actually supposed to be there, i think the plant has a broken conveyor and a functioning one down is the functioning one where by going down you are reaching the end of your intended path as food while going up is the broken conveyor leading to an amalgamation of rotting fish and possibly the source of the disgusting things you see leading up to this choice.
do you go to the end intended for you? or do you take the path that leads to a comparably horrible end but you made it yourself? there are rational arguments for both sides.
Oh no, the song is muted
I looked up a clip. There's no singing, just lyrics, but it's a very nice, electro-swing beat.
THIS IS FRO
THE MOUTHWASHING DEVS!!!!!!!
It made me think of the repairing mantis too! These games are the type that really stick in my mind, that the style connects with me.
9:20 manly just casually rubbing his fishy character against what seems to be a condom
This video makes me feel like opening a fresh can of sardines
I like how people can come up with their own interpretation of what the game is about.
*trypophobia warning* // (a lot of it)
- stop watching from 11:53 to 12:12. you wont be missing any dialogue or scenery, just him floppin so no worries about that
- there's another brief flash of a photo that could be triggering at 15:31 so ill mark it here too just in case
- and definite warning all from 18:58 til 22:23. there is dialogue and story that you'll be missing if you skip, so maybe just look away? figured i'd give a head's up anyway
Thank you!! It's sooo uncomfortable to watch! I have to avoid looking at them, but I still want to hear Manly's commentator. 😫 Good gawd!!
@@Latasha977 of course! i dont personally have trypophobia but i know of people who do and just wanted to provide a warning for you guys. happy to help!!
I came scrolling through the comments after witnessing that first, VERY lotus pod thing (which is ironic because I DESPISE LOTUS PODS!!!!!). I wish this had been higher up. But thank you for posting the rest of them! As soon as I saw that lotus pod thing I put my hands up on the screen, and then he kept getting closer!!!! hahaha I was like nooo manly stahhppp haha
@@rou966 Oh shit you don't have it, but made a point to post time stamps for us to avoid them anyway?! Bless your heart
Since it’s all but confirmed that you were eaten by something that’s both mechanical and organic, I assume the pathways are supposed to kinda indirectly refer to what role the fish serves.
Going ‘up’ turns the fish into a mass of empty thoughts and ideas, but with no influence. It essentially adds to this weird creature’s ‘brain’ by going up into it’s brain stem-thingy.
Going down shows a commercial for a fish themed meal. Which I’m guessing obviously means you go down it’s digestive tract and get eaten by the creature.
this game is literally so charming I thought it was going to be padak: the game
Damn that movie was great.
12:30 the manga, in case anyone wanted to read it, is 人魚姫のごめんねごはん (Ningyohime no gomen ne gohan, like 'the mermaid's regrettable meal') it's really funny in a slightly dark way and the art makes you hungry if you like seafood. I'm sure there is English translation. Highly recommend
I think that sardine would taste better with a nice glass of mouthwash to wash it down
I love how Manly give different voices for the characters, it's so cool!
7:40 [does everything in his power to ignore the situation in front of him]
The game reminds me of the movie Padak where a mackerel tries to escape from a restaurant, and from what I can remember it's like Watership Down and Plague Dogs with its animal depiction
The manga you were talking about is called "The Mermaid Princess' Guilty Meal". It's a good read, as long as you don't mind the fact that every chapter has the same punchline. It does humanize the fish a lot, though.
Was having an absolutely horrible shift, not only did I get to watcha manly video on break but I got s phenomenal musical number as well, instant day improvement. Now I need a video of just the musical number to watch on repeat
i truly wasn’t prepared for the whiplash of 26:08. i really resonate with the words on screen
This is two years late lmao but my interpretation of the endings is that one achieves higher thinking (hence, up) and being so isolated in one's mindset that you cannot come to a consensus with those that also chose higher thinking. Nothing got done, even if you choose what might be perceived as "morally/practically right", because in the end, whatever is "right" is subjective. Whilst the other ending might represent how one can choose not to pursue higher thinking, and be more satisifed with life that way. You might've ended up as human food but hey, at least you still serve some purpose you can understand, right? I also find it interesting how there are two preacher fish, one for UP and one for DOWN. Almost like the game wanted to sway you in some way.
...Okay, not gonna lie- I kinda loved the tongue louse thing's performance. 🤣💃🏻
I don’t know what I was expecting…but that musical number…my word…respect to Manly for no commentary and just letting the craziness fly
Manly you are legit my favorite RUclipsr dude! I enjoy your content so much and I appreciate all your effort and personality you put into your vids! Please keep it up brotha!!
i have to say: manlys videos are very nice to listen to when you’re booster recovering or sick in general-its soothing to those with headaches :,) thank you manly !
Booster recovering lmao
The dance number cinches it this game is like a fever dream one has whilst watching adult swim at 1:00 Am XD
i always enjoy surrealist media like this, i love to chew on it and theorize. the highlight definitely was the amusing and stomach turning parasite performance.
I was hungry for breakfast before watching this but the parasite musical grossed me out so much I'm just going to wait till dinner time to eat, where i will have forgotten about it by then
This feels like it has religous themes. Up and down both being death but all the fish think they will live. With the friend fish it sounds like his friend is a god (jesus fish?) stand in when he talks about needing to be forgiven by him.
The eel(? He was staring at the fish trapped in the condom) insists down no matter what and wants to bath in what the dead fish is in. That seems a lot like a "prophet" along with baptism. The set up is pretty funny for that one too.
The fish at the very end kind of seems like a old man who never came to terms with his faith. Either way he finds comfort with help from the player.
Another comment mentioned down results in canned sardines and up into more processed meat in real life. The up ending is no where near as literal as down. The up ending seems to a horrific take on dying and just no longer existing. In that you end up fueling the factory that you started in? It seems that the guts and such that hung everywhere was connected. This seems pretty comparable to a atheistic belief that you just turn into worm food for plants and shit, all though the never ending knowledge of being one being for all of time doesnt fit that mo to well. It could just be a eldritch alternative of religon instead of an atheistic alternative to the after life.
The up end with its nice pretty roll out seems way more comparable to heaven. It's a nice meal and none of the fish are truly aware of whats happened to them. They thought they would be like, swimming in the ocean or something. Not getting eaten by the creators of the machine. Either way though, with the way the fish speak of the down it does seem to be meant to be more akin to christianity than anything else.
Seriously, that eel is like a prophet or a priest or something.
Also the isopod's fish looks so sad :(
Sad and the only one not worried about religon because theres a bug controlling him and he has way more pressing things. Like the deadline at the office or something.
Seriously, i cant think of much for that fish other than he just hates his job.
That dance number was just straight up trippy.
9:51 Just another COD in the machine.
Come on Manly, get it together.
If anyone was wondering about the mermaid Manga he talked about at 12:28 it's called "The Mermaid Princess's Guilty Meal"
Hope this helps someone!
The dancing fish and parasite got me dead °^° funniest shit I've seen in awhile
19:07 Trypophobia warning! ⚠️
It looks like a pulsating lotus plant.
Thank you very much. Was looking for this warning
I wish this was top comment
Thank you omg almost freaked
out
I shall reply to push this comment further to the top so more can see it hopefully! Thank you.
Bump for awareness
18:38
Genre that Manly just mentioned here is called "biopunk"
I must say, rather underrated genre, that is similliar with cyberpunk in it's core idea: "what will wait us in future", but biopunk is much more focused on technologies, that allow to construct machines, buildings, etc. using "animal material" like bones, flesh and so on.
"Meaty creatures being shot with a meaty gun in a very meaty environment."
(not entirely sure why I share this but it was funny)
watching this on opera GX so I have a mod that plays matryoshka by hatsune miku and Gumi
and when the parasite's dance number started, it was quiet enough for it to unmute itself in the middle of the chorus
it got a chuckle out of me, funniest thing I ever saw
*I have a feeling something Very Fishy is going to happen Manly Kun...*
Three minutes in and we’re making fish jokes already!!/pos
i love how he COMPLETELY ignored the used condom
just "huh whats up with this? that fish is dead" and then left
bro there is Cum on the Ground!!!!
The last fish, talking about the choice of UP and DOWN sounded like it was saying actual words, something like "Everyone", "Action", "You've tried to come back", "Are you", "Did he" etc.