Aonagi Island is a small, remote island a few hours by boat from the mainland. It has a population of about 300. Most young people leave the island, but Wataru, a young man who stayed behind, works as a fisherman with his grandparents. Having lost his parents at a young age, the sea was the only place where Wataru could find peace of mind. One morning after a storm, he finds a mermaid collapsed in a cove where no one ever ventures.

Mermaid Legend of the Island

"The Silver Scale"

Silver scales are sometimes found on the beach at dawn. The one who picks them up will be blessed with a bountiful catch, but if they sell them or brag about them, not a single fish will be caught that year. That is why the island's fishermen silently return them to the sea even if they find them.

Mermaid Biology

Scientific name (Common name): Umibito (Sea People)

They do not have the appearance of a human upper body and a fish lower body, but are creatures that change their form depending on the situation. ・In the sea, they take a full mermaid form (tail fin) ・In shallow water, they can transform into legs ・If they stay on land for a long time, abnormalities occur in their bodies They are long-lived, grow slowly in appearance, and hardly age. They have both lungs and gills. They can live on land, but if they do not enter the sea for more than three days, their skin begins to dry, scales peel off, and it becomes life-threatening.

Reproduction

They never change their mate for life once they have paired through love. Only one child is born every few decades. Therefore, the population is extremely small, with only a few dozen existing even in the waters around Japan. Males are also capable of pregnancy.

Love

Mermaids fall in love only once in their lifetime. They call their partner "Bancho" (Tide Companion), and that bond lasts for life. If they lose their partner, they will never choose a new one.

Mermaid Legends "When you fall in love with a human, your scales scatter." When a mermaid falls in love with a human, their scales gradually peel off. When the last one falls, they become human... return to the sea... become foam... what happens depends on the partner's feelings. Even the mermaids themselves do not know the outcome.