r/MermaidMelody

For some reason to me Lukia idol outfit looks the most similar Hanon, in fact only difference are their Lukia’s skirt is smaller and she doesn’t wear gloves.

I can understand Noel and Caren having similar outfits since they are twin princess, but why does Lukia look similar to one her mom’s closest’s friends, were the people that made Aqua lazy?

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Mermaid melody being my first ever anime at around the age of 6-7 I liked the anime and was pretty obsessed with it my whole life but never realized how distorted my memories and opinions were, I'm so glad I finally decided to re watch it and finished both seasons last week.

First of all, I owe the biggest apology for my baddie Rina. As a kid I remembered her being very cold and boring (which was only half true for like one episode) after the rewatch she became one of my top favorites, what a great and well written character (arguably the best written in the show).

And speaking of favorite characters, oh my god the trio of Karen noel and coco was a gem for me. This might be an unpopular opinion but season 2 was the peak of mermaid melody and tops season 1. Noel and coco were so funny and brought out Karen silly side (which was a complete shift from s1, she did feel like a different character entirely). They made the series feel much more lighter and fun

The ROMANCE !!!! Rina and masahiros relationship, PEAK !!! Nagisa and hanon were also very very sweet. Most of all i know most people are mad about this plot point but I absolutely loved kaito being away from luchia. Luchia had such a character development there, seeing her dealing with kaito and mikaru she handled everything very maturely and still kept being kind besides everything and yet she still has her breaking points and felt very humane. I personally never cared much for kaito and luchias relationship so just seeing her being on her own for a while was refreshing for me and the other girls relationships were so much more engaging and emotional, especially considering that they had to deal with the topic of having to say goodbye one day unlike luchia.

My only down side to s2 were the villains, I missed the dark lovers so much. Sheshe and Mimi's conclusion also broke my heart

Overall I truly cannot tell if this is just my love for the series and bias talking, if a stranger to mermaid melody went on to watch i can't imagine they'd be able to tolerate it for more than 5 episodes. But I love it now more than ever before.

I'm so surprised by how fun and great all the characters were, I wish Sarah's backstory was adapted into the anime and that the ka-no-co trio had more screen time. But for a supposedly "kids" show it managed to draw me in even after so long.

Now I'm on to read the manga to complete the experience since I've heard there some big differences there for better or worse. (No I will not read aqua)

This was a long post, if you read it so far or just happened to jump here please let me know what was your opinion if you also got to rewatch it during your adulthood and what changed for you :)

I'd like to ask the opinion of Mermaid Melody merchandising experts. What do you think about the Takara Luchia doll wearing the mermaid outfit?

I am an Italian collector of Japanese dolls from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. I own hundreds of dolls, have been collecting for more than twenty years, and consider myself quite knowledgeable in the field. My parents lived and worked in Japan, I speak Japanese, and I know experienced doll collectors from all over the world, including Italy, Europe, the United States, Korea, and especially Japan.

As far as I know, Takara only produced the idol version of the Luchia doll, and there is no known prototype or commercial test version featuring the mermaid outfit. However, I have come across photos of a boxed and sealed Luchia doll wearing a mermaid outfit that appears to be a Licca mermaid dress.

My opinion, which is shared by the experienced Japanese collectors I have consulted, is that this is simply an idol-version Luchia doll that was redressed with a Licca mermaid outfit and then repackaged by a collector, who later resold it at very high prices. It seems that only one such example exists—the repackaged doll itself—which has changed hands multiple times. Japanese collectors purchased it believing it to be a rare mermaid version, but after discovering that it was merely a repackaged Luchia doll wearing a Licca outfit, they resold it, often at high prices, in order to recover their money.

This is not just my personal opinion; it is also the view of the experienced Japanese collectors I have spoken with.

Furthermore, Takara would not have been able to use a Licca dress on a different doll line with separate licensing agreements due to licensing restrictions. What appears to have happened is that some confusion arose because a photograph from a Mandarake sales flyer featuring this mermaid-version doll was published, leading people to believe it was a rare prototype. However, as Japanese collectors explained to me, the image is simply from a Mandarake sales catalog, possibly because that particular doll had passed through Mandarake at some point. The description does not identify it as a prototype doll; rather, it only notes that its appearance resembles Mermaid Luchia from the anime. In addition, although the listed price may seem high, it is actually quite low for a genuinely rare prototype.

As a collector, I have often seen Takara dolls that were repackaged with Licca or Jenny outfits and then mistaken in Western markets for extremely rare dolls or previously unknown variants. I also own several genuine prototypes of anime dolls aimed at girls, and those prototypes have original outfits specifically created for them. I also own test dolls, which likewise feature original clothing or clothing from the same licensed product line.

What are your thoughts on this?