Mermaid Saga, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Rumiko Takahashi (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 14, 2004 | Series: Mermaid Saga (Book 1)

From the creator of InuYasha!

Eating the flesh of a mermaid grants eternal life. But living forever can be a blessing or a curse. Immortal lovers Yuta and Mana are relatively lucky… others who partake of the mermaid’s flesh are transformed into savage lost souls!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The spotlight on Rumiko Takahashi's career began in 1978 when she won an honorable mention in Shogakukan's annual New Comic Artist Contest for Those Selfish Aliens. Later that same year, her boy-meets-alien comedy series, Urusei Yatsura, was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday. This phenomenally successful manga series was adapted into anime format and spawned a TV series and half a dozen theatrical-release movies, all incredibly popular in their own right. Takahashi followed up the success of her debut series with one blockbuster hit after another--Maison Ikkoku ran from 1980 to 1987, Ranma 1/2 from 1987 to 1996, and Inuyasha from 1996 to 2008. Other notable works include Mermaid Saga, Rumic Theater, and One-Pound Gospel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; Original edition (July 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591163366
• ISBN-13: 978-1591163367
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #362,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Manga > By Creator > Takahashi, Rumiko

More About the Author

The spotlight on Rumiko Takahashi's career began in 1978 when she won an honorable mention in Shogakukan's annual New Comic Artist Contest for Those Selfish Aliens. Later that same year, her boy-meets-alien comedy series, Urusei Yatsura, was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday. This phenomenally successful manga series was adapted into anime format and spawned a TV series and half a dozen theatrical-release movies, all incredibly popular in their own right. Takahashi followed up the success of her debut series with one blockbuster hit after another--Maison Ikkoku ran from 1980 to 1987, Ranma 1/2 from 1987 to 1996, and Inuyasha from 1996 to 2008. Other notable works include Mermaid Saga, Rumic Theater, and One-Pound Gospel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Get lost in the "Forest", June 26, 2004

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mermaid Saga, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

Life is tough if you're immortal. That seems to be the general message of Rumiko Takahashi's Mermaid Saga, starting off with "Mermaid Saga: Forest." It's creepy, dramatic, and after reading it, you may never look at a mermaid picture the same way again.

In the first story, a strange young man named Yuta is travelling through Japan. He's one of the few human beings who has eaten the flesh of a mermaid and become immortal -- most of them die or turn into monstrous "lost souls." He finds a mysterious village made up of vicious old women -- and a young girl named Mana, who has been made into an immortal without her knowledge.

Then it's flashback time, to Yuta's encounter with a young pirate girl named Rin several centuries in the past -- and a strange woman who wants the mermaid flesh for a mysterious reason. In the present, Mana and Yuta are taken captive by a white-haired young woman, who has been fed mermaid's blood -- and now she wants to switch bodies with Mana.

Takahashi clamps down on her humorous style in "Mermaid Saga: Forest." There's no pratfall humor, cute characters, or funny scenarios involving alcohol, nudity or magic spells. There's blood, amphibious "lost souls," some very nasty revenge plotting -- oh yes, and mermaids who make barracudas look cuddly.

And Takahashi weaves in some rather melancholy material about immortality. Sure, most people think it would be fun to live forever, but Yuta reveals that his wife aged and died while he stayed the same, and he tells Mana not to adopt a kitten because it will only die on her. And the romantic involvement with Rin is clearly doomed from the start, since Yuta would outlive her as well.

Mana and Yuta are a lot like Takahashi's other lead couples -- they start off on shaky ground, since Mana is basically a spoiled teenage brat, and Yuta is much older, with a lifetime of sorrow behind him. And her supporting characters are astoundingly vivid, like the ruthless land mermaid, or the old/young woman who was fed mermaid's blood.

Rumiko Takahashi strays into darker waters with "Mermaid Saga: Forest," an imaginative and suspenseful dark fantasy collection. Highly recommended.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WELL WRITTEN CLASSIC, August 1, 2004

By 

Sesho "www.sesho.libsyn.com" (Pasadena, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mermaid Saga, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

Men and women seek out the flesh of mermaids because it is said that if you eat it, you will be granted immortality. Of course, what they don't know is that there is also a chance of instant death, or even worse, of being changed into a horrible ghoul. Yuta learned this centuries ago when he and some of his fellow fisherman, curious to see if the legends were true, decided to eat the flesh of a mermaid. While some of his comrades died instantly, others changed into soulless beasts. Only Yuta was given the gift or curse of eternal life. Yuta doesn't want it. He wants to grow old and die like normal people. So he sets out on a quest to find more mermaids because he has been told that only a mermaid can reveal to him how he can become a mortal man again.

During his wanderings he comes upon a village of murderous old hags who seem to have mermaids living among them. You see, they can also change into human form and walk on land. He learns that they are keeping a young girl named Mana imprisoned there her whole life and have fed her mermaid flesh for some dark reason, making her immortal too. It's up to Yuta to figure out some way to save both their lives.

The second story in the book is a flashback to an earlier period in Yuta's life when he encounters some bloodthirsty pirates out to catch a mermaid for the sly wife of their chief. Left for dead, Yuta is found by a rival but much more civilized pirate clan and a love story develops between him and their defacto female leader.

The last story in the volume, "Mermaid Forest" takes us back to contemporary times with Yuta and Mana. Mana, not knowing about automobiles and such because she has been a captive all her life, walks in front of a truck and is taken in by a nefarious doctor in the employ of a family who owns "Mermaid Forest", on whose grounds, a mermaid is alleged to be buried.

This was a very well-written manga. I wouldn't say it was for kids because it has a lot of gore and more than a little nudity. There's a thread of sadness through the storyline when you realize that Yuta and Mana are truly alone in the world. I don't really get Yuta though. He has a chance to stay with the queen of the pirates but refuses simply because he doesn't want to settle down in one place. If he lives forever, what's wrong with living out a life with someone you love? This manga had a lot of elements to it: horror, love story, and adventure. Be warned that Volume 1 does leave you hanging at the end on a cliffhanger.

I would also recommend Highlander on dvd. Also, similar themes are dealt with in Interview With a Vampire novel and movie.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly dark for a Rumiko Takahashi..., June 15, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Mermaid Saga, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

I have no idea why I skipped over this manga. I love all of Rumiko Takahashi's titles, but the one she created as a "hobby"--Mermaid Saga--is the only one I missed. It is a very sad story--basically, it's a tale of love, immortality, and of course, adventure. Consuming the flesh of a mermaid grants eternal life, but being alive forever can be a blessing or a curse. Immortal lovers Yuta and Mana have been alive for a very long time, but neither wished for this--in fact, they both wish to die a normal, natural death. Becasue of this, they are both searching for the mermaids because there is a rumor that only the mermaids know how to reverse the immortality spell upon their victims. This is a good story, and the art is simple, yet lovely. However, if you don't like horor (-ish) stories with more than a little bit of romance, (or you arn't a fan of Rumiko Takahasi) then don't read it.