Publisher: Viz
Volumes: 2/2 (Omnibus Collector’s Edition), In Print (See Edition notes)
Shounen
Genre: Horror, Supernatural, Romance
Editions:
Originally published in flipped (left to right format) in single comic book issues (1992-1995)
Collected into 3 flipped 1st Editions: Mermaid’s Forest (1994), Mermaid’s Scar (1996) and Mermaid’s Gaze (1997)
Collected into unflipped 2nd Editions: Mermaid Saga Volumes 1-4 (2004)
Collected into 2 unflipped Mermaid Saga Collector’s Editions (2020/2021)
Summary: It is said that anyone who eats the flesh of a mermaid is granted eternal youth and immortality. However few know the real truth, which is that many have died, been transformed into senseless monsters, or have been otherwise cursed while they attempted to cheat death. Yuta, who ate the mermaid flesh hundreds of years ago but still looks like a young man, seeks out the legend of the mermaid in hope of returning to normal. Or failing that, at least to warn others of the truth. Meanwhile, he meets Mana, a sheltered young woman who was also a “lucky” one who was able to obtain true immortality. As the two of them travel together, following the legends of the mermaid as they attempt to hide their immortality, they meet many others who weren’t nearly as fortunate.
Review: Rumiko Takahashi is most famous for her hit action romance comedies, Ranma ½ and Inuyasha. Personally, while I loved Ranma ½ and enjoyed Inuyasha, my favorites of her works are her more serious works, including this one. The Mermaid Saga series is a collection of short stories that take place in a mixture of the past and the present. These stories mostly follow Yuta, but also cover many stories in the present with Yuta and Mana together. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that tragedy follows those who seek the legend of the mermaid. And as the story continues, it becomes clear that immortality itself is a sort of a curse as well.
Short Stories Summaries:
A Mermaid Never Smiles, Parts 1+2: Yuta, in the present, goes to investigate a village not on any map and discovers a horrifying secret and meets Mana.
The Village of the Fighting Fish, Parts 1+2: Yuta, in the past, visits an island of friendly pirates that has a rivalry with a neighboring island of ruthless pirates. The ruthless pirates are looking for a mermaid and they force their rivals to hunt one for them.
Mermaid Forest, Parts 1-4: Yuta and Mana are traveling together. Mana gets hit by a truck, is presumed dead, and is stolen away by a doctor who steals corpses. Yuta chases after her only to discover a wealthy house in the middle of Mermaid Forest, where a mermaid is said to be buried. And they have a dark secret…
Mermaid’s Dream: Mana is taken away by what looks like a monster, but discovers it can talk and has its own tragic tale.
Mermaid’s Promise, Parts 1-4: Yuta and Mana go to visit the grave of a woman Yuta once loved, named Nae. Nae is said to have died 60 years ago, but knew a secret about the ashes of a Mermaid. But not only is she still alive, she acts strangely. What is going on?
Mermaid’s Scar, Parts 1-4: Yuta and Mana investigate a woman who is said to have survived a terrible boating accident miraculously without a scratch. Meanwhile, the woman attempts to kill her child who seems to know something about where some mermaid flesh is buried.
The Ash Princess, Part 1+2: In the Past, Yuta finds a con man selling fake mermaid flesh and using his daughter’s ability to heal from any wound to pass the fake flesh off as the real thing. But something isn’t right with his daughter, who kills animals and eats their livers raw…
Mermaid’s Gaze, Parts 1-4: The Kiryu Mansion is said to be haunted, and Yuta and Mana go to investigate. A lifelike doll sits in the window, said to be the ghost of a girl who once lived there. Meanwhile, an old woman there calls the police constantly claiming to have killed a young man, but they never find a body. The young man returns and dies again and again, demanding the doll that sits in the window. But why?
Mermaid’s Mask, Parts 1-3: Yuta and Mana investigate a young boy named Nanao who takes a mysterious medicine that heals minor wounds instantly. Nanao loves his mother, but his grandmother insists that Nanao isn’t supposed to be with her, and seems to know something is terribly wrong.
Recommended: TLDR; This collection of horror themed short stories with a dash of romance around the theme of the curse of the mermaid are quite good. They’re tragic and memorable and overall highly recommended.
Age Rating: Older Teen: lots of blood but not that gory. But it does have some scenes that are pretty disturbing.
Other Works from this Mangaka in English: (from most to least popular)
InuYasha (Shounen)
Ranma 1/2 (Shounen)
Maison Ikkoku (Seinen)
Urusei Yatsura (Shounen)
RIN-NE (Shounen)
One Pound Gospel (Seinen)
Rumic Theater (Shounen)
No comments:
Post a Comment