Merc Storia: Mukiryoku no Shounen to Bin no Naka no Shoujo

Dear readers, dont let the overall score make u miss this amazing journey, if you enjoy fantasy and advanture, this show is actually one of the best of his kind.
I'm actually questioning who's voting and if these idiots watched at least 1 min of the show.
When I'm saying this is one of the best show of his kind I'm taking in consideation all my list of anime and manga, my opinion might actually be a little bios considering i grow up watching anime like digimon, pokemon,... in fact this show reminds me of a little bit of them (minus the the action, which is not ... that important as much the journey and the growth of our main protagonist).

Story (8):
In a world where magic and monsters exist, life got better thanks to mages called healers, which have the ability to calm down monsters and make them friendly.
Our main protagonist Yuu, has the same ability as is father, the first episode like usual, introduce us to the world we are about to explore and in part tell us why Yuu starts his journey and why he s scared of monsters (not implicit, I got to that conclusion after finishing the first episode, everyone can come with their own conclusions, is not that important for the enjoyment of the show).

Art (9):
The art is really beautifull, we have some pastels drawnings in a lot of episodes, nevertheless is always consistent and breathtaking on most of the scenaries and monsters scenes.

Sound (9):
Very fond of the intro/outro music and the choice of the background music, also I kinda feel the voice actors do and amzing job to interpret all the cast.

Characters (8):
- Yuu is our main protagonist which we will follow trough his journey, he has the ability to heal, he s also very timid around people and dont like to show his ability around them, for some reasons he s scared of monsters.
- Merc is a special monster that is gifted fom his father, we dont know nothing about her, that's why she wants to travel to find clues about her past and who she's. She's, on the contrary, full of herself and put Yuu most of the time in troubles.

Enjoyment (9):
This is really a charming anime, every episode is captivating and makes you intrigued for the next one, It s' really all about the journey, the interactions between characters and the eventual growth, and realization of the objectis of the main characters.
Altough i love shounen, martial arts and action anime and manga, I cant stop myself from watching this show, that's why even tough it has little if not none of the genres i like the most I find this show strangely captivating, beautifull and relaxing.

Hope I change few of your minds and make you give a shot of this one.
Thanks for reading.

[Spoiler Warning]

First of all, I recommend this to anyone who is lost on their journeys.
If you read the sypnosis, its not all there is to it.

I very much like this anime, never even read the Manga and will not do so sooner or later.

What I liked or loved about the Story:

It really has a dramatic beginning in the animation that in a young age, he lost or parted with his Father without knowing what happened to him but even if he was shocked by the reality, Merc has given him the PUSH he needed to step in his own two feet and move forward.
...
This was really an interesting production for ALL AGES that tells you "There is more to life than this, get out off your shell and seek happiness" (Sorry for my grammar or Terms used because I'm just a newb so forgive me).

Me: There were many teachings that I forgot in my journey(in reality) and found it in this anime, even if this is a fictional creation, you can still provide or produce or give it a more profound meaning in many stories like a picture book, yes this is more like a wonderful picture book other than being a Manga.

What I liked or loved about the Art:

The Art is Good but not great, I was actually expecting that Merc could have a human body (like a Genie in a bottle) but nope, she doesn't have any bottom which is very... (how will they pro-STOP!!!)
And I was like 'Hey accessories what cha doin in there? B-)' (How did they get in there? Does Merc got hurt putting acc in her bottle even when tumbling down the stairs? And falling underground?)

What I liked or loved about the Sounds:

For me it was perfectó, even more to the 2nd last arc that was shown in the anime (or was it 3rd?).
Where Bird people (were they even bird people?) have a city and have great voices and having a great voice will make you a D--- Ahem, forgot not to spoil the fun.
I was in awe and impressed in how well they put singing in Anime (how about Mangas do they have like music in it? or just lyrics?)

The Opening Theme was great with a melodramatic piano and of course the Ending Theme as well, Its like I can't get enough even though I do not understand the lyrics because of language walls(is there another term for it? I forgot) but the way the music was created was UNIQUE and Calming. It purifies my heart so badly that I want to buy it for sure.

What I liked or loved about the Characters:

The characters are good enough for my expectations, I really don't know what to say about them...
Yuu is good enough to be the main character, he has the quality- and the pure innocence soul to be good to others, he is potrayed to be a kind and understanding boy and as well as Merc.
Merc is a cheerful girl, and I love her VA really well, it suits her.
Even not knowing of her past, she still believes she may find it someday which is very heartwarming.
Toto was very cute and I want some more Toto-Merchandise!!
The way the VA did it, is more than Pikachu's VA which is superb.

My Overall Enjoyment to this is 9 or 10. (Maybe 8)

P.S. In the last part, I wished they could have portrayed that.
"Even if he doesn't have wings, even in different form- they could learn to accept each other whatever kind they may be, as well as well as the monsters who eat their cloud or rain and can still be accepted as an Angel even without wings, remove the old and bad culture"
Is what I would like to have in my Opinion for the last arc in the anime.

I really wanted to have more episodes where in the last part he could finally reunite with his father (even in a grave with a last parting letter) and a heroine other than Merc.
And the way he heals every monster was REDUNDANT, it doesn't have any uniqueness which is very much unsatisfying.

Merc Storia is a late adaptation of an ancient mobage, and as of right now, it’s one of the most overlooked anime of the fall season. I’m writing this review so I can convince you to give a chance to what I personally feel is the best anime of this season, and one of the best animes of 2018.

Story/Characters:

So here’s the premise: in this world, people and monsters are living together peacefully. However, not all monsters have been tamed. That why healers exist, whose job is to heal those monsters’ hearts. Our protagonist, Yuu – from “yuusha”, a.k.a. hero in English - is one ... of them, there’s just one problem: he’s deathly afraid of them, which makes his job quite complicated. And he’s a wimp in all regards anyway. And his sidekick, Merc, is just a tiny girl in a jar whose only power is to float and has lost her memory prior her encounter with Yuu. In the first episode, after a confrontation with one of those monsters, they begin their travelling through the country in order to find a way to restore Merc’s lost memory and for Yuu to overcome his fear.

All this setup, which was the first episode, however, is just an excuse. Merc Storia, despite what the title suggests, is not mainly about Merc, but about the unique places they visit through their travels. These mini arcs consist of one or two episodes, and after their problems have been resolved – or partly resolved -, Yuu and Merc moves on to their next destination. And while they’re certainly helping, they’re only there to give an incentive for these mini arc’s main characters to solve their own problems themselves. And the story doesn't shy away from heavy topics: people’s role in their society according to their gender, a father not being able to connect with his own daughter, dealing with loss, keeping up appearances and self-worth, just to name a few. And as I’ve said, each place is very unique: for example, episode 8-9’s mini arc is a musical - I’m not kidding.

And don’t expect heavy action. Our hero is not a fighter after all. And sometimes even the monsters themselves play little role in these mini arcs. But if you can get through the episodic premise, you get a damn good story. I ended up in tears multiple times; episode 6-7 is one big tearjerker, you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Art:

Animation is certainly not this series’ strong suit to be honest, but the backgrounds are gorgeous and more than make up for it, especially later in the series. The already mentioned episode 6-7 is one of the best examples of that.

Music/Sound:

Let’s start with my pet peeve: the sound effects of the monsters can be annoying and it’s not helping when you’re in the middle of a headache or a migraine. Now that I have this out of the way, I have nothing but praise. The OP, the ED, the background music: it gives the series an aura you could call “comfy” for a lack of a better world. And don’t forget the aforementioned musical episodes. They really outdid themselves on this front.

Tl;dr:

Merc Storia is a damn good story and if you can overlook some of its flaws, which has nothing to do with its writing, you'll get one of the best anime this year. Please don’t sleep on this one!

I don't know how it goes for kids these days, but when I myself was a kid, my parents made me watch a lot of shows and read a lot of stories that have a lot of educational moral lessons that I can use later in life. For example, the Rabbit and the Turtle tells us that those who think they're above all others will be humbled, as well as never giving up despite the overwhelming odds. You get my point. So when an anime combines, well first of all, the anime style of animation that I clearly love so much, and the essence of ... these stories that I consumed a lot in my childhood, the nostalgia that resulted from it is simply divine. Before I continue, I will be discussing many parts about Episodes 3 and 4, so if you haven't watched the series, please watch out for spoilers.

Based on the mobile game of almost the same name, Merc Storia: Mukiryoku no Shounen to Bin no Naka no Shoujo, or in English, Merc Storia: The Apathetic Boy and the Girl in a Bottle, is about a boy named Yuu who has the power to "heal" monsters, or in other words, tame them. One day, he receives a bottle from his father. Little did he know, there is a girl in that bottle named Merc, who has lost her memory. Now to help Merc regain her memories, Yuu takes Merc on a grand adventure around many places in the world, healing many monsters and putting an end to various conflicts in the countries they visit in their journey.

Sure, the plot might be quite simple, a guy meets a companion, and they go on a journey, helping people along the way. But because of this, the story is light and easy to digest, and the end results of each miniature arc are calming, wholesome, somewhat relatable, and the cherry on top would be the moral lessons I was talking about earlier. For example, the third episode takes us into a setting about a fairy kingdom under the threat of something that could destroy that same kingdom altogether. Here, we get a princess who's pompous, lazy, and naive, but for some reason, she wants to tackle this crisis head-on. This is a very, very obvious message that one should not bite off more than what they can chew, especially if it's life-threatening. But soon after, we come to know that the princess was the one actually responsible for the kingdom's crisis, and is trying to own up to her mistake in her own way. So that's another lesson, admit to your mistakes, and take responsibility.

So as the princess starts her journey, she meets our traveling protagonists, as well as two fairies who are in opposing clans. Not only did I end up shipping the two of them the first scene they appeared in, but that's one more lesson: sometimes, you might not know that one of your greatest rivals might be one of your greatest allies, well, as long as you aren't deathly hostile to each other, otherwise that would be a pipe dream. This is actually a staple in anime, and I will never get tired of this trope no matter how many times I see it. And at last, probably the deepest one for this two-episode arc, is when our motley crew is rescued by what seems to be a dark fairy that claims to be from a separate organization that does not follow the fairy queen. But despite this, he does help the group solve the issue at hand, which proves that even if their loyalty is not anchored on the same leader, they're still fairies in the end, and ensuring the survival of their homeland takes precedence over their differences. We humans could take a good example from these fairies for a lot of obvious reasons.

Now, it's a good thing to note that this is simply two episodes out of twelve, and the things that we can pick up from the story telling, while painfully obvious, and some might say as cheesy, cliched, or shallow, is actually good in relaying to us, the audience, thoughts and ideas that we might be forgetting. The story is so simple that I would even argue that this anime is one of the few that's very suitable for a child's gateway anime despite being PG-13.

Now for the art, in accordance to the claim I said that this anime is suitable for children, is cartoonish, starting with Merc's design, as well as the fluffy feel of the various monsters in the series, but it also complements the anime's nature as, well, a Japanese anime that I believe is a good indicator that it can be a nice introduction to someone most likely used to Western animation. Similar anime worked with me when I was kid, so I believe it can happen.

Music-wise, I am going to give props to how the opening theme completely captures the light yet journey-like essence of the anime as a whole with the progression from a solo piano introduction, to violins, then going electric guitar and drums in the first 20 seconds of the opening theme. Yes, this formula is staple in anime songs, but this anime's OP really feels upbeat that I feel happy listening to it, even though I don't really grasp the lyrics that much, maybe because of my hearing, but aside from that, the band, Mili's performance for this song is really exquisite. By the way, Mili is also the band that played world.execute(me);, which is a super good song on its own and one of my favorite charts in the game Arcaea, but I digress.

For the ending theme, however, the solemn feel of the song hits you right in the feels, as if it's reminding you that part of the journey is the end, but the bonds you form along the way are irreplaceable. Not to mention it's Minase Inori, Merc's voice actress, as well as one of my all-time favorite VAs and singers.

Atataka na tenohira ni tsutsumare (Wrapped in warm palms)
Mebuku hana kigi wa yure (The budding flowers and trees sway)

Add marching drums and more strings on that refrain and it would be suitable for an angelic choir to sing it in utmost harmony, as if you're in heaven.

And at last, character development. I want to focus on our protagonist duo, and I'll keep it sweet: an apathetic boy who learned to care not only for his friends but also for the people around him, and a loud boisterous girl who, despite losing her memories, has grown a little bit mature and knowing to think about the effects she might have to the people around her. Isn't that simply amazing?

Overall, a pretty solid anime that should be watched by children and adults alike. The value it has that goes unrealized due to being obscure is a big waste. The way personal relationships between people who are family, friends, and enemies alike are portrayed in this anime make it an unexpected gem that I didn't even see coming when I first watched this. Truly a Must Watch.

If you like a perfectly made sense story with explanation and good plot then this is not for you. There are many plot holes, the characters are your typical one dimensional character, not much progress and even if there is some progress, it happens super fast and without an explanation. Despite all of that, I think the story overall is not bad, you do not need to watch it seriously, just relax and enjoy it. Also, I love the art, animation and the soundtrack. Overall, I enjoyed the anime and find that it is so relaxing to watch, hence I gave it a good score.

Story ... 5/10
Art 8/10
Sound 7/10
Character 3/10
Enjoyment 7/10
Overall 7/10

To be completely frank, Merc is the best thing about this anime. If she wasn't in it, I probably wouldn't even have watched it. But as for my rating:

Story: I can't say I particularly cared for it. It's a rather charming one, but one that I feel has been done to death, except this time it's more progressive as one might say. Ironically, this actually helped to improve it in my eyes, and I'm supposed to be some evil troglodyte.

Art & Sound: The art is honestly very nice, and the voice acting is quite good as well. Some of this probably had to do with ... the time it took to produce this show, but I feel like what pushed it ahead for me was primarily Merc. She was delightful to watch and listen to. This leads to the next part.

Character: Merc gave this a 10. She's tiny, and cuter than a barrel full of puppies. Full of enthusiasm and zest for life. As anyone who knows me can attest; Anyone adding a cute minigirl without any visible legs to something is someone after my own heart.

Enjoyment: However, even having best girl 2018 doesn't exactly help elevate a show to peak my interest as a lunatic who actually watched all of and Enjoyed ZeXal of all shows. So, do take this with a grain of salt. For some folks this would be more appealing, but I would much prefer to watch some more Index or Shana.

Overall: Not bad, but without Merc, I think I'd drop this show like a brick, instead of just kinda being on-hold. Then again, I'm on hold for a lot of really good stuff, I really should watch more of the stuff from this delightful season.

Sadly, this is no Midori Days, but it's a cute show that doesn't do any harm to watch.

I want to say this is my first review, So I'm trying to do my best to write what I think of this Anime.

this Anime is actually my type for a character travelling everywhere, a main character "Yuu" travelling with "Merc" everywhere.

the Anime talks about how Yuu found Merc in the bottle and started to travel everywhere in order to regain Merc's memories, which it is too basic for me, but as the story develops, I see it as how enjoyable as it seems.

I find some of the characters are so good, except for some of them, but I enjoyed how the characters would take ... actions.

for the Music, how can I say that the opening and the ending are so good too? I mean the opening is so bright to me.

I enjoy of bright Animes like this and I can't say that I'm waiting for a season 2 announcement just to see more of Yuu and Merc's journey to the world, even though this is an underrated Anime, I would definitely recommend travelling animes like this.

Merc Storia feels like a very underrated anime to me, and I think this has to do with the expectations with which people approach it. The story basically begins in an idyllic cabin near a village. The protagonist, a boy, comes from a lineage of "healers", people who help tame the monsters of a world. His father, an oft-journeying healer decides to visit him one day and gives the lad a bottle with a miniature watery girl. As the story proceeds, we find out the boy is actually afraid of monsters unlike his father, who is always gone, much to the dismay of his mother ... and himself. Eventually, he decides to go on a journey to uncover the mystery of his friend, the girl in the bottle. During his journey, he tames monsters and gradually overcomes his fear, becoming more empathetic in the process.

Now, while this may sound generic, its execution has more charm, much like a wholesome JRPG. The villages he visits on his way all have a story-book charm and great visual appeal. He explores a cheerful fairy village, a bird kingdom where its avian looking inhabitants enjoy singing, and much more. In each village, there is a problem that arises due to a monster that has gone out of hand, which the boy ultimately tames with his healing powers. The anime has about 6 story arcs in separate novel villages, and each one contained nice artwork, an interesting quest, and allegorical message.

What makes the anime great is how the background art has so much detail and charm, giving off the same feeling of being lost in Zelda-esque world. Each village looks distinct from each other and truly gives off a wholesome JRPG feeling. Moreover, the various inhabitants of each village have unique designs that makes the world feel alive, as if one is really on a Zelda-esque journey. Likewise, the problems that arise within each village are interesting and resolve in unique ways. The monster designs also have a lot of appeal, which reminded me of Breath of the Fire 4's dragons in some respect. They have a pleasant style to them.

Overall, I feel as if people should approach this anime as if they want to relax with Zelda or a cozy JRPG. Approaching this anime for a complex story will lead to disappointment. Instead, it is best to keep in mind the stories are minimalist much like Zelda Breath of the Wild's quests in Rito, Goron, Gerudo, Kakariko, and etc. villages. They all have their charm and sense of idyllic ambiance, which is really this anime's high-point.

Besides Merc Storia, I have yet to come across an anime that has captured that wondrous adventurous feeling found in Zelda.

Honestly this is a laid back anime with a cozy feeling to it.
If you expect to watch action, you won't, if you expect deep plots and twists, you won't.

Art (9)
The art is colorful and beautiful and it gives you a positive and joyful feeling.

Sound (10)
The Op/End are both relaxing and so beautiful. They really match the anime theme.

Characters (7)
... Characters are basic. There's nothing really special about them, but you hardly focus on them to be honest, since the story mostly focuses on the characters of each place they visit.

Overall (8)

You can compare it to Kino no Tabi, Aria the animation and maybe Mushishi.
it's this kind of anime and probably even focuses on a younger audience.
I would love my kids to watch this in the future.

Ok, let's just jump straight to scoring.

For Story: 6/10.
Overall story is no where to see. It's the episodic kind aimed toward kids under 10 years old. And you will see that it really is episodic. There's hardly any help from the experiences protagonists gained from previous episodes. Rather, it seems the protagonists aren't even needed for the story line to happen. They didn't do much each episode and most of the story line just move on, without much need for them. You often see people saying the protagonists need to be put in certain background/story line to shine, but yeah, that ain't happening with ... this series.

Character: 5/10
Character developments happen so suddenly, not everything is explained to satisfactory, 1-dimensional characters trying hard to look like they are more than just that and etc. They kind of like giving characters weird verbal tics too. From the girl in bottle with a "nanodesu/nanodesuyo", the merchant "jamo" and stuff. Really, it's rather silly.


Art: 6/10
Not too bad, but as I said with story, it seems like it's made for kids under 10. The color is bright and straight up colorful. Always lighthearted even when it gets dark. Quite the feat if I get to say anything. But for those who have seen stuff like Violet Evergarden or just Kino no Tabi, it's really is just a kids' show.

Sound: 7/10
To be fair, the sound effect and sounding overall is rather kiddie. Like those you can find in any kids' show out there. However, the soundtracks have wonderful and at times, powerful melodies. It's funny how something like a kids' show can be so powerful when it comes to soundtracks.

If you are going to pay attention to the details, Merc Storia is rather low in production qualities, that's a fact you can't deny, even if you like it so very much.
However, once you get through that, you will find the kind of heartfelt stories you truly have to go on journeys to actually find. Like the protagonist, Yuu grew through his journey, from a scaredy cat jumping at the sight of a monster to a young man who is able to influence people into seeking their own journey, he grew up so fast, you don't even know exactly when and how he grew up as a character (well, you can, but that's because you can watch back) - going on journeys can help you grow before you know it too. This journey might not need to be an actual journey, you just need to try something new to then one day suddenly feel like you were doing things you never thought you could do.
Or your journey could just be listening to people around you. You will hear bad stuff and tiresome growls a lot. But in the end, if you listen carefully, it's rather heartwarming to almost every one of them.

That's pretty much what happened in Merc Storia. The protagonist Yuu went on a journey and get to see and listen to so many heartwarming story. It's very much like life itself, you pay attention once, you see it dark, but if you pay attention twice, it might be the most beautiful sight you can ever imagine. It's lighthearted. It's the kind of adventure to heal you up. And it's the kind of story that can be easily overlooked.

That's how something so low in production value gets a 9 on Enjoyment and overall scoring from me.

I believe this anime is quite misinterpreted, or rather in a way that doesn't do justice to its own way of conveying meaning, both in terms of the appreciation that a lot of people have of it and in terms of ratings, which are a direct consequence of it.

Merc Storia is maybe not the best structured anime by it's episodic narrative, however it stands out by its formal elements, such as its quality to highlight and develop the different characters playing a role in it. Even though the narrative arcs may seem a bit redundant, the different stories all tackle complex issues and themes, such ... as the ambiguity between consciousness and subconsciousness or the will to transcend physical appearances to attain tolerance, in a relatively interesting way thoughout it's staging and the use of iconography (the "caged bird" being one of the most important exemple) to emphasize these ideas.

On a more technical aspect, Merc Storia unfortunately doesn't really shine by its animation and composition of movements. The movements of the characters in some shots often look sluggish (specifically when the characters are moving in the z-axis), sometimes heavily undermining the credibility of the scenes. Camera movements were a bit clumsy as well, though some shots use interesting techniques such as dolly shots in a curvilinear perspective background to generate depth, which are relatively rare occurrences but still relevant to notice.

One of the other important flaws, one might think, is the fact the main characters, Yuu and Merc, are often relegated to the background in contrast to the other characters. While this is true, I don't think this lack of development of the MCs hinders the appreciation of this anime. The beauty lies in the way the characters are exploring their inner psyche and are looking for their true ambitions, in order to free themselves from their internal and external struggles.

This anime is about internal exploration and making promises, and I think the way it ended empitomized these feelings. Let's not blind ourselves with external prejudices, and let's wholeheartedly accept what this anime is trying to convey to us !