Takahashi Rumiko Gekijou Ningyo no Mori

According to an ancient legend, mermaid's flesh can grant immortality if eaten. 500 years ago, Yuta unknowingly ate a piece of mermaid's flesh. For centuries, he travels across Japan, hoping to find a mermaid, thinking she may be able to make him a normal human again. When he finally finds one, he discovers that she and her companions have been raising a girl to be their food so they can eat her and take on her youthful looks. That is how mermaids stay young. Yuta kills the mermaids and rescues her, but she has already eaten some of the mermaid's flesh. Although he had to kill the mermaids, Yuta isn't too disappointed. Yuta's once lonely existence is now over, as he has found a companion in Mana. And Mana, who had been trapped in a small hut her whole life, finds delight in even the simplest of things. Together, Yuta and Mana attempt to seek out more mermaids, trying to become normal humans again.

(Source: ANN)

Mana Main

Takayama, Minami Japanese

Yuta Main

Yamadera, Kouichi Japanese

Big Eyes Supporting

Gouri, Daisuke Japanese

Rin Supporting

Kuwashima, Houko Japanese

Kannagi, Towa Supporting

Shimamoto, Sumi Japanese

Rin's Father Supporting

Arimoto, Kinryuu Japanese

Kogure, Nae Supporting

Amano, Yuri Japanese

Natsume's Father Supporting

Kitamura, Kouichi Japanese

Monk Supporting

Katou, Seizou Japanese

Natsume Supporting

Sugiyama, Kazuko Japanese

Okamoto, Junya Assistant Producer

Oozora, Masaki Director

Urakami, Yasuo Sound Director

Ooba, Hideaki Episode Director, Storyboard

Reviews

Nov 30, 2020

Sesshomaru

Recommended

劇場 人魚の森 the 2003 series Mermaid Forest is based on Takahashi Rumiko`s short stories, which were later published as a manga series in three volumes. The anime series is atmospherically gloomy and eerie enough to make one cringe in their seats. The idea is based on Japanese mythology, in which mermaids are unsightly and vicious creatures.

Story: Based on folk legends and the plot is told worthwhile (7/10)
Note: The story was designed with a horror element in mind for its time. From today's perspective, it may not be as tough anymore, but it is still sometimes brutal.
The Manga Mermaid Saga (Ningyo Shirīzu) consists of three volumes. ... The first volume "Ningyo no Mori" was adapted into an OVA in 1991 and in 1993 the second volume "Ningyo no Kizu" also received an OVA version. Both OVAs are worth seeing, just like the TV series released in 2003. However, due to its brutality, especially in the last episodes, the series is not for the faint of heart. The last two episodes were originally not broadcasted on TV and could only be purchased.
The origin of the story can be several folk tales or myths. The most familiar to me and, in my opinion, the most suitable is "Happyaku Bikuni". If you are not interested in the mystical reference, skip the text marked with brackets.
[brief digression]
A fisherman from the province of Wakasa caught an unusual fish and gathered friends for inspection and tasting. After it became known that the fish had a human face, no one ate it. Unfortunately, one friend had drunk too much and carelessly passed his piece of meat of fish to his daughter, who asked him if he had brought her a gift. Sober, he tried to correct his mistake, but the meat had already been eaten. Since nothing happened at first, it was forgotten. The daughter grew up and got married. As the years passed, her husband and the world around her grew older, but she did not. The woman eventually became a nun, because she could no longer bear the recurring marriages and widowhood. She wandered the country and ended her existence after an incredible 800 years in her homeland near the Kuin Temple.
[end of digression]
Takahashi Rumiko story is slightly modified, but the reference to the above mentioned legend is obvious. We get to know Yuta, who, as the legend has it, became immortal after eating mermaid flesh and surviving unharmed. Like the nun in the legend, he now wanders the world in search of a solution to his infinite loneliness. By chance he meets the young Mana, who endured something similar. Brought together by the same fate, they now travel through the country together and master different adventures. In an episodic narrative style, the two main characters meet many very different people who are connected to the legend of the mermaid flesh in various ways.

Characters: MCs simple structured but antagonists become a bit more complex towards the end (6/10)
Not badly characterized, but an academic degree is also not required to grasp the characters. On the one hand, the cast consists of the two protagonists, but the variety results from the different antagonists and secondary characters.
Yūta:
First we get to know Yuta, one of the two main characters. The odyssey of the young fisherman begins when he and his comrades eat the meat of a mermaid. Yuta does not yet suspect that he has become immortal. He married and lived normally until he discovered that his wife grew older and died, but he did not. Only now does he fully understand the legend, and he heared the rumor that only a mermaid can help him to return to a normal life. Thus begins his journey as an immortal in search of a mermaid, which will last over five centuries. Going back about 500 years from the creation of manga, one arrives at the reign of the Ashikaga Shogunate in Muromachi jidai or at the beginning of the very exciting Sengoku-jidai, in which very famous people like Nobunaga Oda and later Ieyasu Tokugawa determined the fortunes of the era. Yuta is kind, helpful, and makes friends with many people he meets on his travels, and with the historical reference, some of his quirks become a little more understandable.
Mana:
The young woman has grown up under strange circumstances, which inflict her the same fate as Yuta, and so they become companions. Since she could never leave the village, she is naive and very curious. But she is also very smart and grasps her situation quite rationally, but she cannot comprehend her emotional world because she has had no interaction with other children, friends or her own family.
Antagonists:
There are many opponents but not all of them are real antagonists. In some stories Yuta and Mana just interfere, and then try to solve the mystery.
Ōmanako (big eyes):
I think his role and the episode that goes with it are very well done, as it shows that regardless of outward appearance, everyone was originally a human being.
Yukie:
No opponent, in the true sense of the word. Yet her role is extremely important, even if it doesn't look like it. But with her the inner conflict of the last angagonist I want to describe becomes clear.
Masato:
A childlike appearance and attitude paired with the experience and loneliness of an immortal for centuries, have left behind only a tortured human soul, that acts only cruelly and heartlessly like a monster. At the beginning, he may have tried to replace his parents who died again and again, but they increasingly became his servants, whose personality and nature he abused in a diabolic way. This thought, an experienced personality in a childlike but immortal body, is also used in many vampire anime. To cut a long sentence short, if you want to see a really evil antagonist, this is the right place.

Visuals: More could have been achieved in terms of animation (6/10)
The art dates back to 2003 and is of course a bit old-fashioned, but at the same time the beautiful and elegant drawing style of Takahashi-san is unmistakable. From a 2003 perspective, the art is very stylish and has a slight retro touch that builds a bridge to the earlier OVAs. Personally, I like it very much that the mutability of the mangaka is also well expressed. This becomes especially clear when you compare the action-packed "Mermaid Forest" saga with its dark and brutal atmosphere to the very funny Ranma 1/2. The gloomy and sometimes brutal atmosphere is made very good by the use of many dark colors as well as good light and shadow effects. For example, through the use of dimly lit settings and dark contrasts. Gore fans might object that many depictions of violence are too mild for a horror anime, but this is due to the fact that many of these components have been toned down for TV broadcasting. It is also often argued that the anime lacks detail, which I would counter that the anime was drawn and not developed with CG. The drawing style is very close in design to the original and has details, such as different hair tones, but they are more subtle than one is used to from today's CG standards. However, one difficulty of the hand-drawn work is that character and art in general can vary greatly from episode to episode.
Animation reveals the age more than art, but I think it still works for its time and the story it tells. However, those who love more modern, fluid CG animated designs may not like the classic styles or the use of still frames. On the other hand, I think it is a plus that the use of speed lines has been abandoned.

Sounds: BGM, OP, ED are very good, as is the VA (8/10)
When it comes to BGM, a distinction should be made between OVAs and the series. The music for the first OVA in 1991 was composed by Kawai Kenji, and the musical arrangements are really beautiful. Norihiro Tauri composed the music for the second OVA in 1993, and as for the vocal themes of the OVAs, I especially liked the title: Walk of Time "時 の 漂泊」 " by Hirotani Junko. But also the title: Mori wo Nukete is very beautiful.
The title song in the 2003 series is "Like an angel" sung by Ishikawa Chiaki. The mood, the arrangement of the song and also the voice seem very familiar if you know the OVA. It is not the same song, but it has the same effect on the listener. A very nice arrangement and Ishikawa's voice sounded very pleasant. You can hear that she is a talented singer who has been singing since childhood.
The end song is entitled "Mizu tamari" (水 た り ま り) and is sung by the Japanese singer Kayoko. The title is different than expected, it is more peppy than one would expect for the end of the series and has a very nice melody.
Both the voice actors as well as the dialogues are good.
On the one hand, I noticed the performance of Oomoto Makiko as the voice of Masato. While it's not uncommon for a young boy to be voiced by a woman, but Makiko Oomoto-san embodies the character of the role very well. On the other hand, I really liked the voice of Gouri Daisuke in the role of Ōmanako. Gouri-san's deep and growling voice fits the role well and has impressed me in other anime for the same reason, such as Inuyasha in the role of Kyokotsu.

Mermaid Forest is one of the underrated works of Takahashi-san. In contrast to her other works like Inuyasha or Ranma 1/2, it tells a very depressing and mysterious story with very little comedy. The show is entertaining and if you watch it at night, you might get a shiver down your spine.
I gladly recommend the series, as well as the two OVAs. For the critic I would recommend the manga, because it is even a bit more violent, the art is a bit nicer and there is one more story (Yasha no Hitomi).

As always, thanks for reading and have fun watching.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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May 6, 2019

Sony-Sama

Mixed Feelings

Overall 6/10
In short, it feels dull compared to the Manga.

Art 3/10
The art just doesn't live up to it's predecessors (I haven't watched them but I have seen clips of them and the art is much more nicer). I'm very disappointed since it is a 13 episodes show. ( I know the predecessor animation looked dull too but the art was better when it was much older).

Story 7/10
On the other hand, the story telling was precise and we even got some informing details that didn't exist in the manga but adding them made so much more sense.

For the Sound:
Opening OST and Ending OST were good but ... not memorable. Characters voicing were pleasant.

Honestly, it's not worth watching after reading the manga. And I don't think watching it alone will give it it's justice.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Feb 27, 2021

kirazerorequiem

Not Recommended

what a mess this show was. Everything was pretty subpar from the lacking story, the animation, (not the worst) to even the characters.

Following Yuta's adventure for finding a unknown cure for his immortality and his idiotic choices. Soon after starting he met with his immortal counterpart to adventure with.

whilst in the end, two immortals living together and to maybe grow more friends like them with time, that would not be a bad outcome. Instead Lets continue going town to town finding the most evil women or mermaid (that is right under their thumb) plotting the most evil plan by ... using mermaid flesh. It was showed / hinted multiple times the mermaids knew not of how to cure immortality peacefully, i mean if he really wanted to die that bad, it's possible.

The plot overall was pointless. Focusing on mundane travels and side stories whilst he tells everyone he meets that he is immortal.

The action scenes were only saved by some of the creative tactics that were used. But it was also unrealistic at time. The time when buddy cut through two metal chains with one, not even a leveraged swing. Or later that episode, they lightly tapped misses restrains with the hatchet then the ropes just fell apart.

The ending episode was horrendous. Consisting of, lets surprise him and bash through the window only to kneel down and console your friend for five minutes, all whilst the kid with the gun gets a good shot...

Next lets watch a bit as he drags his axe to the body and starts chopping his head off, then she decides to jump in and overpower the kid but states "if you kill him, ill come back from hell and kill you" only to pass out on top of the kid soon after. Yes, because almost chopping his head off with the intent to kill wasn't enough to mark him as a threat.

The kid somehow decides to leave them alive even after all the pity attempt's made before but sets fire to the spot as to say he did something. And that just the one scene.

overall: It was a boring watch. No real plot or comedy, just bad drama and interactions. It was easier to watch than other bad series I've seen, until the ending butchered it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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