Ningyo no Sodatekata

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The manga has a lovingly unique art style. It is, after all, one of the selling aspects of the manga, for which I was first attracted to. The interactions of the MC with the little mermaid were really heartwarming and sweet. Though the side characters barely had any screen time, they contributed at least to the slice of life aspect of the short story.

This was undoubtedly a manga that had much more potential than what it had been. Though the wait was long for each chapter probably because of the art, it was one of the things that would lift my heart when a new ... chapter came out.

Unfortunately, it only had 7 chapters.

It could've told a much better story. The hardships of raising an unfamiliar species such as mermaid could've been fleshed out more. Moreover, the author could've also tinkered with the possibility of the little mermaid in developing human legs (but I'm not sure if others would've loved that or would just find it generic).

I had also hoped to see more of a father-and-daughter relationship between the mc and the little mermaid. I would completely hate if it would pull the Usagi-Drop-Card though.

However, all this were crush when it ended in 7 chapters.

Overall, though it was short, it was undoubtedly a pleasurable experience to read a heartwarming and sweet manga with such a magnificent art.

At its heart, this is a story about the trials and the joys of raising children, especially as a single parent.

Hino is an out-of-work 25-year-old who struggles to find the motivation to return to the working world until he rescues a young mermaid from the wreckage of a typhoon. His mother berates him constantly for not measuring up to his former classmates and he, like most of us who can relate to his situation, feels like trash for not meeting her standards. With each chapter, it is nice to watch him grow as a person, as he gradually makes the conscious decision to be responsible ... for this child in his care. It starts with a small gesture out of necessity until he is essentially a working parent in order to fund his new lifestyle and make sure his child has the necessities for a healthy, fulfilled life. Before he knows it, he has stopped seeing her as just a strange creature and she has begun to adapt to the human world. The finale of their story is an emotional one where Hino tries to determine whether or not he is harming her by caring for her and wonders if she even views him as anything more than a potential threat to her survival.

The art is very soft and sweet, which does wonders for creating the slice-of-life atmosphere that the story hinges on, and the very short conversations Hino has with his coworkers help move his development along in a briefly refreshing change of pace. The ethical dilemma raised in the final chapters is explored in an interesting and satisfying way, but the story could have continued for at least another volume and done so much more with the concept.

Unfortunately, there are a few moments where the "joke" seems to be that Hino feels like a child predator when in fact he's just socially awkward and overthinking things. They are easy enough to ignore and aren't too overplayed, but it does detract from the sweetness of those scenes. Otherwise, I recommend this quick read if you're in the mood for a small dose of something cute.