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Mermaid Saga
First shinsōban volume cover
人魚シリーズ
(Ningyo Shirīzu)
Genre
Manga
Written byRumiko Takahashi
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
ImprintShōnen Sunday Comics Special
Magazine
English magazine
Original runAugust 1984 – February 1994
Volumes3
Original video animation
Mermaid's Forest
Directed byTakaya Mizutani
Music byKenji Kawai
StudioPastel
Licensed by
ReleasedAugust 16, 1991
Runtime55 minutes
Original video animation
Mermaid's Scar
Directed byMorio Asaka
Produced by
Music byNorihiro Tsuru
StudioMadhouse
Licensed by
  • NA: Central Park Media
ReleasedSeptember 24, 1993
Runtime45 minutes
Anime television series
Mermaid's Forest
Directed byMasaharu Okuwaki
StudioTMS Entertainment
Licensed by
Original networkTXN (TV Tokyo)
Original run October 4, 2003 – December 20, 2003
Episodes11 + 2 OVA
icon Anime and manga portal

Mermaid Saga (Japanese: 人魚シリーズ, Hepburn: Ningyo Shirīzu) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It consists of nine stories told in 16 chapters irregularly published in Shogakukan's Shōnen Sunday Zōkan and Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 1984 to 1994.

Two of the stories from the series, Mermaid's Forest and Mermaid's Scar, were adapted as original video animations (OVAs) in 1991 and 1993, respectively. All of the tales, except one, were later adapted as an anime television series in 2003. In North America, the manga has been licensed by Viz Media, while the first OVA was released by US Manga Corps in 1993 and the second OVA by Viz Media in 1995. The anime television series was licensed by Geneon Entertainment.

In 1989, Mermaid Saga received the 20th Seiun Award for the Best Comic.

Plot

[edit]

According to an ancient Japanese legend, anyone who consumes the flesh of a mermaid has a small chance of gaining immortality. However, there is a much greater chance that consumption will lead to death or transformation into a damned creature known as a Lost Soul ("Deformed Ones" in the English dub). Mermaid Saga tells the tale of Yuta, an immortal young man who has been alive for 500 years after eating mermaid flesh. Over the years, he is grown tired of eternal life and throughout the series, he wanders across Japan searching for a mermaid who may be able to turn him back into a normal human being. He encounters Mana, a young woman who is about to be sacrificed. She has been forced to eat mermaid flesh so that after she is killed, her flesh can be used to rejuvenate a village of ageing immortal women. Yuta rescues her and they travel on together while Yuta pursues his quest to become mortal again.

Characters

[edit]

Note: In some cases a character is portrayed by a different voice actor in the OVAs. These voice actors are also added.

Main characters

[edit]
Yuta (湧太, Yūta)
Voiced by: Kōichi Yamadera (Japanese); Michael McGhee (Mermaid's Forest OVA); Justin Gross (1–3), Liam O'Brien (4–13) (Mermaid's Forest TV) (English)
A 500-year-old immortal born in 1480, Yuta gained eternal life after consuming mermaid flesh along with fellow fishermen—an act that killed or deformed his companions while sparing him. After centuries of normal life, his immortality becomes apparent when his wife ages while he remains unchanged. Believing another mermaid could reverse his condition, he embarks on an endless quest. During his travels, he rescues fifteen-year-old Mana from mermaids who transformed her into an immortal for cannibalistic purposes. The kind-hearted Yuta develops numerous connections with others affected by mermaid flesh throughout his centuries of existence.
Mana (真魚)
Voiced by: Minami Takayama (Japanese); Anne Marie Zola (Mermaid's Forest OVA); Karen Thompson (Mermaid's Forest TV) (English)
Mana, born in 1965, becomes Yuta's immortal companion after he rescues her from a group of mermaids. Held captive since childhood, the mermaids granted her immortality at age fifteen intending to consume her for rejuvenation. She develops deep loyalty to Yuta, frequently saving him during their travels. Though harboring romantic feelings for him, her naive nature prevents full understanding of these emotions. Their bond grows as they journey together, with Mana's devotion remaining steadfast despite her childlike perception of relationships.

Other characters

[edit]
Masato (真人)

Voiced by: Yuuichi Harada (Mermaid's Scar), Makiko Ohmoto (Mermaid Forest TV) (Japanese); Christopher Turner (Mermaid's Scar), Erika Weinstein (Mermaid Forest TV) (English)

An 800-year-old immortal with a child's appearance, centuries of isolation have twisted him into a merciless figure. His first act involved feeding mermaid flesh to his dying mother, transforming her into a Lost Soul. After repeatedly losing adoptive parents throughout history, he begins manipulating new caregivers by administering small doses of mermaid flesh. During World War II, he steals a Nambu pistol and assumes the identity of Masato with war widow Misa. When Misa's regeneration fails, he attempts to replace her with his nanny Yukie, who becomes a Lost Soul. After a confrontation with Yuta and Mana ends in a fatal car crash, his body remains undiscovered.
Misa (美沙)
Voiced by: Gara Takashima (Mermaid's Scar), Rei Sakuma (Mermaid Forest TV) (Japanese); Gina Grad (Mermaid Forest TV) (English)
A war widow who lost her family during World War II, she encounters the immortal Masato, who grants her longevity through mermaid flesh to serve as his mother figure. After eighty years of this forced relationship, her regenerative abilities weaken and Masato seeks a replacement. She ultimately perishes when attacked by Yukie, Masato's former nanny who had transformed into a Lost Soul. Her tragic story illustrates the destructive consequences of mermaid immortality, caught between an immortal child's emotional dependence and the flesh's inevitable deterioration.
Yukie (雪枝)
Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue (Mermaid's Scar), Chieko Honda (Mermaid Forest TV) (Japanese); Hunter MacKenzie Austin (Mermaid Forest TV) (English)
Yukie serves as Masato's devoted nanny, her nurturing nature making her an ideal candidate to replace Misa as his surrogate mother. Unaware of Masato's true nature, she consumes mermaid flesh at his urging but tragically transforms into a Lost Soul. Yuta intervenes and kills the monstrous Yukie, believing he is protecting both Masato and Misa from the threat she has become. Her transformation underscores the dangerous consequences of mermaid flesh consumption.
Rin (鱗)
Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima (Japanese); Lulu Chiang (English)
Rin, the teenage daughter of Toba Island’s pirate leader, assumes command when her father falls ill. Seeking a mermaid’s cure, she encounters Yuta after he resurrects from a fatal sea battle. The two develop a romantic relationship, and Yuta pledges to remain on the island if he regains mortality. However, unwilling to subject another mortal to his immortal existence, he ultimately departs. Rin continues leading the island’s pirates, her story illustrating the painful divide between mortal and immortal lives.
Isago (砂)
Voiced by: Ai Orikasa (Japanese); Wendee Lee (English)
The wife of Sakagami Island's headman, Isago reveals the secret of mermaid immortality and urges her husband to seek one. Pregnant by her late husband (murdered by pirates three years prior), she requires mermaid flesh to ensure a healthy birth—being a land-dwelling mermaid herself. She explains to Rin that terrestrial mermaids consume aquatic mermaids, particularly during pregnancy. After obtaining the flesh, Isago returns to the sea, reverts to her true mermaid form, and successfully delivers twin merbabies. Her story exposes the complex hierarchy and reproductive biology of mermaids.
Towa Kannagi (神無木 登和, Kannagi Towa)
Voiced by: Mika Doi (Mermaid Forest OVA), Sumi Shimamoto (Mermaid Forest TV) (Japanese); Kata Sheridan (Mermaid Forest OVA), Erica Shaffer (Mermaid Forest OVA (English)
Afflicted by a terminal childhood illness, Towa is cured when her twin sister Sawa administers mermaid blood—though this transforms her hair white and deforms one arm. Confined due to her disfigurement, she endures chronic pain until her fiancé, Dr. Shiina, begins transplanting arms from deceased girls, though each eventually degenerates. Following their father's death, freed Towa attempts to force mermaid flesh on Sawa as vengeance, but Sawa dies from a heart attack before consuming it. Denied retribution, Towa commits suicide, demanding the destruction of Mermaid Hill and all its cursed relics.
Sawa Kannagi (神無木 佐和, Kannagi Sawa)
Voiced by: Aiko Konoshima (Mermaid Forest OVA); Hisako Kyōda, Haruna Ikezawa (young) (Mermaid Forest TV) (Japanese); Susie Westerby (Mermaid Forest OVA), Hunter MacKenzie Austin (young) (Mermaid Forest TV) (English)
Sawa, Towa's identical twin, inherits guardianship of Mermaid Hill and its cache of mermaid flesh. Her desperate attempt to save Towa's life with mermaid blood results in her sister's disfigurement and imprisonment. After losing her husband in World War II and subsequently her child and father, the lonely Sawa guards the secret location until Towa threatens Mana's life. When Towa attempts to force mermaid flesh upon her as vengeance, Sawa unexpectedly succumbs to cardiac arrest before consuming it. Her death denies Towa retribution while underscoring the tragic consequences surrounding mermaid immortality.
Dr. Shiina (椎名, Shiina)
Voiced by: Ryūji Saikachi; Kazumi Tanaka (young) (Mermaid Forest OVA); Eisuke Yoda, Kōzō Mito (young) (Mermaid Forest TV) (Japanese); Bob Foster (Mermaid Forest OVA), Michael Forest, Patrick Seitz (young) (Mermaid Forest TV) (English)
Shiina, Towa Kannagi's devoted fiancé, repeatedly implores her to abandon Mermaid Hill, but she consistently refuses. As a physician, he reluctantly performs gruesome arm transplants to alleviate her suffering from mermaid-induced deformities. He reveals to Yuta and Mana how Towa became consumed by her twin sister Sawa's existence. In the OVA, when Towa immolates herself in Mermaid Hill's flames, Shiina follows her to a fiery death, symbolically reclaiming their lost fifty-five years together. His tragic arc underscores the destructive power of mermaid-related obsessions.
Big Eyes (大眼, Ōmanako)
Voiced by: Daisuke Gōri (Japanese); Kyle Hebert (English)
A desperate man consumes mermaid flesh from a beached corpse, seeking immortality. Upon awakening, he discovers his village destroyed and family slain, unaware he committed the atrocities himself. The incomplete transformation leaves him partially a Lost Soul—retaining speech and emotion but with grotesquely swollen eyes, earning the nickname "Big Eyes." While Mana pities his tragic state, Yuta and a local hunter are forced to kill him when his violent impulses persist.
Natsume (なつめ)
Voiced by: Kazuko Sugiyama (Japanese); Monica Rial (English)
During the Warring States period, a grieving father’s daughter, Natsume, is resurrected through an ancient Buddhist ritual called "Hangon", which uses mermaid liver to grant immortality. Over time, the liver’s influence drives her to consume animal and human livers. Decades later, Yuta encounters Natsume and the monk who now seeks to kill her to end the curse. Though she wishes to join Yuta, her possessive father attacks him, allowing the monk to extract her liver. Natsume saves Yuta before her father leaps off a cliff with her. Mortally wounded, she briefly revives to bid Yuta farewell before reverting to skeletal remains.
Nanao (七生)
Voiced by: Toshiko Fujita (Japanese); Chris Kent, Jay D. Stone (young) (English)
Yuta and Mana encounter Nanao, a wounded boy who escaped his kidnappers and miraculously heals after taking his "mother's" medicine. They return him home, only to discover his caretaker is actually his immortal grandmother, who—after consuming mermaid flesh 25 years earlier—kidnapped her own grandson to replace her now-grown son. When she attempts to feed Nanao mermaid flesh to make him immortal as well, Yuta intervenes. The revelation exposes the tragic consequences of mermaid immortality, as the grandmother's prolonged life drives her to unnatural acts of replacement and obsession.
Nanao's mother (七生の母, Nanao no haha)
Voiced by: Masako Katsuki (Japanese); Michelle Ruff (English)
After being abandoned by her husband and son in 1969 due to deteriorating mental health, the woman consumes mermaid flesh, gaining immortality at the cost of severe facial scarring and chronic pain. Decades later, she kidnaps her adult son's infant child, naming him Nanao after her lost son. To conceal her disfigurement, she wears the preserved face of a deceased woman when appearing in public. When attempting to force mermaid flesh on her grandson to create another immortal companion, Yuta intervenes. Fleeing the confrontation, she perishes in a storehouse fire, ending her tragic pursuit of familial replacement through unnatural means.
Nae Kogure (木暮 苗, Kogure Nae)
Voiced by: Yuri Amano (Japanese); Karen Strassman (English)
In the years preceding World War II, Nae befriends Yuta and reveals the secret of mermaid ashes brought by a nun to her village. She uses them to create the perpetual "red valley" flower field where their romance blossoms. Her jealous fiancé Eijiro murders her, then unsuccessfully attempts resurrection until later recovering the ashes. The revived Nae exists as a hollow shell until Yuta's return with Mana triggers fragmented memories. Eijiro fatally stabs her, and as the ashes' power fades, she dies again in the red valley. Her tragic story illustrates the imperfect nature of mermaid-based resurrection.
Eijiro (英二郎)
Voiced by: Tamio Ōki, Yasunori Matsumoto (young) (Japanese); Doug Stone, Travis Willingham (young) (English)
Eijiro, an ambitious young man engaged to wealthy Nae Kogure before World War II, grows consumed by jealousy when she falls for the immortal Yuta. In a fit of rage, he murders Nae upon suspecting she plans to leave with Yuta. Obsessed for decades, he eventually revives her using mermaid ashes, though she retains no memories. When an aged Yuta returns decades later to find Nae unchanged, her fleeting recollections trigger Eijiro's enduring envy. He fatally stabs her, demonstrating how mermaid resurrection cannot restore what time and obsession have destroyed. His actions underscore the tragic consequences of attempting to circumvent natural mortality.
Soukichi (翔キチ)
Voiced by: Minoru Inaba, Kyouko Tonguu (young) (Mermaid Forest TV) (Japanese); Michael McConnohie, Kirsty Pape (young) (Mermaid Forest TV) (English)
A long time ago, Soukichi was an errand boy from Nae's family. Many years later after Nae's disappearance, as an old man, he helps Yuta and Mana, believing that Eijiro kidnapped her.
Akiko Kiryu (鬼柳 晶子, Kiryū Akiko)
Akiko, the gentle sister of violent Shingo Kiryu, lives with lifelong guilt after accidentally blinding him during their childhood when attempting to stop his cruelty to animals. In desperation, she poisons them both with mermaid flesh - an act that leaves her in a comatose, doll-like state while granting Shingo immortality. He takes revenge by gouging out her eye. When Yuta ultimately confronts Shingo, he mercifully decapitates Akiko, ending her suspended animation. Her tragic story illustrates how mermaid immortality corrupts even familial bonds, transforming victims into permanent casualties of past trauma.
Shingo Kiryu (鬼柳 新吾, Kiryū Shingo)
Shingo Kiryu, Akiko's violently deranged brother, displays sadistic tendencies while living at Kiryu Manor before the Russo-Japanese War. After surviving Akiko's mermaid flesh poisoning attempt and his father's subsequent murder effort, he becomes immortal but is confined to the family basement. Upon release, he gouges out Akiko's eye in revenge. Each subsequent murder forces him to relive her final vision—his own monstrous visage attacking her. Believing her death will end these visions, he battles Yuta, who mercy-kills Akiko. When Yuta turns the blade on Shingo, the immortal realizes his eternal torment will persist and beheads himself in despair.
Ayu (アユ)
Voiced by: Yukari Honma (Japanese); Amy Kincaid (English)
Ayu is a girl in the mermaid village who took care of Mana. Ayu was next to sacrifice herself. Ayu is a mermaid, but died after spears pierced her body. Yuta found her body and showed it to the old women.
Mermaids (人魚, Ningyo)
The flesh of mermaids is reported to give eternal youth, regenerative self-healing properties, and longevity. It is also a poison which can cause death, deformity or cause the person to become a Lost Soul or monster. Mermaids mostly live beneath the sea and have a normal lifespan. However, some live on land and are immortal, but they must sometimes eat the flesh of an immortal human to rejuvenate themselves.

Media

[edit]

Manga

[edit]

The stories of Mermaid Saga, written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi, were irregularly serialized in Shogakukan's Shōnen Sunday Zōkan and Weekly Shōnen Sunday from August 1984 to February 1994.[4][5][6] In total there are nine stories told in 16 chapters. The first wideban volume released by Shogakukan was Mermaid's Forest, named after the third story within it and published on April 25, 1988.[7][8] The second wideban, Mermaid's Scar, was released on December 19, 1992,[9] without two stories (four chapters): "Eye of the Demon" and "The Last Face". These stories were not yet released when the book came out. The series was re-released in shinsōban format in 2003, in three volumes with all the stories.[10][11]

In North America, Mermaid Forest began serialization by Viz Media in Animerica's first issue in November 1992. Rachel Matt Thorn provided the translation.[12][13] It was published in the first nine issues, and then the rest was published in the comic book format from December 1993 to September 1995.[14][15][16][17] The manga was later released in three graphic novel volumes, Mermaid Forest, Mermaid's Scar and Mermaid's Gaze, from November 1, 1994, to March 8, 1997.[18][19] In 2004, it was released in four books, simply titled Mermaid Saga, from July 14 to December 22, 2004.[20][21] In February 2020, Viz Media announced a 2-volume new edition of the manga, Mermaid Saga Collector's Edition.[22] The first volume was published on November 17, 2020, and the second was published on February 16, 2021.[23][24]

In a 2009 interview, Takahashi stated that she does not consider the series completed and plans to revisit it at some point in the future.[25]

Volumes

[edit]

First Japanese edition

[edit]
No. Japanese release date Japanese ISBN
1 April 25, 1988[8]4-09-121854-7
  • Chapters 1–6
2 December 19, 1992[9]4-09-121855-5
  • Chapters 7–12

First English edition/Second Japanese edition

[edit]
No. Title Original release date Japanese release date
1Mermaid ForestNovember 1, 1994[18]
978-1569310472		October 18, 2003[10]
4-09-121854-7
  1. "A Mermaid Never Smiles (1)" (人魚は笑わない［前編］, Ningyo wa Warawanai Zenpen)
  2. "A Mermaid Never Smiles (2)" (人魚は笑わない［後編］, Ningyo wa Warawanai Kōhen)
  3. "The Village of Fighting Fish (1)" (闘魚の里［前編］, Tōgyo no Sato Zenpen)
  4. "The Village of Fighting Fish (2)" (闘魚の里［後編］, Tōgyo no Sato Kōhen)
  5. "Mermaid Forest (1)" (人魚の森［前編］, Ningyo no Mori Zenpen)
  6. "Mermaid Forest (2)" (人魚の森［後編］, Ningyo no Mori Kōhen)
2Mermaid's ScarFebruary 5, 1996[26]
978-1569310830		November 18, 2003[27]
4-09-127742-X
  1. "Dream's End" (夢の終わり, Yume no Owari)[a]
  2. "Promised Tomorrow (1)" (約束の明日［前編］, Yakusoku no Ashita Zenpen)[b]
  3. "Promised Tomorrow (2)" (約束の明日［後編］, Yakusoku no Ashita Kōhen)[b]
  4. "Mermaid's Scar (1)" (人魚の傷［前編］, Ningyo no Kizu Zenpen)
  5. "Mermaid's Scar (2)" (人魚の傷［後編］, Ningyo no Kizu Kōhen)
3Mermaid's GazeMarch 8, 1997[19]
978-1569311950		December 18, 2003[11]
4-09-127743-8
  1. "The Ash Princess" (舎利姫, Shari-Hime)
  2. "Eye of the Demon (1)" (夜叉の瞳［前］, Yasha no Hitomi Mae)[c]
  3. "Eye of the Demon (2)" (夜叉の瞳［後編］, Yasha no Hitomi Kōhen)[c]
  4. "The Last Face (1)" (最後の顔［前］, Saigo no Kao Mae)[d]
  5. "The Last Face (2)" (最後の顔［後編］, Saigo no Kao Kōhen)[d]

Second English edition

[edit]
No. English release date English ISBN
1 July 14, 2004[20]978-1591163367
  • Chapters 1–6
2 September 21, 2004[28]978-1591164845
  • Chapters 7–9
3 November 30, 2004[29]978-1591164838
  • Chapters 10–12
4 December 22, 2004[21]978-1591164821
  • Chapters 13–16

Third English edition

[edit]
No. English release date English ISBN
1 November 17, 2020[23]978-1-9747-1857-3
  • Chapters 1–9
2 February 16, 2021[24]978-1-9747-1859-7
  • Chapters 10–16

Anime

[edit]

Original video animations

[edit]

The first original video animation (OVA), Mermaid Forest, by studio Pastel, was released in Japan in August 1991. A subtitled Laserdisc and VHS tape were released in North America by US Manga Corps on March 3, 1993.[30] It was marketed as one of the Rumic World anime (along with Maris the Chojo, Fire Tripper, and Laughing Target).

The second OVA, Mermaid's Scar, made by Madhouse, was released in Japan on VHS and Laserdisc on September 24, 1993.[31] Viz Media published a dubbed release on VHS on November 21, 1995.[32]

Anime television series

[edit]

In 2003, the animation company Tokyo Movie Shinsha produced a 13-episode TV series based on Mermaid Saga as part of the Rumic Theater series and it was broadcast on TV Tokyo from October 4 to December 20, 2003.[33] All but the Eye of the Demon two-parter were animated. While closely following the story of the original manga (more so than the OVA versions), many of the violent aspects of the stories were toned down. Only eleven episodes were shown on Japanese TV, with the final two episodes (Mermaid's Scar) released direct to video, allegedly because this particular story was too violent for TV. It was released in North America by Geneon.[34]

Episodes
[edit]
# Title[35][36][37][38] Original airdate
1"Mermaid Does Not Smile"
 (人魚は笑わない)		October 4, 2003 (2003-10-04)
In a mountain village from Setouchi region, Mana has just turned fifteen. She is cared for and pampered by Baba,[e] an old woman who keeps her shackled in bed. The village is inhabited by identical old and young women who are all mermaids in human form. Meanwhile, Yuta, a young man arrives, looking for a mermaid. He is actually a 500 year old immortal human who became so after eating mermaid flesh. One of the women is chosen by the others to become a mermaid by entering the ocean and she is then sacrificed. Baba feeds her flesh to Mana to make her an immortal human whose flesh will rejuvenate the old women. Yuta learns of their plan and escapes with Mana after explaining her fate. The women try to stop Yuta and Mana from escaping, but they are caught in flooding sea water and revert to their mermaid forms. Baba, who is an immortal human, not a mermaid, decides to stay with the mermaids who are unable to take human form again. As Yuta leaves with Mana, he tells her that life as an immortal is not all bad, although he still hopes to become mortal again.
2"Village of the Fighting Fish (Part I)"
 (闘魚の里(前編))		October 11, 2003 (2003-10-11)
In a flashback, Yuta recalls meeting Rin, the daughter of the pirate chief of Toba island. Rin's father was gravely ill, so Rin led raiding parties on passing ships, demanding a tenth of their cargo as a toll and sparing the crews. Rin buried Yuta after his body washed ashore following a violent storm. However, Yuta revived and explained that he drowned while mermaid hunting on behalf of Isago, the wife of the Sakagami Island chief who were rivals to Toba Islanders. Isago convinced the chief to use his men to hunt mermaids and Yuta was hired with some other men in a nearby port for the hunt. For a time, Yuta lived and worked with the Toba islanders. One day, Isago saw Yuta and Rin in port. Surprised to see Yuta alive, Isago realized that he was immortal and believed he had access to mermaid flesh. Isago followed them back to Toba and stabbed Rin's father in an attempt to force Yuta into revealing the location of mermaid flesh and stop him from dying. In angry retaliation, Rin slew Isago.
3"Village of the Fighting Fish (Part II)"
 (闘魚の里(後編))		October 18, 2003 (2003-10-18)
Yuta's recollections of his past continue. Yuta and Rin took a fishing boat and captured a mermaid to save Rin's father. However, the Sakagami islanders followed them and after killing both the mermaid and Yuta, they took Rin to Sakagami. When Rin saw Isago there alive, she realized that Isago was immortal. Isago revealed that she has been pregnant for three years by her previous husband, whom the Sakagami islanders killed. She needed mermaid flesh so she could finally give birth. Meanwhile, Yuta revived and returned to save Rin. The chief and his men alternately fought Yuta and Rin while they ate the mermaid flesh. However, many were poisoned by the mermaid flesh and the survivors, including the chief, became Deformed Ones. Isago told the chief that she too was a mermaid and leaped off a cliff into the ocean. Yuta and Rin thought Isago did so in desperation, but Isago changed into her mermaid form and swam away, trailed by two smaller forms. On Toba, Rin's father recovers from his wound without eating mermaid flesh. Back in the present, Mana asks Yuta how far does the ocean go.
4"Mermaid Forest (Part I)"
 (人魚の森(前編))		October 25, 2003 (2003-10-25)
Mana is accidentally killed by a truck when she runs onto the road. Old Doctor Shiina tells the police and Yuta that she survived and wandered away, however he takes her corpse to the house of an old woman named Sawa who lives with a young woman called Towa. Shiina prepares to remove Mana's forearm to replace the deformed arm of Towa, but as he begins, Mana revives. Yuta realizes that Shiina lied and tracks him to Sawa's house in Mermaid's Forest, where local legend says a mermaid is buried. Towa commands a Deformed dog to attack and kill Yuta. When Yuta revives, he finds himself chained in a cell in the basement. Towa kills Mana, planning to have Shiina transplant her head onto Mana's body. Meanwhile, Sawa frees Yuta and reveals that she and Towa are identical twins, but when they were young, Sawa gave Towa medicine made of mermaid blood to save her from a terminal illness. The medicine made her ageless, but turned her hand into a Deformed claw and her hair white. Rather than admit his daughter was partially Deformed, their father had told everyone that Towa had died and confined her to the cell in the basement until his death.
5"Mermaid Forest (Part II)"
 (人魚の森(後編))		November 1, 2003 (2003-11-01)
To save Mana's life, Sawa takes Towa to the mermaid's tomb. Yuta follows and warns Towa that eating mermaid flesh may completely transform her into a Deformed One. Towa says immortality or transformation makes no difference, and tries to force Sawa to eat a piece of mermaid flesh. She explains that when they were young, Sawa desired immortality, but was too afraid to try it herself and experimented on Towa, her identical twin. Towa developed a Deformed hand and remained eternally youthful instead. While Towa was forced to live in confinement, Sawa lived a full life, marrying and having a child. Towa tries to make Sawa eat the mermaid flesh, to become immortal as an old woman or a monster, however Sawa dies of a heart attack, denying Towa her revenge. Towa instructs the others to burn the tomb, the house, and everything in them, including herself. As they watch the fire burn, Shiina reveals that he had tried to convince Towa to elope with him when he was young, but Towa refused, remaining to exact revenge on her sister. Later, Mana reassures Yuta that if they were separated, she would eternally search for him.
6"The End of the Dream"
 (夢の終わり)		November 8, 2003 (2003-11-08)
Yuta and Mana fall off a cliff while chasing a butterfly and both die. A heavily bandaged man, called Big Eyes by nearby villagers, carries Mana to his cave. An old hunter from the village finds Yuta, but Yuta revives during his burial rites. Big Eyes tells Mana that 40 years earlier he lived in a fishing village and ate mermaid flesh. He blacked out, and upon regaining his senses, discovered everyone in his village had been killed. He ran into the mountains and lived alone ever since. Yuta and the hunter find Big Eyes who flees deep into the cave with Mana. There, Mana stumbles upon the skeletons of villagers that Big Eyes has eaten and Big Eyes explains that he still blacks out. The hunter shoots Big Eyes who goes berserk and runs away. Yuta catches and kills Big Eyes. Later, Mana ponders that there are all sorts of Deformed Ones, all sorts of mermaids, and all sorts of Yutas.
7"Bone Princess"
 (舎利姫)		November 15, 2003 (2003-11-15)
While fishing with Mana, Yuta has a flashback to 1600, the first year of the Tokugawa shogunate, when he was 120 years old. He recalls an apparently 12-year-old immortal girl called Natsume who works with an old man, whom she calls Pa, who purports to sell mermaid flesh, but it is only fish. An itinerant monk attempts to kill Natsume and cuts off her left arm. Yuta rescues Natsume and carries her back to Pa, who reattaches her severed arm. Later, the monk tells Yuta that after Natsume died, he used a piece of mermaid liver to resurrect her for Pa. The monk has decided to end Natsume's existence because of her need to eat fresh liver to survive, but Pa escapes with her. Yuta doubts destroying Natsume is the right thing to do and offers to take her with him, but the monk attacks Natsume and removes the mermaid liver. When Pa sees what the monk has done, he picks her up and jumps off a cliff. Yuta finds Natsume still alive at the base of the cliff, but she dies in his arms and turns back into bones.
8"The Last Face (Part I)"
 (最後の顔(前編))		November 29, 2003 (2003-11-29)
Yuta and Mana meet Nanao, a 10-year-old boy carrying a cinerary box who lives with his mother and grandmother. Nanao's grandmother arranges for him to be kidnapped but he escapes and uses family medicine to heal his wounds from the escape. Yuta and Mana take Nanao home, where Nanao's grandmother shows Yuta and Mana a photograph of Nanao's mother, who does not appear be the woman Nanao calls Mother. Alone, Nanao's mother opens the cinerary box, revealing the skin of a scarred woman's face. The next day Mana and Nanao see Nanao's mother enter the cellar, but later the woman from the photo emerges with a bandage on one side of her face. In the cellar, Mana discovers surgical instruments and the skin from the face of Nanao's mother. Meanwhile, Yuta follows Nanao's kidnapper who meets the woman with the bandage covering a scar. Yuta overhears her call him Nanao and him call her Mother but she pushes him over a cliff. The older Nanao explains to Yuta that, 25 years ago, his mother ate mermaid flesh and then eight years ago, his mother, who had not aged in 25 years, kidnapped his son who is also called Nanao.
9"The Last Face (Part II)"
 (最後の顔(後編))		December 6, 2003 (2003-12-06)
Mana discovers the face of Nanao's mother in the cinerary box in the basement. She is suddenly attacked by the scarred woman and manages to escape, but is wounded by an axe. The woman then painfully removes her own face and attaches the one from the box and reappears as Nanao's mother. Yuta concludes that she has eaten mermaid flesh, especially after Mana opens the box and sees the scarred face inside. Yuta realizes that she is the same woman. The woman explains that 25 years earlier, her son Nanao left her to live with his father so she tried to feed him mermaid flesh to stop him ageing, but his grandmother took him to his father. When Nanao had a son, she abducted the boy and brought him up as her own son. She used the face of a dead woman to hide her face which had become scarred from the poison within the mermaid flesh. Desperately she grabs Nanao and tries to force him to eat the flesh, but Yuta stops her. Realizing that she has lost, she leaves, and later the body of a woman is found in a burned-out storehouse.
10"Promised Tomorrow (Part I)"
 (約束の明日(前編))		December 13, 2003 (2003-12-13)
Yuta takes Mana to visit the grave of the Kogure family grave where 60 years earlier, he knew a kind girl named Nae. Mana then encounters a girl being chases by a man with dogs and intervenes to save her. The girl kills the man with a rock, but Mana is blamed and his associates kill and bury her. Yuta searches for Mana and encounters Sokichi, an old man who was Nae's servant as a boy who says that everyone believed that Nae had left with Yuta, abandoning her fiancee Eijiro. Meanwhile, Mana revives and discovers that Eijiro has kept Nae confined on his estate, looking perpetually young, but without any knowledge of her past. Meanwhile, Yuta is captured by Eijiro's men and knocked unconscious and he calls how Nae told him how a travelling nun left mermaid ashes which Nae used to create the Red Valley, a field of perennially blooming red flowers. When Yuta awakes, Eijiro tells him that he found Nae's body in the Red Valley, and Yuta tells him another version of the story of mermaid ashes in which a villager killed a nun to steal the ashes, but the nun came back to life and killed many of the villagers. Nae kills some of Eijiro's men and leaves with Mana following her. Eijiro orders his men to recapture Nae unharmed but to decapitate Yuta and Mana.
11"Promised Tomorrow (Part II)"
 (約束の明日(後編))		December 20, 2003 (2003-12-20)
Sokichi helps Yuta escape, and they drive to the Red Valley. He reminds Yuta of a signal of arranged stones Yuta devised with Nae to meet in the Red Valley on the day he was to depart. Yuta denies that he gave the signal and suspects that someone else did. Eijiro and his men catch up with two girls and stabs Nae with his cane sword. He admits that he set the stone signal to test Nae's loyalty to him. When she arrived to leave with Yuta, Eijiro killed her in a jealous rage. Eijiro had planned to revive Nae with the mermaid ashes, but could not find them. He explains that for decades he searched for the ashes, and after finally finding them, he used them to revive Nae's still pristine corpse laying in the Red Valley. Mortally wounded, Nae staggers into in the Red Valley and remembers that Eijiro killed her there. Meanwhile, Yuta and Sokichi have escaped Eijiro's men and Yuta embraces Nae. She finally recalls the events of the past, but she dies in his arms. As Yuta and Mana leave, Yuta asks Mana if she is jealous, but Mana cheekily asks Yuta if jealousy is some kind of dessert.[f]
12"Mermaid's Scar (Part I)"
 (人魚の傷(前編))		May 19, 2004 (2004-05-19)
(DVD Only)
Yuta and Mana encountera boy called Masato who is traveling from Tokyo to live with his mother. One night two years later, Masato stabs his mother in the chest, then cleans up the murder scene. However, the next morning when the housekeeper Yukie arrives, Masato's mother is alive again. At a nearby seaside a nearby construction site where Yuta and Mana are working, Yuta learns about a mysterious body that washed ashore and how that after Masato's mother died in a boat accident, she came back to life. Later, Masato's mother notices that her chest wound is not healing and attacks Masato demanding mermaid flesh, but the boy is saved by Yuta. Masato gives Yukie a piece of mermaid flesh, hoping to make her immortal, but she becomes a Deformed instead and attacks Masato and his mother. Yuta arrives in time to kill the monster, but then realizes that it was Yukie. Mana escapes to safety with Masato who leads her to his hiding place. Meanwhile, Masato's mother tells Yuta that the immortal Masato gave her mermaid flesh after a Pacific War bombing raid, making her essentially his immortal captive mother. She ran away, but he found her again from after news of the boat accident. She finally dies from wounds inflicted by the Deformed. In his hideout, Masato suddenly tasers Mana and prepares to kill Yuta.
13"Mermaid's Scar (Part II)"
 (人魚の傷(後編))		May 19, 2004 (2004-05-19)
(DVD Only)
Masato reveals to his captive Mana that he is going to kill Yuta. Masato returns to the house, where he tricks Yuta into being caught in a booby trap of piano wire which cuts deeply into his neck. Masato explains that he is over 800 years old and recounts how he used mermaid flesh to transform many women into becoming long-lived mothers to him, but they all eventually died. Mana escapes her bonds and arrives to save Yuta just as Masato is in the process of beheading him with an ax. Masato shoots Mana, who as he dies, promises to kill Masato if he shoots Yuta, however she collapses first. Masato sets fire to the house to kill Mana, however, she awakes in time to drag Yuta's corpse from the fire. Masato drives off in his mother's car, but loses control. As a head-on collision with a truck is imminent, he resolves to find his next companion after he comes back to life. Yuta eventually revives and finds Mana crying. Later, he ask Mana why she cried and she replies that it was out of happiness.

Reception

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Mermaid Saga was awarded the 20th Seiun Award for the Best Comic category in 1989.[39]

See also

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Notes

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Mermaid Saga

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Mermaid Saga is a Japanese horror manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi, consisting of nine short stories published irregularly across 16 chapters in Shogakukan's Shōnen Sunday Zōkan and Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 1984 to 1994. The narrative centers on the ancient legend that eating the flesh of a mermaid bestows immortality on humans, but this eternal life frequently manifests as a grotesque curse involving monstrous transformations and unending suffering. The protagonist, Yuta, a 500-year-old immortal wanderer, traverses Japan in search of a means to regain mortality, encountering other victims of the mermaid's flesh, including the resilient young woman Mana, whose fate intertwines with his quest for humanity. The series delves into profound themes of immortality's double-edged nature, the erosion of human identity over centuries, and the ethical perils of defying natural death, blending with visceral horror elements atypical of Takahashi's more comedic works like and . Each story stands alone yet contributes to an overarching exploration of the "mermaid series," with tales such as "Mermaid Forest" and "Mermaid's Scar" highlighting the physical and psychological toll of prolonged existence. First compiled in volumes in 1988 and 1992, the manga has been reissued in English by , including a 2020 Collector's Edition that gathers the complete stories. Mermaid Saga has been adapted into formats, including the 1991 OVA Mermaid Forest, the 1993 OVA Mermaid's Scar, and a 2003 television series Mermaid Forest comprising 13 episodes that adapted most of the manga's tales. These adaptations, produced as part of the project, emphasize the series' atmospheric dread and supernatural motifs, cementing its status as one of Takahashi's darker, more introspective creations.

Story and characters

Plot summary

Mermaid Saga centers on Yuta, a young man who became immortal approximately 500 years ago after unwittingly consuming the flesh of a during a ; he now wanders in search of another , believing it holds the key to reversing his eternal life and restoring his mortality. During his quest, Yuta encounters Mana, a fierce and resilient young woman who also achieved immortality through eating flesh as a child, though she endured severe hardships as a result; the two form a partnership, traveling together to uncover legends that might offer salvation. The narrative unfolds in an episodic structure, chronicling Yuta and Mana's encounters with other individuals affected by mermaid flesh—ranging from fellow immortals to those driven mad or transformed into monsters—while exploring tied to immortality's perils across various Japanese locales. At its core, the saga examines the paradoxical nature of mermaid flesh, which bestows unending but frequently inflicts grotesque physical mutations, psychological torment, or uncontrollable rage, turning what seems a gift into a profound . The series comprises nine main stories published irregularly between 1984 and 1994: "A Mermaid Never Smiles," "The Village of Fighting Fish," "Mermaid Forest," "Dream's End," "Promised Tomorrow," "Mermaid's Scar," "The Ash Princess," "Eye of the Demon," and "The Last Face."

Main characters

Yuta is the central protagonist of Mermaid Saga, a 500-year-old immortal wanderer who became so after unwittingly consuming flesh centuries ago, granting him regenerative abilities and but also profound weariness from his endless existence. Driven by a deep desire to regain mortality and escape the loneliness of immortality, Yuta travels across as a skilled honed by hundreds of years of survival, often intervening in the plights of others affected by the curse of mermaid flesh. His personality is kind-hearted yet pragmatic, marked by a wry detachment and protective instincts toward those he encounters. In adaptations, Yuta is voiced by Kōichi Yamadera. Mana serves as Yuta's primary companion, a resilient young immortal girl who, at age 15, was subjected to an experiment involving flesh that preserved her life but bound her to . Despite her traumatic origins, Mana exhibits a spitfire personality—strong-willed, brave, and unyielding even against monstrous threats—infusing vitality into their journeys while learning to navigate the world beyond her sheltered past. Intelligent and devoted, she forms a crucial emotional anchor for Yuta, sharing his quest for a cure to their immortality. In adaptations, Mana is voiced by . As traveling companions, Yuta and Mana's dynamic begins as a practical forged in mutual survival but evolves into a profound bond of protection and understanding, with Yuta shielding Mana from dangers while her optimism gradually alleviates his existential fatigue. Their shared pursuit of a remedy for highlights themes of resilience and companionship, as they confront the horrors of their condition together across the series' interconnected stories.

Supporting characters

In "Mermaid Forest," Yuta and Mana encounter a village of immortal women led by Nini, who force young girls like Mana to consume mermaid flesh for rejuvenation; the women revert to monstrous forms when threatened. The "Mermaid's Scar" arc features Masato, an 800-year-old immortal boy who consumed flesh as a child centuries ago; deformed emotionally, he manipulates women into eating the flesh to serve as eternal companions, viewing Yuta as a rival and attempting to eliminate him. Masato's "mother" Misa and nanny Yukie become lost souls under his influence. In "The Village of Fighting Fish," Rin, the teenage leader of the Toba Islanders, allies with Yuta against rival pirates; her father is wounded, leading to a quest for a , though she herself does not consume the flesh. Isago, the wife of the rival Sakagami headman, reveals the mermaid legend and eats the flesh herself, transforming into a and diving into the ocean. Other notable supporting characters appear in later episodic tales, each embodying unique curses from mermaid flesh. In "The Ash Princess," set in the , Natsume (also known as Misa) acts as a sister-like figure to Yuta, afflicted with a condition that causes her body to gradually turn to ash despite . Yukie, from "Eye of the Demon," possesses demonic eyes granted by mermaid consumption, enhancing her vision but driving her to madness and isolation in a remote village. In "The Last Face," a including a mother and grandmother conflict over their son's fate amid 's grasp, with the grandmother having consumed mermaid flesh long ago. These figures illustrate the manga's exploration of 's monstrous mutations and the profound loneliness of eternal life.

Publication history

Original serialization

Mermaid Saga was serialized irregularly by in Shogakukan's and its supplement magazine Shōnen Sunday Zōkan from 1984 to 1994. The publication occurred alongside Takahashi's primary ongoing series , which ran concurrently in . Due to Takahashi's demanding schedule managing multiple projects, the stories were released sporadically over the decade, comprising a total of 9 standalone tales across 16 chapters. The serialization began with the debut story "A Mermaid Never Smiles," published in the August–September 1984 issue of Shōnen Sunday Zōkan. Subsequent chapters followed an episodic format, with early installments appearing primarily in the Zōkan supplement before shifting to the main starting in 1987. The final story, "The Last Face," concluded the run in the February 1994 issue of . Upon its initial release, Mermaid Saga represented a notable departure from Takahashi's established comedic style in works like , introducing a horror anthology approach centered on themes of and the . This tonal shift garnered attention for its darker narrative elements, setting it apart as a more mature entry in her bibliography during the .

Japanese collected editions

The Mermaid Saga was first collected in Japan under Shogakukan's Rumic World Special imprint in wideban format. The first volume, titled Ningyo no Mori (Mermaid Forest), was released on April 25, 1988, and compiled the initial six chapters covering the stories "Mermaid Doesn't Smile," "Village of the Fighting Fish," and "Mermaid Forest." The second volume, Ningyo no Kizu (Mermaid's Scar), released on December 19, 1992, included the subsequent seven chapters encompassing "Dream's End," "Mermaid's Promise," "Mermaid's Scar," and "Sharīhime." These volumes featured a wide-format (A5) design with high-quality paper and preserved original color pages, compiling all stories serialized up to that point. In 2003, to coincide with the television anime adaptation, Shogakukan released a revised three-volume shinsōban (new edition) under the Shōnen Sunday Comics Special imprint, now collectively titled Takahashi Rumiko Ningyo Series. This edition incorporated the final two stories—"Yasha's Eye" and "The Last Face"—serialized in 1993 and 1994, respectively, for the first time in collected form, bringing the total to 16 chapters across nine stories. Volume 1 (Ningyo no Mori), released on October 18, 2003, retained the original six chapters from the first three stories. Volume 2 (Ningyo no Kizu), issued November 18, 2003, covered seven chapters from "Dream's End" (1 chapter), "Mermaid's Promise" (2 chapters), "Mermaid's Scar" (3 chapters), and "Sharīhime" (1 chapter). Volume 3 (Yasha no Hitomi), published December 18, 2003, compiled the remaining four chapters: "Yasha's Eye" (2 chapters) and "The Last Face" (2 chapters). The shinsōban featured updated covers, some revised artwork by Takahashi, and a standard B6 format for broader accessibility. No additional physical reprints have been issued since the 2003 edition. However, the three-volume set became available digitally in 2017 through platforms such as Kindle and ebookjapan, reproducing the shinsōban contents.

English language releases

Viz Media holds the English language license for Mermaid Saga in . The series' first English edition was released in three volumes—Mermaid Forest (1994), Mermaid's Scar (1995), and Mermaid's Gaze (1997)—presented in a flipped format reading left-to-right to accommodate Western audiences. A second edition followed in 2003 as three standard volumes, restoring the original right-to-left reading direction while compiling all stories from the Japanese shinsōban release. In 2020 and 2021, issued the Collector's Edition in two oversized hardcover volumes as part of their Signature line, featuring a fresh , restored color pages from the original , and digitally revised artwork for enhanced clarity. Volume 1 appeared on November 17, 2020, with Volume 2 on February 16, 2021. As of November 2025, the Collector's Edition is available digitally via Viz's online platform, in addition to physical availability through retailers.

Adaptations

Original video animations

The Mermaid Saga was first adapted into as two standalone original video animations (OVAs) in the early , each focusing on a self-contained story arc from the source material. The initial OVA, titled Mermaid Forest (Ningyo no Mori), premiered in Japan on August 16, 1991, with a runtime of approximately 56 minutes. Produced by OB Planning, Victor Entertainment, and Shogakukan, it was animated by Studio Pierrot under the direction of Takaya Mizutani. The adaptation centers on the "Mermaid Forest" storyline, following the immortal Yuta and his encounters with mermaid-related perils. The follow-up OVA, Mermaid's Scar (Ningyo no Kizu), was released in Japan on September 24, 1993, running about 45 minutes. It was produced by Victor Entertainment, , and Arts Pro, animated by , and directed by . This installment adapts the "Mermaid's Scar" arc, exploring themes of immortality through the character of Mana and her connections to Yuta. Both OVAs feature prominent voice acting, with Kōichi Yamadera providing the voice for the central character Yuta and voicing Mana. Additional cast for Mermaid's Scar includes Yūichi Harada as Masato and Gara Takashima as Misa. Compared to the , the OVAs introduce some alterations, such as adjustments to character backstories—for instance, in Mermaid's Scar, Masato's adopted mother is depicted as naming the child, differing from the original narrative.) These changes, along with visual stylistic shifts between the two productions due to different studios, condense the source material for the shorter format while preserving core horror elements. In , Mermaid Forest received a subtitled VHS release from US Manga Corps (under ) in 1993, while Mermaid's Scar was dubbed and released on VHS by in 1995. Later, DVD editions of the OVAs were issued in by for Mermaid Forest and for Mermaid's Scar.

Television series

The television series adaptation of Mermaid Saga, titled Mermaid Forest (高橋留美子劇場 人魚の森), consists of 13 episodes and was produced by (formerly Tokyo Movie Shinsha) as part of the Rumic Theater anthology series dedicated to Rumiko Takahashi's works. It originally aired on from October 4, 2003, to December 20, 2003, covering episodes 1 through 11 in the late-night slot, while episodes 12 and 13 were withheld from broadcast due to their and instead released directly to DVD on May 19, 2004. The series was directed by Masaharu Okuwaki, with episode direction handled by various staff members including Masahiro Hosoda and Yukio Okazaki; the music was produced in collaboration with Avex Group, featuring an opening theme composed by Chiaki Ishikawa and an ending theme by Kayoko. Episodes 1–11 adapt selected short stories from the original , such as "Mermaid Forest," "The Village of Fighting Fish," and "The Dream's End," presenting them in an episodic format centered on the immortal protagonists Yuta and Mana. In contrast, episodes 12–13 draw heavily from elements of the 1993 OVA Mermaid's Scar, reimagining its plot involving mermaid flesh's corrupting effects and 's horrors, though adapted to fit the series' broader narrative arc. This structure serves as a , interweaving multiple tales with original filler scenes to establish continuity between stories and emphasize the ongoing curse of across Yuta's 500-year journey. The Japanese voice cast reprises key roles from the earlier OVAs, with Kôichi Yamadera voicing the weary immortal Yuta and as the young Mana, alongside supporting actors like and Yuko Mizutani for various episodic characters. An English-dubbed version was produced in 2005 by The Post Office, LLC under voice director Charlie Sullivan, featuring performers such as as Mana and in supporting roles. The series was licensed for North American release by Geneon , which issued it on DVD in three volumes starting in July 2005, followed by a complete collection in 2006.

Themes and analysis

Immortality and horror motifs

In Mermaid Saga, the legend of mermaid flesh serves as a double-edged , promising eternal life but frequently resulting in physical deformities, mental deterioration, or profound isolation for those who consume it. According to , flesh grants , yet it often curses the recipient with unintended consequences, such as the Yaobikuni's 800-year existence marked by unrelenting loneliness as she outlives all loved ones. In Takahashi's narrative, this manifests through failed transformations into "lost souls"—hideous, mindless immortals—highlighting the rarity of true and the peril of tampering with natural lifespans. The series exemplifies this peril with instances of consumers developing man-faced fish-like features, underscoring the 's treacherous allure. The horror motifs in Mermaid Saga blend with psychological terror, diverging from Rumiko Takahashi's typical comedic works like . Mutations from mermaid flesh evoke visceral dread through grotesque physical alterations, such as scaled deformities or monstrous evolutions that trap individuals in eternal suffering. Psychologically, the endless existence amplifies isolation and despair, as immortals grapple with watching civilizations rise and fall while remaining unchanged, a theme rooted in the folklore's emphasis on as burdensome rather than benevolent. This contrasts sharply with Takahashi's usual lighthearted romance, infusing the series with a darker tone that explores the existential weight of undying life. Central to the narrative is the exploration of human desires, particularly the greed for youth and longevity, which precipitates tragedy among villagers and desperate seekers. Those driven by avarice or false promises often meet horrific ends, their pursuits amplifying the curse's isolating effects and critiquing selfish quests. Unlike Western siren tropes, which portray mermaids as seductive temptresses luring sailors to doom, the in —and by extension Mermaid Saga—act as omens of perilous , embodying fish-like grotesquerie and foretelling disaster rather than enchantment. This cultural distinction emphasizes horror through inevitable decay and regret, rather than mere allure.

Cultural and mythological elements

Mermaid Saga draws heavily from the surrounding the ningyo, a mythical creature often depicted as a grotesque human-fish hybrid rather than the enchanting figures of Western tales. In traditional legends, consuming ningyo flesh is believed to confer , though it frequently results in monstrous transformation or unending torment instead of . This motif is central to the series, where characters like Yuta and Mana grapple with the curse of prolonged life after ingesting the flesh, echoing historical tales such as that of Yao Bikuni, an 800-year-old nun who accidentally gained from ningyo meat and later sought release through . The narrative reflects broader Japanese cultural attitudes toward , particularly the Buddhist concept of mujō (impermanence), which views the transient nature of existence as essential to human fulfillment. In Mermaid Saga, immortality disrupts this natural cycle, portraying eternal life not as a blessing but as profound suffering—marked by isolation, loss, and the horror of outliving loved ones—thus subverting the allure of in favor of embracing mortality. This theme aligns with traditional where ningyo encounters often herald calamity, reinforcing the idea that defying impermanence invites chaos. Rumiko Takahashi's incorporation of these elements stems from her longstanding interest in , as evidenced by her research into yokai and legends for other works like . In Mermaid Saga, the sea serves as a symbolic liminal space, a boundary between the human world and the supernatural, where emerge to tempt or doom fishermen—a common trope in tales dating back to the Prince Shōtoku era (574–622 CE). Gender dynamics further underscore cultural motifs, with female characters frequently bearing the heaviest burdens of immortality quests, mirroring legends like Yao Bikuni's where women endure prolonged isolation and societal othering.

Reception and legacy

Critical reception

Upon its initial English release by in the early 2000s, Mermaid Saga received praise from critics for its departure from Rumiko Takahashi's typical romantic comedies, showcasing a more mature exploration of horror elements. Reviewers highlighted the series' atmospheric tension and gothic undertones, noting how it effectively blends with psychological dread, a stark contrast to works like or . For instance, early assessments commended Takahashi's ability to craft chilling tales of immortality's curse, emphasizing the manga's shift toward and moral ambiguity in human desires. However, some Western critics pointed to the series' episodic structure as a weakness, describing it as disjointed and repetitive, with individual stories often failing to cohere into a unified arc. This format, while allowing for standalone horror vignettes, was seen as uneven when compared to Takahashi's more serialized epics like , leading to criticisms of lacking overarching momentum or emotional depth in character development. Repetition in themes of flesh and pursuits further contributed to perceptions of stagnation in certain installments. The 2020 release of the Mermaid Saga Collector's Edition prompted positive reassessments, with reviewers lauding the improved translation, higher-quality artwork reproduction, and the series' enduring appeal within the genre. Critics appreciated how the updated edition highlighted Takahashi's innovative visuals—such as transformations and shadowy atmospheres—making the stories feel freshly relevant amid contemporary interest in . This rerelease was often described as a thrill that captures timeless fears of eternal life, solidifying its place as a horror standout in Takahashi's oeuvre. In academic and critical analyses of horror, Mermaid Saga has been examined for subverting traditional tropes, portraying eternal life not as a boon but as a toxic, isolating affliction that exposes human greed and vulnerability. Scholars and essayists have noted its deconstruction of mythological quests, where the pursuit of mermaid flesh leads to or monstrosity, challenging romanticized views of agelessness found in other adaptations. This thematic inversion positions the series as a key example of 1980s-1990s horror influencing broader discussions on the perils of unnatural .

Awards and commercial performance

Mermaid Saga earned critical recognition early in its serialization, winning the 20th for Best Comic in 1989, a prestigious honor in Japanese science fiction and fantasy circles often likened to the Hugo or Awards for . Commercially, the series contributed to the broader success of creator , whose collective works, including Mermaid Saga, exceeded 230 million copies in circulation worldwide as of October 2024. Published irregularly from to 1994 in and its supplement, the was compiled into three volumes by in Japan, with releasing English editions starting in 2003 and a collector's edition in 2020–2021. The 1991 OVA adaptation Mermaid Forest, produced by Studio Pierrot, and its 1993 sequel Mermaid's Scar were released on VHS in and later dubbed for international markets by US Manga Corps and , though specific sales figures remain unavailable; both have since gone out of print. The 2003 television series, airing on , achieved an average viewership rating of 2.7%, reflecting modest broadcast performance amid its horror anthology format.

References

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  34. https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Mermaids-Scar/
  35. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2976
  36. https://www.furinkan.com/mermaid/anime/tv1.html
  37. https://cal.syoboi.jp/tid/171/time
  38. https://vgmdb.net/album/36111
  39. https://archive.org/details/rumiko-takahashi-mermaid-forest-eng-dub
  40. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/mermaid-forest/dvd-1
  41. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409625/
  42. https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/78617?language=en-US
  43. https://dubbing.fandom.com/wiki/Mermaid_Forest
  44. https://www.amazon.com/Mermaid-Forest-Quest-Death-Vol/dp/B0007XBMJI
  45. https://hyakumonogatari.com/2015/09/24/two-tales-of-mermaid-meat/
  46. https://solrad.co/the-eternal-victim-rumiko-takahashis-mermaids-scar
  47. https://yokai.com/ningyo/
  48. https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/magical-mermaids-japanese-folklore-005755
  49. https://yokai.com/yaobikuni/
  50. https://www.furinkan.com/takahashi/takahashi9.html
  51. https://theconversation.com/mermaids-in-japan-from-hideous-harbingers-of-violence-to-beautiful-enchantresses-179251
  52. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2020-09-28/the-fairy-tale-of-inuyasha-20-years-later/.164481
  53. https://otakuusamagazine.com/mermaid-saga-collectors-edition-manga-review/
  54. https://mechanicalanimereviews.com/2020/11/05/mermaid-saga-collectors-edition-volume-1/
  55. https://animeuknews.net/2021/06/mermaid-saga-collectors-edition-volume-2-review/
  56. https://butwhytho.net/2020/11/advanced-review-mermaid-saga-collectors-edition-volume-1/
  57. https://animeuknews.net/2020/11/mermaid-saga-collectors-edition-volume-1-review/
  58. https://ripeemangoes.com/2018/01/27/mermaid-saga-review/
  59. https://www.mangaupdates.com/series/ldrkiq9/ningyo-no-mori
  60. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-10-12/rumiko-takahashi-manga-top-230-million-copies-in-circulation-worldwide/.216678
  61. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2017-03-15/rumiko-takahashi-manga-top-200-million-copies-in-print-worldwide/.113452
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