Ningyo no Mori

Eating a mermaid’s flesh is said to grant eternal life, but immortality can become a curse. Yuta has wandered for centuries, searching for a mermaid who can free him from it, and along the way he meets Mana, another immortal seeking a normal life. As they travel through Japan, Yuta and Mana encounter people who have eaten mermaid flesh in hopes of living forever. The substance affects everyone differently: some die, while others become savage monsters known as “lost souls.” This collection brings together three tales—“A Mermaid Never Smiles,” “The Village of the Fighting Fish,” and “Mermaid Forest”—centered on Yuta’s search for a cure.