I am constantly astounded by the fact that there is no end to the number of stories that Takahashi Rumiko can create within her "Mermaid's World". Still more astounding is the fact that I never tire of reading her stories. Yuta and Mana are back and are still looking for a way to become human again. Or at least, that much is implied. After reading so many of the MERMAID stories, Takahashi has lost sight of their original goal; to cure the curse of the mermaid's flesh and become normal, aging, mortals again. It seems as though our ageless pair are wandering for wandering's sake. But this reader is happy as long as they encounter some interesting event along the way.
This volume compiles the entire MERMAID'S MASK and MERMAID'S GAZE stories into one book. Each storyline is a standalone plot, and requires no previous background other than the original MERMAID story line which ran in the first few issues of Animerica. It is said that the flesh of a mermaid is a deadly poison: the molecules of the body are actually rearranged after eating it. Some people are able to become immortal after the ordeal, some people become monsters called Lost Souls, but most die a horrible, painful death. Yuta is a fisherman who ate the mermaid's flesh five hundred years ago. Of the fishermen who ate it, Yuta was the only one to survive. Mana was taken as a child by a tribe of mermaids and fed the flesh. The mermaid tribe intended to eat her afterwards. Fortunately, Yuta saved Mana from that fate. The two now wander the world looking for a way to become normal again.
In MERMAID'S GAZE, Yuta returns to a town where he once worked. He discovers to his shock that there is someone who looks much like a person from his ancient past still alive in town. And what is more, it does not look like he has aged at all. Yuta suspects that this person, Shingo, may have eaten the mermaid's flesh. Shingo is a very violent person who blamed all his troubles on his sister, Akiko. Akiko took all the blame upon herself because when they were younger, Akiko accidentally put out one of Shingo's eyes. But Shingo's atrocities were beyond control, and Akiko decided one day to commit suicide and take her brother along with her. She fed them both the flesh of the mermaid hoping to claim their lives. Unfortunately, it did not work. Shingo lived, and Akiko was frozen, never aging and never moving. Shingo, in a fit of rage removed one of her eyes to use as his own. But the image of his enraged self was forever burned into her eye, and he lived with this image for many years. And Shingo has continued his rampage throughout the years. Yuta must resolve this problem so that Akiko may finally be able to rest in peace.
In MERMAID'S MASK, Mana and Yuta meet a remarkable young boy named Nanao. Nanao has a special medicine which can heal any wounds that he has. Yuta believes it is connected to the mermaid's flesh, and they decide to follow him back home. They discover another person who has eaten the mermaid's flesh. But the conversion was imperfect, and the person must change faces every once in awhile to live in society. It is a twisted plot that is very similar to the MERMAID'S SCAR story line.
Despite the fact that I still love reading these MERMAID stories, I am beginning to wonder if Takahashi will ever resolve the story? The stories are becoming a little repetetive. After all, how many variations on the effects of the mermaid's flesh can be imagined? Knowing how long Takahashi can draw out a story, I fear that I will never see the conclusion of the Mermaid series unless I live a lot longer. Unlike the previous collected volumes, this one is not required reading. Money would be better spent on the MERMAID'S SCAR compilation. MERMAID'S GAZE is really only for die-hard Takahashi collectors, those who must own everything she has created. Casual fans should not feel the need to bother with it.

Copyright © 1996 Takahashi Rumiko / Shogakukan Inc.
MERMAID'S GAZE is a trademark of Viz Communications, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
English Adaptation by Matt Thorn.
$15.95 USA