A Little Mermaid Among Us - the 1970 animated series

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A little mermaid among us (original title Mahō no Mako-chan 魔法のマコちゃん) is a Japanese anime series produced by Toei Animation. The story is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale "The Little Mermaid". It ran from 1970 to 1971 on Nippon Educational TV (NET), later renamed TV Asahi. In Italy the animated series was broadcast by Italia 1 in 1988 and later replicated by Rete 4, Junior TV and local broadcasters.

What the series is about?

Ginny (Mako in the original) is a mermaid and the youngest daughter of the Dragon King. She longs for the human world despite it being forbidden by her father. One stormy night, she rescues a human boy from a wrecked ship and falls in love with him. She Ginny makes a deal with the sea witch and is transformed into a human high school girl, with the condition that she can never go back to being a mermaid. Thanks to the magical pendant called “The Life of a Mermaid”, Ginny meets many people and has many experiences as she learns what it means to be human, searching for the young man she saved.

As a human, Ginny is taken in by the stern Mr. Urashima. Urashima is a strict zoologist who lost his daughter many years ago. He lives next to two mischievous twins, Taro and Jiro, who fall in love with Ginny. By the third episode, Ginny is enrolled at the local high school, Karatachi Academy. Here she makes friends with, among others, Haruko and Bancho, and becomes the rival of the rich girl, Tomiko Tomita. At the beginning of the series, Ginny has some encounters with the young man she saved, known as Alex Shigeno. Alex is a wanderer, always changing jobs and never staying in one place. Even though Alex is looking for the "mermaid who saved his life", Ginny can't reveal his true identity.

Two years pass before Ginny and Alex meet again. It is during this encounter that he begins to suspect that Ginny was indeed the person who saved him that fateful night. As Ginny and Alex grow closer, the Dragon King is confronted by God, enraged that his daughter is in the human world. God orders the King to take Ginny back to sea. He refuses and is punished. On a cruise, Alex tells Ginny that he doesn't clearly remember the person who saved him, but comments that her scent is similar. Eventually, he makes her grab his wrist, and he realizes that she was actually the one who saved him. Meanwhile, God unleashes his wrath, causing a volcano to erupt, which threatens to kill Ginny, Alex and his classmates. Ginny tearfully renounces her love for humanity and Alex, throwing herself into the sea. God's wrath subsides and the Dragon King is freed, using his power to stop the calamity. Alex and Ginny reunite briefly, and her father looks on happily.

Some time later, Alex quits his job on the cruise ship and Ginny loses contact with him. She later finds out that she works as a racing driver. Ginny is disturbed to see how much Alex has changed, becoming vain and only interested in money and fame. Alex insists that he is still the same person, but she doesn't believe it. Around that time, a gorilla escapes from a zoo and causes chaos in the surrounding area. Unable to use her magic, Ginny is saved by Alex, who however is seriously injured while protecting her. As she lies dying in hospital from her injuries, Ginny tries to use her pendant to save him. Her father intervenes, saying that “The Life of a Mermaid” cannot save a human life. Heartbroken, Ginny throws herself into the sea, swimming to the bottom of the ocean. She wants to die at the same time Alex dies. Their spirits meet and Alex asks who he really is. Ginny replies: “I'm Ginny. A human being born from the foam, and who returns to the foam to love you." The Dragon King tries to save Ginny, but is stopped by the sea witch. She tells him that Ginny is no longer his daughter, but a human girl. She tells the Dragon King that if she saves Ginny, then Alex should save him too. The Dragon King does.

The next morning Ginny wakes up in the hospital, where Mr. Urashima tells her that a miracle happened and Alex survived. Ginny thanks her father and tearfully reunites with Alex. In the epilogue, Alex decides to work as a sailor, just like his late father. He understands that this is the best job for him to become a real man. Ginny is happy for him and asks him to throw her pendant into the sea when she leaves Japan. She realizes that she can no longer rely on it, but rather on those around her. Ginny says goodbye to the sea and her pendant, but she knows it's not goodbye to Alex. The Dragon King and the Sea Witch watch, realizing that Ginny has finally become truly human. As Ginny looks out to sea, an image of her father fades away

Characters from the Series

Ginny (Mako Urashima): 15-year-old mermaid who transforms into a human for Alex's sake. She is the youngest daughter of the King of the Seven Seas or Dragon King. Found on “Pearl Beach” by zoologist Savio Masten, she is adopted as her granddaughter and attends the Karatachi Institute. She uses a magical jewel, “Spirit of the Mermaids”, to solve problems and search for Alex.
Ghiri and Goro (Jiro and Taro): Eight-year-old twins, Ginny's neighbors. They treat a little bear like a guard dog and consider Ginny as their big sister.
Saveria (Twins' Mother): Mother of Ghiri and Goro. Stereotype of the gossipy woman who loves soap operas.
Savio Masten (Old Urashima): Zoologist who finds Ginny on the beach and adopts her. He loves her like a daughter but he can be very strict with her.
King of the Seven Seas or Dragon King (Pope): Ginny's father who can take human form to help and scold his daughter. Despite initial resistance, he allows Ginny to follow her heart.
Queen of the Seven Seas (Mama): Ginny's mother, understanding and protective. She gives Ginny the “Spirit of the Mermaids”.
Sea Witch (Obaba): Advisor to the Dragon King and the one who helps Ginny become human. He watches over her and protects her.
Alex (Akira Shigeno): Sailor saved by Ginny when his ship sinks. Throughout the series, he searches for the mysterious savior and slowly falls in love with Ginny.
Camilla (Haruko): Ginny's close friend and classmate.
Tozzetto and Grissino (Banchou and Senkichi): Ginny's classmates. Tozzetto secretly falls in love with Ginny, while Grissino is her faithful minion.
Vanilla Johnson (Tomiko): Ginny's rich and haughty rival at school, supported by her influential mother, head of the PTA.
Prof. Pizzetti (Mr. Dabagon): Literature teacher at the Karatachi Institute.
Donut Bear: Bear owned by Ghiri and Goro.
Chico monkey: Animal given to Ginny by Savio. He accompanies her on her adventures.