Mermaid saga vol 1 by Rumiko Takahashi

This edition collects volumes 1-2 of the original run of Mermaid Saga.

Mana is the hope of her village, which is entirely made of older ladies. One day, Yuta comes to the village and disrupts their entire way of life. Yuta is a centuries old young man who gained immortality by eating the flesh of a mermaid, and is now questing for a way to reverse his immortality. He uncovers the real reason the village is protecting Mana, and instead of letting them get away with their sinister plan, he breaks her out and steals her away from the older ladies. The rest of the volume is comprised of other adventures of Yuta and Mana as Yuta tries to find more mermaids who could potentially help him become mortal.

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InuYasha is a staple in manga collections, and its popularity may inspire people to buy this story. Buyer beware - this is very different than most everything else that Takahashi has written. This story is very dark, and a lot more violent than her other stories.  Your first indication is just how many times characters talk about eating the flesh of a mermaid.  In this story, mermaids are not always the beautiful creatures that we often see if folktales.  They can turn into ugly, bug-eyed monsters with sharp teeth and nasty claws.  The individual stories presented are also a little separate from each other.  Some may be a flashback to Yuta's past, then the next chapter, you're back with Yuta and Mana.  This is more a collection of tales than a traditional manga where each chapter follows the last sequentially.

VIZ rates this as Teen plus for violence nudity.  Mermaids don't wear shells in this rendition, and other ladies are shown from the waist up. There is also an attempted rape that happens off the page. 

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 11-12

This review was made possible with an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Edelweiss.
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Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: November 17, 2020
ISBN: 9781974718573 (Paperback)

Tags: Rating: 8/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, Folklore, Action Adventure, VIZ Media ​