Reviews

Mermaid Saga Collector's Edition, Vol. 1 by Rumiko Takahashi

nolansmock's review

5.0

This is not your parents' mermaid story, although maybe it's your great-great-great-great grandparents'? People used to tell much scarier stories to children back then. Either way, this is exactly what I love about manga or comics or animation, something that feels like timeless folklore pulled from some old, dusty scroll or told through the generations. There's so much heart in these stories too and a lot of surprises. I guess I really enjoy immortality as a central theme as well, the struggle to experience mortality in spite of it, that it's something worth fighting for.

Rumiko Takahashi's 'Ramna 1/2' was the first manga I ever read back in the '90s and I wasn't sure if I wanted to read that again, or another one of her loved series, but in late 2020 Viz reissued 'Mermaid Saga' and 'Maison Ikkoku', two shorter, long out-of-print series from the '80s. A lot of Takahashi's series are shonen or shoujo, geared toward a much younger audience, so I was glad to jump back into her world with something that definitely feels more for adults, although this is fine for high school and up as well.

janagaton's review

3.0

wasn't expecting this to have such creepy art, so that was a pleasant surprise, but i was pretty bored for a significant chunk of it. I'll still definitely read the second omnibus volume though

bcnvolio's review

adventurous inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

fake_gyllen's review

4.0

Gory, beautiful, and haunting.

destiniev's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

hilmerjj's review

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A great manga with shorts stories connected by Yuta and Mana. 

flogcm's review against another edition

4.75

J'aime bien le style de dessin de cette mangaka, ça m'a rappellé la lecture de Ranma 1/2! C'est sûr qu'il y a plus de boobies que nécessaire et souvent pour rien, mais c'est le seul point moins intéressant. J'ai aimé que cette histoire se passe sur plusieurs époques, pour bien montrer les conséquences de l'immortalité du personnage principal.

jmronbeck's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

annapox's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Blood, Sexual assault, Death, Medical content, and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Car accident

Minor: Terminal illness, Ableism, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Cannibalism, and Cursing

fyrekatz's review

3.0

A manga for grow ups!

Nude chests, lots of blood. This isn't for children. But a good story, mermaids are cursed here. Scary cursed ladies!