Based on a novel by prolific Korean author Gu Byeong-mo, Gill, the latest from animation director Ahn Jae-huun of Meditation With a Pencil Studios, follows Gon (voiced by Jin Yang-wook), a young man born with the titular fishy appendages, tracking his journey from being rescued as a child by Kang Ha (Kim Sung-soo), another young boy, and his grandpa, through to his attempts to form relationships and live as a normal man in a world that won't accept him for who he really is. Through Gon's interactions with both friend and foe, Gill asks viewers to question what it means to be accepted in life, and to weigh up whether the sacrifices are worth it when the life you are leading is inauthentic.

As with any anime, a film like Gill lives or dies by the strength of its visuals, and unfortunately, Ahn's latest boasts very little in the way of visual splendor. The animation feels dull and uninspired, overlaid with a muted tone that leaves almost every scene feeling awash with brown muddiness, which is especially unappealing in a film that spends so much time exploring underwater worlds. Add to this a choppy frame rate that makes the movement feel stiff and disjointed, and Gill falls flat compared to Ahn's previous outings, like the visually striking The Shaman Sorceress or the heartwarming Green Days.

Gill's aesthetics would be easier to overlook if the story itself were compelling enough to make up for it being an eyesore. However, the film also fails in delivering a cohesive narrative, jumping between perspectives in a way that leaves the central narrative feeling bafflingly scattershot. Gill's goal of telling a grounded, human story with a supernatural twist is undermined and bogged down by a series of baffling character decisions and completely nonexistent motivations that are equally confusing and frustrating. The queer undertone hinted at between Gon and Kang Ha is left annoyingly unexplored, sidelined in favour of following the film's narrator Haeryu (Yoo Sae-hui), who has little to do outside of exposition dumping.

While it's clear that a lot of love went into the development of Gill, and the talent of the animators should not be dismissed, overall, the film misses the mark on both style and substance, and fails to keep its head above water.

Gill had its UK premiere at FrightFest 2025 on 25 August