In my life, I've only experienced exuberant mirth once.
I found myself fallen from my chair, gripping the underside of my couch, asphyxiating from laughter, tears streaming down my cheeks as my sides burned in protest. I can truly, without a doubt, say that this show is a one of a kind comedic experience, and was it ever fun.
Savvy, that's what My Bride is a Mermaid is.
Artwork and Animation: 10
My Bride is a Mermaid covers an immense amount of animation styles. Given that it's part parody, many of these styles are directly inspired by other popular and well known series. There are several Jojo inspired bits, Fist of the North Star, Death Note, Naruto, the list goes on and on and on. Pop culture makes an enormous splash here too, with things like the Terminator.
On top of all this, Mermaid manages to have its own style as well, which is rather cutesy and exaggerated, but lends itself well to the comedy. It's very fluid, very fast moving, with lots of GIANT EXPLODING BOLD TEXT, and small details that are easy to overlook that all add up into one massive reference filled laugh fest.
Sound and Voice Acting: 10
This is the definitive English dub experience, truly. An ensemble cast of industry veterans and new voices alike, Mermaid is absolutely riotous with these zany, extremely energetic performances. Todd Haberkorn (FMAB), Alexis Tipton, and Cherami Leigh head up a star studded cast of voice talent, and to great effect. The ubiquitous Monica Rial stands out as Maki, the pint sized, voracious mob assassin; Christopher Sabat as Masa, the smooth talking ladykiller right hand man; and finally John Swasey as Gozaburo Seto: constantly livid, definition-of-rage mob man to name a few other standouts. The voices are incredibly dynamic, engaging, and utterly hilarious, all the time. Never a dull moment with this group.
The OP and ED are great tunes, the ska-surf feel of the intro fits in perfectly with the ocean/sea theme, and the endings are cute.
Characters: 10
Nagasumi Michishio is the quintessential "short-legged, good for nothing, unimpressive" middle school loser. He's got nothing going for him- he's a total klutz, goofy as they come, and has a penchant for getting himself into dangerous situations, which play off more and more hilariously as the series progresses. What he does have going for him, though, is heart. After he's saved from drowning by Sun Seto, his life takes a turn for the crazy, and all manner of undersea mishaps, misunderstandings, and sheer ludicrousity ensue.
Sun is a young mermaid, daughter of super dangerous mob boss Gozaburo Seto. Well meaning, but air-headed, Sun often generates as much trouble for Nagasumi as he does for himself, but she stays true, and is a very heartfelt character. She is often used as a foil for Nagasumi, Lunar, or Gozaburo, but she has plenty of moments to shine on her own, too.
Lunar: diva, pop star, and ferociously possessive to a violent level. She is the definition of cute psycho. One second she's an axe murdering bitch, the next she's an adorably narcissistic moe character. As Japan's biggest pop singer, another lover of Nagasumi's, and new student at school, Lunar adds yet another dimension of insanity to his previously mundane life.
About half the supporting cast get nearly as much screen time as the main trio, but this section would be as long as the entire review if I went through all of them individually.
Story: 9
The basis for My Bride is a Mermaid is a subversion of the Shotgun Wedding. One misunderstanding piled on top of another typically form the crux of the conflict in this show, and while many RomComs follow an episodic style, Mermaid went with a full 26 episode story arc. While it goes off on some tangents, it's never unpleasant, because it's just so dang funny.
One thing leads to another, and after Nagasumi is rescued by Sun, he's presented with an ultimatum: die, or... die. Under mermaid law, if any human sees them in their fish form, they're to be killed. Either that, or the mermaid who allowed their-self to be seen must be put to death... but when your dad is the most feared mob boss under the seas, that's not likely. There is a third option, however. The third option is that they get married.
Soon, Nagasumi's previously boring middle school existence is uprooted when his life is invaded by an entire mob family from under the sea, to uproarious results. They take over his school, his house, all aspects of his life- trying desperately (but failing) to kill him before this wedding happens. Thankfully for Nagasumi, the one thing he's good at is miraculously being able to avoid being eaten, chopped up, blown up, shot, stabbed, or otherwise destroyed. Let the games begin.
Enjoyment: 10
I'm no stranger to comedies, holding Seinfeld in the highest regard, but I have never seen a show before that has so consistently made me laugh so hard that I cried. There was not one episode that I didn't at least chuckle at. Full blown side clutching, tears streaming down were a common occurrence. I can't award enough points in enjoyment. The humor really clicked with me, and I've seen just enough film and anime to get a majority of the parodical elements, which really made the experience that much richer.
The Branchial Respiration Brothers Jojo remix.
Lunar's Papa, The Terminator.
The pop culture parody and clever satire, nobody is safe!
The PUNS.
My Bride is a Mermaid has everything comedy. Despite being in a genre known only for its schlock, Mermaid breaks free of the Rom-Com mold by being FUNNY! A breath of fresh air from the other so called comedies, this one knows when to play it straight, when to lay everything out on the table, when to jump Shark Fujishiro, and how to take the laughter to stratospheric levels.
Overall: 10
As an homage to the 80s Yakuza film craze, Mermaid starts out with a lot of comedic value. Taken further by the undersea theme- there's a TON of fodder with all the sea creature jokes and funnies. Mafias made up entirely of mermaids and fish? It's wacky, it's crazy, and it's SO much fun. Every moment is a favorite, it's endlessly quotable, and there's something that everyone will recognize and laugh at here.
Recommend?
Absolutely. As far as animated comedies go, this is my #1, forever. Overall, this one might beat out Seinfeld on a good day. It's really that funny.
