Title: Mermaid Forest aka Ningyo no Mori Genre: adventure, drama, horror, romance Original Manga: Rumiko Takahashi Director: Mamoru Kanbe Writer: Hiroyuki Yoshino Studio: Studio Pierrot, Victor Entertainment, Madhouse Format: 13 episodes Dates: 4 Oct 2003 – 20 Dec 2003 |
Yuta is an immortal who has been alive for 500 years. He used to be a normal human until he ate mermaid flesh. According to legend, mermaid flesh can grant eternal life and beauty. One day in his journey, he met Mana who had the same fate as he did. Together, they take on a journey to find a key to bring them back to normal.
See why I chose to watch this? Haha! Not all episodes are like this screenshot above though. This woman is just one of those people Yuta and Mana meet as they journey through the country in search of clues about their immortality. Like any other stereotypical anime girl, Mana is a damsel in distress who often makes trouble for Yuta. She's a bit annoying but can be tolerable. Yuta on the other hand is the handsome protagonist who broke the hearts of many women in his 500 years of existence. Some episodes feature his old girlfriends and love interests that he turned down because of his abnormality. Friend-zoned girls. Tsk, tsk, tsk...
I appreciate how they made Yuta and Mana wear different clothes in every episode. They don't seem to stay in one place so they just camp out as shown in some episodes. I was thinking how they bathed and changed clothes without living or renting a room but then again, Japan has bath houses. Plus, Yuta is always carrying this big bag where I suppose he puts all his camping stuff in. Just as I was about to ask where they get their money, the following episodes showed Yuta and Mana doing part-time jobs. Good thinking! Eternal life is such a drag.
The series reminds me of Vampire Princess Miyu and Pet Shop of Horrors when it comes to the art and story. The stories were also interesting as they always seem to bump into weirdos who either ate mermaid flesh or are obsessed about mermaids. Most episodes offer simple stories but they surely are entertaining. Each of them gets darker than the previous episode.
Yuta and Mana gets 7/10 from me. Make sure to watch the ending song ;).
I appreciate how they made Yuta and Mana wear different clothes in every episode. They don't seem to stay in one place so they just camp out as shown in some episodes. I was thinking how they bathed and changed clothes without living or renting a room but then again, Japan has bath houses. Plus, Yuta is always carrying this big bag where I suppose he puts all his camping stuff in. Just as I was about to ask where they get their money, the following episodes showed Yuta and Mana doing part-time jobs. Good thinking! Eternal life is such a drag.
The series reminds me of Vampire Princess Miyu and Pet Shop of Horrors when it comes to the art and story. The stories were also interesting as they always seem to bump into weirdos who either ate mermaid flesh or are obsessed about mermaids. Most episodes offer simple stories but they surely are entertaining. Each of them gets darker than the previous episode.
Yuta and Mana gets 7/10 from me. Make sure to watch the ending song ;).