Fantasy creatures have always been prominent throughout media, and mermaids are often some of the most popular. Many seaworthy stories feature these mythical beings, and even anime has made a splash with a good mermaid series or two over the years. Anime mermaids are unlike any other out there, coming in many different forms.
While some are close to the traditional merfolk of fairytales, many combine with anime’s unique genres and themes, creating something completely new. But whether they stick to the classics or not, anime mermaids are iconic and beloved by fans. With their colorful designs, beautiful voices, and unique backstories, they’ve managed to swim right into the hearts of all viewers.
10/10 Mako Is One Of Anime’s Old-School Mermaids
Mahou no Mako-Chan
Mermaids have been a part of anime for longer than some may realize. Some of the earliest series featuring these mythical beauties are now decades old. This includes an old-school magical girl series many have forgotten, Mahou no Mako-chan.
Loosely inspired by the famous fairytale The Little Mermaid, this series stars a young siren named Mako. After she falls in love with a human boy, Mako makes a deal with a sea witch and gains the power to become human herself with a mysterious pendant. Now living in the human world, Mako uses her magical pendant to help those around her and save the day.
9/10 Shirahoshi Is A Giant Mermaid Princess
One Piece
Considering One Piece is a story centered around pirates and traveling the open sea, it only makes sense for the series to have a few mermaids, including one very powerful mermaid princess. Shirahoshi is a giant smelt-whiting mermaid, as well as the princess of the Ryugu Kingdom.
As Neptune’s youngest daughter, she’s been guarded all her life and knows very little about the outside world. As a result, she’s very meek and fragile despite her size and tends to cry at the drop of a hat. Shirahoshi may be a crybaby, but she has incredible power. She’s the current incarnation of the Ancient Weapon Poseidon, making her one of the most powerful beings in the series.
8/10 Isaki Falls In Love With The Human He Saves
This Boy Caught A Merman
While mermaids are definitely more prominent throughout anime, there are still a few mermen here and there. This Boy Caught a Merman is a brief, one-episode OVA featuring the love story between a human named Shima and a beautiful merman prince named Isaki.
After Isaki discovers Shima grieving the loss of his grandfather, he decides to help him, offering to stay by his side as support. This act of kindness forms an unusual bond between the two as Shima and Isaki slowly begin to fall in love. But because they come from two completely different worlds, their love almost seems destined to end in tragedy.
7/10 Marina’s Tragic Story Stays True To The Original Fairytale
Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid
The 1975 anime film Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid is a re-telling of the classic story everyone has heard before. But unlike other interpretations of this beloved fairytale, this version doesn’t sugarcoat things with a happy ending. Just like the original story, the film is a tragic tale of star-crossed lovers that isn’t afraid to get dark.
It centers around Marina, a beautiful young mermaid princess who risks it all after falling in love with a human boy she rescues. Marina’s story is one of the saddest versions of The Little Mermaid out there, but it remains one of the most beautiful and compelling to this day.
6/10 Wakasa Lives In A Human Bathtub
Merman In My Tub
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Merman in my Tub is exactly what it sounds like. This unique series centers around a young man named Tatsumi, whose life changes forever after he discovers a merman named Wakasa collapsed on the shore one day. Feeling sorry for him, Tatsumi decides to bring Wakasa home, allowing him to stay in his bathtub.
From then on, Wakasa becomes Tatsumi’s permanent roommate, completely turning the place upside down. Though he can be a bit of a nuisance, Wakasa’s carefree attitude and innocence lighten up Tatsumi’s life and bring excitement and fun to the series.
5/10 Muromi Is Takuro’s Energetic New Mermaid Friend
Muromi-San
Muromi-san is the story of an average boy name Takuro, who loves to spend his time fishing on the pier. However, one day he reels in something that changes his life forever. Rather than the usual fish, Takuro catches a cute and energetic mermaid named Muromi.
After their chance encounter, Muromi becomes stuck on Takuro like glue. Determined to learn more about the human world, she becomes his new best friend and drags him into all sorts of crazy adventures. Though Takuro is hardly a willing participant in her antics, his life certainly becomes much more exciting with Muromi around.
4/10 Lu Forms A Special Bond With A Human Boy Named Kai
Lu Over The Wall
Lu Over The Wall is one of the best mermaid stories to come out in recent years. It centers around a boy named Kai, who has a strong connection to the legends of merfolk that surrounded Hinashi Town. This connection comes to a head when his music attracts Lu, a young mermaid girl with incredible power.
Though she’s strange and mysterious, it doesn’t take long for Kai to see that Lu is a kindhearted being who just wants to be loved and accepted by others. Together, they form an unlikely bond that defies the age-old divide between the humans of Hinashi Town and the merfolk.
3/10 Laura Travels To The Human World In Search Of The Precure
Tropical-Rouge! Pretty Cure
With so many variations of the Pretty Cure franchise, it’s no surprise they’ve finally introduced mermaids into the story. In Tropical-Rouge! Precurea group of young girls make an amazing discovery when they encounter Laura, a pretty, purple mermaid searching for the legendary Precure warriors.
She recruits protagonist Natsumi Manatsu and her friends, and together they transform into the Pretty Cure in order to save Grand Ocean, Laura’s magical home. Together with the help of the rest of the Cures, Laura fights to protect her world from the Witch of Delays.
2/10 Lucia Is A Mermaid Princess & A Magical Idol
Mermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch
Mermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch is one of anime’s most famous mermaid stories, and as a result, the series’ protagonist, Lucia Nanami, is one of the most well-known anime mermaids of all time. She’s the princess of the North Pacific Ocean and the keeper of the pink pearl. With this pearl, she has the power of song, transforming into a magical idol and using her voice to ward off evil.
Lucia saved a young boy named Kaito when she was a child, and she’s been in love with him ever since. Now that she’s older, Lucia has left her oceanic home for the human world in search of the boy she loves so much.
1/10 Ponyo Is The Most Popular Anime Mermaid
Ponyo
Though it’s far from the typical mermaid tale, Ponyo is easily the most popular mermaid anime of all time. Its young titular protagonist is a favorite among fans of all ages. Based on The Little Mermaidthis beloved Studio Ghibli film follows the remarkable friendship between two young children, a human boy named Sosuke and a curious fish girl named Ponyo.
After escaping the ocean to live with her new friend, Ponyo begins to discover the world around her and dreams of nothing more than becoming human, too. However, it won’t be easy, as Ponyo’s magic interferes with the natural world, leaving it up to her and Sosuke to fix everything and save their home.