Ningyo Series

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Honestly, all of these short stories are interesting and could be very promising, but... they never amounted to anything.

It's kind of that formula "monster of the week" (which in this version it's like "villain of the week"), but without a bigger villain or bigger... plot?

The MCs don't have a common goal, in fact, they don't have a goal at all. Mana and Yuta teamed up because, well, she had nowhere to go and apparently neither did he? But like... they have nothing in common. And this could've been better explored, but oh well... no time for character development when we have to create a brand ... new villain every week, huh? lol

No wonder this was "cancelled". But really, if Rumiko wanted to, she could've made this into a GREAT story.

TL;DR: the Ningyo series doesn't necessarily offer anything particularly new or exciting, but is still a series that I really really enjoyed.

L;DR:
I've been a fan of Rumiko Takahashi for a while and I decided to read her mermaid series which I had heard so much on. It seems to have a pretty interesting reputation, with people either disliking it greatly or liking it a lot. After the first few chapters it was clear to me that I fell on the "like" side of the spectrum, so here's my review!

I can understand why Mermaid Saga is not one of Takahashi's more acclaimed works. It definitely has ... flaws, yes. But for some reason, I'm really quite attached to it. It's not particularly strong in any one area. Like, the characters. There isn't that much to say about the characters. Yuta is... a guy. And apparently a girl magnet too because holy crap homeboy has had a lot of side flings. Mana is... a girl. The side characters don't stay long enough to matter. But the characters are good enough, and what made me like this manga so much wasn't the characters, but the story itself.

It's not supremely original, or the most action-busting series out there. But it really has its moments. I found myself getting deeply attached to each of the stories in the Mermaid Saga, with a few almost making me cry. Takahashi takes the basic premise and manages to create interesting, haunting mini-stories with fair amounts of intrigue to keep my attention. There's also just enough suspense to make even these immortal characters seem like they are in danger.

I binged the entire series in about one sitting because I couldn't put it down. Oh, I wish there was more to Mermaid Saga than these few chapters. With more time, I think Takahashi could have built up the characters more and given the whole thing an overarching plot with a more conclusive ending. But, maybe it is for the best that it is as short as it is. Mermaid saga is short, sweet, and much more concise than Inuyasha ever was.

For the art, it's some of the more classic Rumiko Takahashi art. It reminds me of her art style in Ranma 1/2, which was my favorite era for her anyway. I also thought there were some really excellent character designs in here. Okay, Yuta and Mana were nothing special, but I liked the design of the Lost Souls as well as some side characters that appear (especially Shingo).

Should you read it? That's a tough question. If you're really a Rumiko Takahashi fan, I think you would find some merit out of this and perhaps enjoy it as much as I did. Or, if you're just looking for a short series to fill in the gaps of your long-running Shōnen, Mermaid saga is a good choice. You definitely don't need to binge it, each story is a few chapters and fits nicely in between arcs of other manga (I assume, at least. Like I said... I binged it!). I may not have come out of this experience as a new, enlightened being, but I certainly did enjoy my time with Mermaid Saga, and maybe you will, too.

Mermaid Saga – Spoiler Free – Mixed Feelings

TLDR
Overall: 5/10

Disclaimer: due to the nature of this work – a collection of short stories –, my normal parameters of Story, Art, Characters and Enjoyment with a weighted average won’t be applied. Instead, a global overview will be offered.

Mermaid Saga is a short manga – 3 volumes long – about mermaids and the power that they hold, for they are immortal; moreover, consuming mermaid flesh also makes others immortal as well. This is basically a collection of short stories about this topic, with two fixed main characters – Yuta and Mana – who have become immortal due to ... the consumption of the mermaid's flesh.
Although the premise isn't all that bad, the execution is just absolutely average: most stories have the same exact tropes and can be reduced to a simple scheme: main characters arrive at a place, someone wants to consume a mermaid’s flesh or wants someone to consume it for them, the main characters warned them that the consumption of mermaid flesh only very rarely brings about immortality and in most cases you just become a monster called a “Lost Soul”, and they eat the flesh all the same.
As a result, the stories become uninteresting and quite dull, although they are not that bad.
Although the art style isn't that great and is somewhat outdated, it is nevertheless quite functional. Scenarios, backgrounds, and landscapes aren't his strongest suit, however. There are some gorish representations as well, but nothing too surreal.
The two main characters become somewhat annoying because their only actions are exactly the same throughout the several stories, which becomes quite boring. They don’t seem to have a personality of their own, with the exception of being immortal.
Mermaid Saga is a grim reminder that not all episodic stories are worth telling, especially if they are repetitive and dull. However, it is somewhat enjoyable – I repeat: somewhat – and a quick read. Because they aren’t bad, but because they aren’t good as well, they fit the mixed feelings stamp better.