OBSCURE O.V.A.S, *Mermaid's Forest

Mermaid's Forest was the last of the Rumik World OVA series based on the works of Rumiko Takahashi, the title of which was later turned into a full manga series titled Mermaid Saga. The manga first got this one-shot animated by Studio Pastel which after Rumik World got a sequel years later by Madhouse titled Mermaid's Scar, and then an entire anime TV series of the same name. This was so far one of the most bloodthirsty of all Takahashi's works pulling together body horror with brilliant character details. The original Mermaid's Forest OVA became America's first real glimpse into J-horror as it was released on VHS dubbed and subtitled plus LD through U.S. Manga Corps.

According to legends in this world, eating the flesh of a mermaid can either instantly kill you or give you immortality. Yuta was the only survivor from a group of fishermen who tested this when they caught a mermaid some 500 years prior. At some point he comes across a girl blessed with the same eternal life named Mana, and the two of them tour around modern Japan like The Fugitive. They get separated in a place referred to as Mermaid Forest where a diseased girl was fed mermaid blood by her twin sister decades ago. Mana is to be sacrificed for this cursed immortal with a monster hand, but a twist later in the story reveals who the true villain is. In the end, Yuta and Mana continue their ongoing mission leading into Mermaid's Scar.

This is not the slow-burn horror that Laughing Target as it begins with pure bloody murder and visceral imagery. The plight of immortality is on display in how it affects others as both a curse and a blessing. Rumiko Takahashi's evolution aa a storyteller is apparent here as she isn't limited to doing only zany rom-coms. Mermaid's Forest is fruitful enough as a stand-alone horror story, but knowing it's the beginning of a longer history should convince first time watchers into wanting to continue the saga.