MERMAID"S FOREST
I am never eating at Red Lobster again!
Review by: Craig "Something Fishy" Norris
Length: 13 episodes
Genre: Fantasy, drama, horror
Watched: 1-13, subbed
Imagine my shock upon discovering that this 13 episode anime was created by Rumiko Takahashi, the queen mother of marathon series (the series is actually the second season of Rumic Theater). Obviously, I was curious to see whether or not brevity is a concept that is indeed foreign to her. I discovered that brevity actually suits her, as she did about the same with 13 episodes here as she did previously with a hundred or more episodes of her previous flagship efforts.
Plot synopsis: Certain individuals can gain immortality by ingesting the flesh of a mermaid. Yuta, one such man who was granted everlasting life by mermaid flesh, has wandered the earth for 500 years searching for mermaids, whom he believes can help him return to normal. His travels lead him to a small, isolated village where he meets Mana, a 15 year-old girl who was fed mermaid flesh by her elderly caretakers. Yuta rescues Mana when they both discover that the village is actually inhabited by mermaids who wish to use her for food. They journey from place to place in search of mermaids, and along the way meet several different people whose lives have been horrifically altered by mermaid flesh.
Artwork: If one were to compare the animation to previous Rumiko Takahashi anime series (including the more contemporary Inu Yasha), one would notice a marked improvement in the overall animation quality of this series. The character designs are distinctly rendered in Takahashi's style, but the detail is much greater, as is the fluidity of the animation. However, on a grander scale the artwork is nothing too special.
Music: It's all mood music, basically. The opening and ending themes are rather lilting melodies, and seem to correspond with the overarching theme of immediate despair interlaced with everlasting hope. The music's presence is very subtle, as mood is set by the plot and characters. The soundtrack does enough to provide some viable accompaniment to the other elements, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it.
Characters: What's the hallmark of a Takahashi series? Say it with me now: over the top characters. Proving she is not so one-dimensional after all, she has created characters in this series that are not governed by a handful of quirks and dysfunctions. Yuta is a level-headed guy who has lived for so long that it's almost impossible to surprise him anymore. He gratefully takes to his role as Mana's guardian, elated that he finally has a companion to share immortality with. Mana desperately needs a guardian, since she lived the majority of her life in isolation. As a result, she is extremely out of touch and lacking in common sense. The two make a very complementary pair, which is a definite plus considering they are the only main characters. The people they meet in their travels mainly consist of people who have become horribly twisted (both physically and mentally) by mermaid flesh.
Plot: While the overarching plot is a rather uneventful quest for anti-immortality, the real attention-grabbers are the situations of the people Yuta and Mana meet. The mermaid flesh can affect people in so many different ways, from Yuta's and Mana's "perfect immortality" to transforming a person into a hideous, soulless monster, and almost all imaginable points in between. Even the immortality aspect is not that tempting, as an individual can still go through all the pain and suffering of death, only to be revived so they can get themselves killed again. Kind of takes all the fun out of being immortal, doesn't it? The series relies heavily on shock value, which it primarily accomplishes by showing the cruelty of the human spirit when the potential for immortality is involved. Unfortunately, there is one element of the plot that dear Takahashi-san cannot seem to grasp: the ending. Meaning, there is no ending. On the plus side, it only takes 13 episodes to find that out, instead of the usual 100-plus. If you don't mind no resolution of the main plot, it will leave you free to enjoy all the hard-hitting plot that is available in each one- or two-part episode.
CHICKS!: First of all, don't be fooled into thinking you'll see lots of gorgeous babes just because there are mermaids involved. Those whose image of mermaids has been shaped by a certain Disney princess will be aghast to find that the mermaids in this anime are actually quite hideous, complete with red, glowing eyes and distorted jaws brimming with fangs. That being said, there is a chick worth the time in the personage of Mana. When Yuta first meets her she is spoiled and bitter, but matures in her travels and becomes very friendly and loyal. She is frozen in time at 15 years old, and her body seems to be at the very zenith of youthful ripeness. And so she will stay for all of time. Joy! But proceed with caution; I seriously doubt the excuse of "she told me she was immortal and she's actually 38" would fly too far in your arraignment on statutory rape charges.
Overall: Having been exposed to Rumiko Takahashi before, I was extremely surprised at the elements present in this series, most notably its length (or lack thereof). I'm very glad she decided to broaden herself, instead of miring herself in her normal pitfalls of one-dimensional characters and complicated love triangles/rectangles/trapezoids/rhombi. But alas, the lack of an ending is once again painfully evident. I guess some things will never change.
In a Nutshell
+ Adequately shocking
+ A departure from Takahashi's norm
+ Many different plot avenues explored
- It's called an ending. Make one!
Rating: 8/10
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