Ningyo no Kizu
Mermaid's Scar / 人魚の傷 / Rumic World 5
Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Shounen | |
Demographics: Shounen | |
Studios: Madhouse | |
Producers: Arts Pro, Shogakukan, Victor Entertainment | |
Licensors: VIZ Media | |
Rating: 6.71 / 10 | |
Rank: #5997 | |
Popularity: #7095 | |
Users Listed: 9,503 | |
Users Scored: 3,705 | |
NSFW: No | |
Last Updated: 04/08/2025 | |
Aired: September 24, 1993 (Summer) | |
Type: ova | |
Source: manga | |
Age Rating: R | |
Episodes: 1 |
Synopsis:
Yuuta and Mana, beings who have long transcended mortality, wander Japan, observing the fleeting lives of humans. Their current travels take an unexpected turn when they encounter Masato, a solitary boy on a train. A seemingly ordinary reunion with his mother quickly unravels into something deeply unsettling. Yuuta and Mana uncover a hidden reality surrounding Masato – one tied to ancient lore and a lingering curse. The narrative explores themes of identity, the burden of inherited fate, and the deceptive nature of appearances within a contemporary Japanese setting. It offers a contemplative experience, focusing on atmosphere and character interaction as it delves into the consequences of a supernatural affliction manifesting in the modern world.
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Characters:
- Mana (Main) - Voice Actors: Takayama, Minami, Lindbjerg, Lalainia, Tureau, Sybille
- Yuuta (Main) - Voice Actors: Yamadera, Kouichi, Gray-stanford, Jason, Dumond, Cédric, Roldán, Javier
- Masato (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Turner, Christopher, Mulachs, Joël, De Filippis, Stefano, Boiron, Marine
- Misa (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Takashima, Gara, Jaud, Janyse
- Yukie (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Inoue, Kikuko, Moscardó, María
Staff:
- Asaka, Morio (Director)
- Mochida, Maki (Theme Song Performance)
- Saitou, Miwako (Theme Song Lyrics)
- Dokite, Tsukasa (Key Animation)
- Hirata, Kahoru (Key Animation)
- Kanai, Jirou (Key Animation)
- Kaneko, Hidetoshi (Art Director)
- Kimura, Masahiro (Key Animation)
- Kobayashi, Osamu (In-Between Animation)
- Kugimiya, Hiroshi (Key Animation)
- Maruyama, Masao (Planning)
- Morosawa, Masao (Production Manager)
- Oohira, Naoki (Key Animation)
- Saitou, Tetsuhito (Key Animation)
- Takahashi, Kumiko (Animation Director, Character Design)
- Takahashi, Rumiko (Original Creator)
- Takahide, Kunio (Key Animation)
- Terauchi, Satoshi (Editing)
- Tsuru, Norihiro (Music)
- Ueda, Hitoshi (Key Animation)
Reviews:
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User ktulu007 (Score: 5/10):
The Mermaid Saga has a complicated history. The manga was written by Takahashi Rumiko from 1984-1994. In that time there were fourteen episodes that ended up being collected in three volumes. Two volumes of the manga got released as OVAs and, in 2003, those same volumes were released as a full length anime. I haven't read the Manga so I couldn't speculate as to why the final volume always gets left out. Mermaid's Scar has a fairly simple plot. Mermaids exist and eating their flesh either makes humans immortal or, far more likely, turns them into amphibious monsters. The story begins with two seemingly youngpeople named Yuta and Mana heading to a new town on the same bus as a small child. At this town they hear rumours about the child's mother coming back from the dead and begin to suspect that she's eaten mermaid's flesh. But there are things going on that they can't predict. Things that could have dire consequences for both of them. The story is pretty well constructed and it feels complete, even though it's the middle of the series. The only real issues are that some of the twists don't make a lot of sense and the action isn't set up very well. nnThe characters are pretty flat. The majority of them have only a few personality traits, leaving them very flat. The only character who actually gets pretty fleshed out is the antagonist.nnThe art is dated and, unlike 3x3 eyes, it hasn't aged too well. The backgrounds are bland and the characters have very forgettable looks. It's not terrible, but it certainly doesn't have a distinctive or interesting look. nnThe voice work is okay. Yamadera Kouichi and Takaya Minami both do good jobs overall. The only problem is that they get overly melodramatic at times. nnThe yuri factor is a 1/10. This is another series where the female characters barely even interact with each other.nnMy final rating for Mermaid's Scar is a 5/10. The writing is good, but the flat characters, bland art and mediocre voice work all make for an average series. Honestly, if the concept sounds intriguing to you, I would check out the Manga instead. Is the full length anime any better? I haven't seen it so I can't judge. What I can say is that the Mermaid's Scar OVA is just average. -
User Princess101855 (Score: 5/10):
I just finished watching the OVA and I have to say that I wasn't overly impressed. The basic premise of the story had promise: either become immortal or a monster through eating mermaid flesh. What broke it for me were the characters. Or rather, the lack of characters. The only two that were halfway tolerable were Mana and the 'mother'. The rest were flat and dull in my opinion including the antagonist. The art style is pretty outdated even in my eyes with the static shots and the awkward pauses in conversations. The voice acting...again refer to above for my opinion. It could have beena great story (haven't seen Mermaid Forest I will admit so I don't know if that's any good), but it needed better characters to help carry the story, and better dialogue.
Related Anime/Manga:
- Ningyo no Mori (anime - Prequel)
- Ningyo Series (manga - Adaptation)
- Takahashi Rumiko Gekijou Ningyo no Mori Specials (anime - Alternative Version)