Seto no Hanayome

File:Cit anidb seto no hanayome.jpg

Do not let the above image fool you. It's far from serious.

Please laugh along. This is the beginning of young love.

While on a visit to his grandmother's, a schoolboy named Nagasumi nearly drowns in the sea. Before passing out, he catches a glimpse of a young mermaid. Nagasumi is found on the rocks, but no one believes his mermaid story... until that young girl, Sun Seto, appears at his home, asking Nagasumi to take responsibility for what happened by marrying her. Turns out that saving him broke the mermaid code of secrecy and one of them must be executed to preserve it, so Sun chose a third option by proposing marriage.

Unfortunately, Sun is also the daughter of a mermaid Yakuza clan, and her fiercely-overprotective father and several other clan members are not happy with the engagement and would rather just have him killed and be done with it. And there is also the matter of keeping it a secret that Sun is a mermaid as she starts attending his school. Then of course there's the matter of Sun's pint sized body guard who would like nothing better than to murder Nagasumi. Oh, and Sun's family decide it's a great idea to off some of the staff at Nagasumi's school and take their place so they can better watch Nagasumi. Do we really have to say it?

The manga started in 2002, ending in 2010 with 16 Volumes. A 26-episode TV series aired in early 2007, and a set of two OVAs followed.

The anime has been licensed by FUNimation under the title My Bride is a Mermaid. All 26 episodes of the anime, both subbed and dubbed, can be seen at Funimation's site here and here. The full series is available on DVD.

A character sheet for this series is under construction.

Tropes used in Seto no Hanayome include:

• Abuse Is Okay When It Is Female On Male: Subverted. Abuse of any kind is Played for Laughs and someone "will" call them out on it and stop them.
• Accidental Pervert: In episode 3, both Sun and Nagasumi walk in on each other within the space of 24 hours. Nagasumi winds up with broken ear drums (and an unwarranted reputation of being a deliberate pervert) both times.
• A Day in the Limelight: Episode 17 dealt with Akeno. Nagasumi and Sun notice they didn't get many lines on this one.
  • Episode 15 focuses mostly on the class president, who up until this point was largely a minor character.
  • Episode 24 hilariously gives the spotlight to Mikawa and his terminal illness.
• Adults Are Useless: All the adult authority figures, barring Masa-san and Ren Seto (Sun's mother).
  • Parodied with the (remaining) school teachers during the club gang war. While the school becomes a war zone they make small talk as if truly unaware of it.
• Affectionate Parody: Episode 10, which introduces Lunar's dad, is a parody of Terminator 2. Lunar's dad himself is a parody/ShoutOut to Ah-nuld.
• Annoying Younger Sibling: The OVAs introduce Satori, Saru's kid sister. Sun bonds with her over a love of action movies, and after Nagasumi rescues her from a collapsing theater, even she begins to think he's extremely manly.
  • She actually appears much earlier in the manga.
• Another Side Another Story, Perspective Flip: In the Manga, Chapter 59, "Yakuza Wives: Conclusion" retells part of the first chapter from Sun and the Seto group's perspective.
• Art Evolution: In the Manga, Kimura Tahiko's art style notably changed over the series' run. Compare this, to this, and again to this. It's almost hard to believe these were drawn by the same person.
• Art Shift: Done fairly often by Nagasumi, into a semblance of Fist of the North Star (see Battle Aura below).
  • Also done by people swooning over Masa.
    • Sun seems to have noticed that, too.
  • The characters spend almost as much time art-shifted as they do in normal style; this applies especially to Nagasumi.
  • At the very end of episode 26, Nagasumi seems to have permanently shifted into his Fist of the North Star persona, at least until the OVA.
• Badass: Most of the Seto clan.
• Barehanded Blade Block: Lunar's dad does this to Mikawa's blade in episode 10, with just a couple of fingers. Then he snaps the tip off before delivering a Megaton Punch to Mikawa.
• Battle Aura: Like so.
  • Doesn't it remind you of a certain end of the century anime with a thug that has a mohawk?
• Battle Discretion Shot: Nagasumi fighting off all the San and Lunar fans during their singing duel. Seems they ran out of money to stage an epic fight scene so everyone was drawn as stick figures.
• Bedmate Reveal - In the middle of episode 7, which introduces Luna.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Sun is generally a nice person, but if you tick her off, usually by picking on Nagasumi, watch yourself.
  • In episode 18, after getting caught spraying water on Akeno/Nagasumi, Sun gives Maki a very stern lecture. Maki seems genuinely scared during that scene.
• BFG: Several. This show loves 'em.
  • Kai once whipped out a missile launcher from nowhere for personal defense.
  • Ren Seto shot her husband with a rocket launcher.
  • The leading gangster of the run-down school in the OVA curb-stomped powered-up Nagasumi with an RPG-7.
• Big Bad: Though the series doesn't really need one for most of it's run, it's eventually revealed that Yoshio's the one who sent Akino to evaluate the Seto gang in an attempt to break up Sun and Nagasumi, so that he can have her for himself, and even then he doesn't make an appearance until the last two episodes.
• Big Damn Heroes: Two examples in the last episode. The first by the sub driven by Mikawa, which crashes into Yoshio's underwater palace and allows Sun's family (and Lunar's papa) to escape to do theirs to help Nagasumi a few moments later.
  • Sun does one in episode 13 to stop Lunar's marriage to Nagasumi.
• Birds of a Feather: Saturn and Maruko. Both had Sun as their only friend when they were children. Both absolutely hate Nagasumi with a passion for daring to marry her (and as such take her away from them). It's no wonder they quickly became allies.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing / Manipulative Bitch: Firstly, we're introduced to Maki, who acts cutesy towards Sun (she even has the tone and Verbal Tic of Suiseiseki's). However, aside from Sun and her boss (Sun's dad), she is very hostile towards everyone else, ESPECIALLY Nagasumi.
  • Then, Lunar makes her entrance, and we don't have to wait long to know that her cute persona on stage is merely a facade.
  • Both of them mellow out somewhat as the series goes along.
  • Maki as "Chibi Lunar-Chan", subtly points out Lunar's flaws in episode 22 while she's putting on her ventriloquist act. They both get into an argument, then end up fighting each other hilariously. Amazingly, the class still thinks Lunar is just putting on a good ventriloquism act.
• Blatant Lies: "Shibazaki-sensei is... ON MATERNITY LEAVE!"
• Blind Without'Em: The class president. Because she changed her looks in episode 15, after Nagasumi accidentally stepped on her glasses, neither one of them are able to recognize each other.
• Blue with Shock: Happens to several characters, usually Nagasumi. Sun's in this mode in almost all of episode 16 when Akeno first shows up.
• Brain Bleach: Everyone needs this when Lunar's dad starts going around in a sailor fuku.
• Brand X: "Ningyonet Explorer". Did we mention mermaids have their own online shopping service?
• Breast Sponge: The whole Unwanted Harem tries to go for this at once in the episode where Nagasumi is super-attractive to women (more so than usual, that is).
• Butt Monkey: Several examples:
  • Nagasumi to Sun's dad, most of her gang (except Ren and Masa), Lunar, and his parents.
  • Sun's dad towards Sun, and especially his wife Ren.
  • Chimp/Saru with practically everyone, but usually Nagasumi.
  • Maki makes Lunar one in episode 22.
  • Lunar's dad to Lunar. She almost never approves of anything he does.
  • Nagasumi's dad to most of the cast, but especially his wife, who's made it quite clear that she's in love with Masa more than him.
• Calling Your Attacks: Mermaid songs.
• The Cameo: Goku from Dragonball Z appears in the background of a scene in Episode 18.
  • Expies of who are suppose to be Vegeta and Trunks appear in the background together in one class room scene.
• Card-Carrying Villain: It's a wise choice on the part of the director to not show just how Yakuza really make their money; Sun's family would really be nowhere as fun and lovable to watch if they are drug smuggling, gun running, prostituting extortionists who commit murder on a daily basis. Of course, after the first episode, the entire clan essentially dedicates itself to trying to ruin Nagasumi's life, so they don't have time to do any of that stuff. There was a goldfish scoop booth at a carnival in Episode 2. Nagasumi reasons that since the guy who ran the booth was an aquatic creature himself, it could possibly count as trafficking.
  • They, at least, hint at the "killing on a daily basis"-business, with assassins such as Maki trying to off Nagasumi on a daily basis.
• Carnivore Confusion: Sun and Lunar are disturbed when they take something with fish in it (with Sun asking if that makes them cannibals). But fish do eat other fish...
  • Hilariously invoked with the three fish brothers during the Kyoto excursion.
• Catch Phrase
  • Sun: "The alternate way of reading Ninkyou (Chivalrous Spirit)... is Ningyo (Mermaid)!"
    • Rendered in the dub as "Honor amongst Thieves is Honor under the Seas!"
  • Mawari: "Must Mawari teach you the rules of the...?"
  • "Shark" Fujishiro: "Can I eat him/her/them?"
  • Akeno: "How vexing."
• Cat Smile: Saru has one, although according to the other characters he's supposed to be a monkey. Lunar often has one as well.
• Cerebus Syndrome: Well not exactly, but the last episodes tend to be more serious (and awesome)...or at least parody the more serious scenes.
  • Last episodes? 13 was pretty hard hitting.
• Chekhov's Gun: The ring from episode 2 plays a very important role in episode 26.
• Cherry Blossoms: Lampshaded by Nagasumi after a few times of hearing Sun giving her "Honor among Thieves is Honor under the Seas" line.
  • And the other characters are constantly wondering, where these cherry petals are coming from...
  • It seems she got it from her mother.
• Class Is in Room X-01
• Class Trip: The Kyoto arc (episodes 18 and 19).
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Mawari, Lunar, even Sun has shown this (episode 2, although played for laughs).
  • Mawari even goes so far as to interrogate Nagasumi's relationship with Sun in episode 6 when she sees them leaving his house together.
  • Mawari (again), the class president, Lunar, and Akeno all exhibit this trope after drinking that special potion that makes you act out your innermost desires in episode 19. Hilarity Ensues as they chase him down.
• Compelling Voice: The voice of a mermaid can arouse all sorts of emotions.
  • Or blow your Eardrums / Car away.
• Cool Car: Ren Seto is shown driving a Lamborghini at one point.
• Couch Gag: The opening poem changes changes slightly every few episodes.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: While it takes 25 episodes for his the full extent of his Badass come out of hiding, in the second episode, Nagasumi suplexes Shark Fujishiro by grabbing him by the teeth.
  • He also manages to erect a "Nagasumi Barrier" when Mawari attempts to throw water at Sun in episode 6 by basically jumping in front of the water before it hits Sun.
• Cry Cute: Most of the girls, particularly Sun and Lunar.
• Curb Stomp Battle: Nagasumi vs. Yoshio once the former takes several thousand levels in badass out of sheer rage.
• Cute Monster Girl: Mermaid appearance here resembles that of western mermaids. Traditional Japanese mermaids are horrors straight from the Black Lagoon.
  • And no, not that Black Lagoon.
  • Maki plays this even further, being knee-high to a pencil and all.
• Dating Sim: "After School Love Heart", played by Sun and Lunar 's fathers and their associates in an attempt to understand how a girl's heart works. What happens next...(see Moe Moe entry below)
• Dancing Theme: The opening. The first OVA's opening is also a dancing theme, but not the show's own. Rather, it's a pastiche of Lucky Star's opening.
• Defeat Means Friendship: Lunar seems to mellow out somewhat in the second half of the anime series.
  • Mikawa after his introductory episode.
• Demoted to Extra: In-universe example, Nagasumi's dad hilariously gets pushed further and further away from relevance.
• Different As Night and Day: Lunar and Sun, get it?
• Disproportionate Retribution: A lot of the male characters are often on the receiving end of this, but Nagasumi has it the worst out of all of them.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: Shiranui and, later, Sun attempting to resist their spontaneous change to mermaids when their legs are doused with water. Full package of moaning, blushing and easily misunderstood dialogue. The first scene even has severe weakness of the legs (Justified in that her legs are changing, but still can't help but look like something else).
  • In the first episode: "I need you to take responsibility for what happened earlier today!". If a young girl said that, with the same intensity, what is a parent going to think?
• Does Not Like Men: Most of the female members of the school. To be fair, the guys at the school aren't exactly likable.
• Even the Guys Want Him: Masa.
• Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": The class president, and to a lesser extent, Lunar's dad.
• Evil Plan: Averted for the most part. The bulk of the series is about Sun and Nagasumi's growing relationship, but once the mermaid exam starts then a continuous Plan by a villain shapes the remainder of the series. A mermaid nobleman wants to add Sun to his harem and needs her to break with (or otherwise seperate from) Nagasumi to make that happen.
• Evolving Credits: The first ending. The picture briefly comes back in the final episode with the additions of Akeno and the kitten.
  • The opening also changes who's dancing from time to time as well, although Sun is always in the front. The ending adds new characters as they're introduced as well.
• Expy: Lunar's dad practically is The Terminator, albeit with blond hair.
  • Lunar herself seems very similar in both personality and appearance to Etna. In episode 9, she even sprouts an Etna-esque demon tail for a few seconds.
    • One of the OVAs also has her sporting miniature bat wings for a while.
• Eyecatch: The water color painting of Sun that pops in the middle of the episodes. She looks pretty Badass in it as well.
• Eyes Always Shut: The bartender in the Masa Today segments, which only open once in the entire series.
• Fan Disservice: Unless you find big, muscle-bound men in tight, school/girl uniforms sexy.
• Fan Service
• First Kiss: Nagasumi's. You'll find out soon enough, and the anime won't let you forget it.
• Genki Girl: Lunar and Maki do this from time to time.
• Giving Up the Ghost: This happens to Chimp Sarutobi on a few occasions.
  • Mikawa does this when he's on the boat with Mawari in episode 15.
• Golden Snitch: After seeing that his beloved daughter's team is losing the school athletic competition, Sun's father announces that the final race will be worth 333 points.
  • Which also is an Incredibly Lame Pun since 3 is pronounced "san" in Japanese.
• Gratuitous English: Lunar's dad is a walking factory of this trope. The most memorable being: "Masatsu Za Human!! TERMINATE!! ("Kill the Human!! TERMINATE!!")
  • Mikawa's private army fits this trope as well.
  • The "Secret Tail Deluxe" commercial in episode 11 also qualifies.
  • Choco-Banana! OOH GREAT!
  • Lunar's bodyguards (the black pair, not the classmate horde).
  • Saturn's English lesson video. Probably NSFW due to the profanity she teaches, but very hilarious. "Good morning maggots!"
• Heel Face Turn: Akeno does a spectacular one in episode 26.
• Heroic BSOD: Sun suffers a particularly brutal one in episode 13, after Nagasumi is forced to marry Lunar. Lunar gloats about it to her, but since she knows what Nagasumi really did, and how he really feels, even she feels a bit disgusted at herself at what's going on.
• Hey, It's That Voice!: Does Akeno's brother (before becoming Masa) sounds like Char Aznable to you?
  • With Todd Haberkorn as Nagasumi, Christopher Sabat as Masa, and Monica Rial as Maki; some viewers might get a sense of deja Sgt Frog.
• Heterosexual Life Partners: Kai and Saru, to the extreme.
• High-Pressure Emotion: Embarrassment -- Sun after posing in front of a mirror with cat ears on, and Lunar after someone hints that she might be in love with Sun.
• Homage: Lunar's father, who is more or less The Terminator is introduced as an important character in episode 10. Yes, really. There are many other parodies and homages in the series, including UC Gundam, Fist of the North Star, and Neil Armstrong.
  • And then there's Bunta Willis, whom Sun is a die hard fan of.
• Hopeless Suitor: Pretty much any girl not named Sun. The class president in particular is a tragic case, as she's incredibly shy around Nagasumi, and in episode 21 of the anime, she finally manages to write a love letter to Nagasumi. But her efforts are both sabotaged by her classmates, and later Sun's dad/Maki. While Played for Laughs, you can't help but feel a little sorry for her making such a fool of herself given how much courage it must've taken her to do this.
• Hot Chick with a Sword: Akeno
  • And we can't forget Sun.
• Hot Shounen Mom: Sun's mother Ren Seto, Nagasumi's mother
• I Can Explain: "THIS IS JUST A MISUNDERSTANDING!!!" Spoken by Nagasumi, many, many times.
  • He unfortunately always rolls a natural zero in his diplomacy checks.
• Implacable Man: Lunar's dad for the most part (except if Lunar hits him). Nagasumi in the last episode.
• Incurable Cough of Death: Maru seems to suffer this from time to time. She's arguably much better now though, than during the time she stayed with the Seto clan.
• Innocent Cohabitation: Sun decided to move to her fiancé's house, which upset her father to no end.
• Instant Fanclub: The males at the school are divided into two large, militant, warring fan clubs over Sun and Lunar. Lunar personally leads her club in efforts to take over the school. Mawari is left leading an equally-violent third club comprised of the girls, united under 'restoring order' with the motto "All men are beasts."
• Involuntary Shapeshifting: Young mermaids transform when wet. According to Akeno, it's like trying to hold in a sneeze.
• Interspecies Romance: Nagasumi and Sun mainly, but the series' Love Dodecahedron also contains another mermaid and an orca, and the mermaid noble that captures Sun and tries to marry her against her will at the end of the anime is actually a catfish.
• Iron Butt Monkey: Nagasumi for the most part. Saru fits this trope as well, being able to take various punishments from many characters (usually Nagasumi).
• Kawaisa: Examined, given the sheer number of seemingly cute, innocent girls who talk in super-high voices trying to seem cute.
• Kill Sat: Property of NASA.
• Lampshade Hanging: Done a lot through the series; notably when Nagasumi points out the falling cherry blossom petals that surround Sun when she is getting chivalrous. In one instance he asks where the petals keep coming from (they were on a boat in the middle of the ocean at the time), and in another he waves them away while trying to calm Sun down.
• Large Ham: Yakuza grunts, their boss Gozaburo, and his daughter Sun. She's not as bad as the rest of the outfit but get her in a "Honor among thieves" mode and watch the cherry blossoms materalize.
  • Nagasumi even lampshades this when he asks Sun where the petals are falling from in episode 3.
  • Sun's dad gets particularly hammy during the Kyoto excursion episodes.
  • Virtually anyone arguing with Nagasumi ends up doing a ham-duet with him, especially Mikawa early on.
• Lawyer-Friendly Cameo: Sun is a big fan of the Hollywood actor Bunta Willis, who has a film coming out in episode 15.
• Lemony Narrator: "Cops vs Thugs" has the narrator snarking at events and character's lines.
• Lethal Chef: Lunar's onigiri (rice balls) in episode 9 doesn't look particularly tasty, despite Nagasumi's mom helping her to make them.
• Let Her Grow Up Dear: Compared to her borderline psychotic husband Gozaburo Seto, who has a tendency to send assassins after his son in law Nagasumi, Ren Seto was absolutely delighted when she mistook his drying of her daughter Sun's fins as public sex ("My oh my, kids will do it anywhere these days."). She provides (not so) helpful love potions to speed up their blossoming marriage along with advice and encouragement, when she's not occasionally trying to seduce the boy herself, that is.
• Love Dodecahedron: Mawari and the Class Rep have crushes on Nagasumi, who is dating/engaged to Sun (but sometimes has to admit that Masa's lookin' kinda cool) while Lunar tries to secure him for herself due to a rivalry with Sun, who -- the entire male population of the school in general aside -- is also being pursued by Kai Mikawa, one of her childhood acquaintances, who in turn has most of the female student body swooning over him.
• Love-Obstructing Parents: Because it's traditionally funny that Sun's family either tries to kill Nagasumi or seduce him (or teach him how to seduce); and Sun doesn't notice most of the time.
• Love Epiphany: Mawari has one towards Nagasumi in episode 6 when she gets confused as to why she gets a little distraught at seeing him and Sun together.
  • Both Lunar and Sun have one in episode 13 when they both do a Love Confession to him.
• Love Letter Lunacy: Episode 21. Practically all of the major characters seem a bit too interested in who wrote said letter to Nagasumi.
• Love Potion: With the side effect of every guy that sees him hating him, in episode 21.
  • We even get to see on what the various females' view of the "ideal man" is...except Maki's, though this is probably for the best.
    • Assuming she even likes men.
• Lover Tug of War: Sun and Lunar do this to Nagasumi in episode 7 and 9
• Made of Iron: Lunar's dad. Played straight for the most part, since he's able shake off things such as being hit with a rocket launcher and a Kill Sat (courtesy of NASA), and even withstands Sun's dad's attacks . Averted whenever Lunar hits him.
• Mafia Princess: Sun. Lunar is technically one too, but doesn't seem to be involved much in her father's business. Maru, another of Sun's childhood friends, is also one of these, except for a family based up in Hokkaido.
• Magical Girlfriend: Sun is beautiful and sweet and devoted to the protagonist, Nagasumi. She's also a mermaid with a super sonic screech attack.
• Magic Music: Presumably all mermaids can do this but we only see Sun, her mom, and Lunar.
• Make Me Wanna Shout: Possessed by all female mermaids, apparently (Lunar does it often, and both Akeno and Ren do it in the finale).
• Manly Tears: Episode 24, srsly.
• Masquerade: Secret existence of mermaids.
• Meaningful Name: Nagasumi's pal/Kai's lackey Hideyoshi Sarutobi, whose family name literally means "Jumping monkey", and whose given name is a reference to a Real Life feudal lord who had "Monkey" as his nickname. Guess what he looks like.
• Meganekko: The class president.
• Megaton Punch: Lunar seems to enjoy giving these out, mostly to her dad and Nagasumi. Sun's mom does this to her husband a lot too.
• Melee a Trois: Sun's Fan Club VS Lunar's Fan Club VS Displininary Committee (virtually all of the female student body)
• Mistaken for Cheating: A Not What It Looks Like moment between Nagasumi and Lunar leading to a Shotgun Wedding imposed by Lunar's father.
• Mistaken for Dying: In Episode 24, some of the students catch Mikawa leaving a clinic. Later Saru overhears an out-of-context conversation between the doctor and a nurse, and assumes that Mikawa must have a terminal illness. Eventually Mikawa even comes to believe he's dying, and seems at peace towards the end. Then they find out what he really had, and everything reverts back to normal, more or less.
• Mood Whiplash: The end of episode 12, which starts out comical, then suddenly shifts to being serious as Nagasumi is forcefully taken away from Sun.
• More Dakka: Maki's conchshell gun seems to operate on this. In one episode, Sun's dad also has a machine gun in episode 8, which served no purpose other than to shoot up Nagasumi's house. Lunar's dad also uses a gun when shooting at Nagasumi in episode 12.
• Mushroom Samba: Episode 19 has all the girls (and Saru) drinking Uoihatsu, forcing them to "act on instinct". In other words, they got drunk.
• New Transfer Student: Sun, Lunar, Kai, Akeno...and that's not counting Sun's family replacing half the school staff.
  • The cast starts Lampshading this after the first few transfers.
• Nice Guy: Nagasumi for the most part. Which is partly why so many of the female characters, such as Lunar and the class rep, are attracted to him, even if they think he's only average in looks and brains.
• Noblewoman's Laugh: Lunar, often with a goofy looking face.
  • Maki hilariously mocks Lunar in episode 22 with this trope as "Chibi Lunar-Chan".
• Non-Singing Voice: Despite the fact that the opening, endings, and "Namida Ichirin" were kept in Japanese for the dub, this was averted with the rest of the insert songs.
• Not What It Looks Like: Early on, Nagasumi tries to dry Sun's legs using a rather compromising position.
  • Later, an even worse case of this almost leads to a Shotgun Wedding with Lunar.
  • When Nagasumi and Mawari saw Sun and Akeno undergoing endurance training together in the bathhouse, the two mermaids looked rather... provocative.
• Nun-Too-Holy: Sun's other childhood friend (she seems to have a lot of these) Maruko Okhotsk, wears a customized nun's habit. Which is odd, considering the religion she follows isn't Christianity at all, but something akin to what the Ainu people of northern Japan believe in.
• Official Couple: Nagasumi and Sun are very committed to each other, in spite of all the Love Dodecahedron shenanigans.
• Once an Episode: Masa does something kinda cool, and Nagasumi and/or his mother swoon over him. Sun gives her Catch Phrase (or similar) in a dramatic voice in a spotlight amidst falling cherry blossom petals. Nagasumi narrowly escapes death. Not so much in the second half.
• Opening Narration
• Our Mermaids Are Different
• Overprotective Dad: Sun's father takes this to a borderline truly psychotic level. Lunar's father is more stoic, but just as dangerous.
• Papa Wolf: Gozaburo comes in swinging when he believes that Lunar's Papa is posing a threat to his precious Sun.
• Paper-Thin Disguise: When Sun does a Gender Bender and acts like a guy in episode 22, absolutely no one is fooled, from Saru to her dad. In fact they all question why she's dressed like that.
  • Nagasumi sees right through the fish brother's disguises when they first show up, as well as when one of them dresses up like a schoolgirl.
• Parody Commercial: Some of the wackier situations needs a product from the Seto Mermaid Company itself. To order, dial 000-1425-XXXXXX-74X5-00XX.
• Panty Shot: The only viewer-perspective example of this occurs when Lunar's Dad dressed as a Schoolgirl.
• The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: The most villainous thing the Seto Syndicate seems to do is run a shopping channel that seems to be selling "Fin Weights", porn (fish porn at that, for mermaids, see?) and Lance of Longinus copies.
  • And make a kid's life miserable, but that is somewhat justified, somewhat.
  • Really (and given the story, this probably shouldn't come as a surprise) the biggest asshole is a member of the Government.
• Power Nullifier: Maruko's Silent Voice can nullify any of Sun's mermaid songs, including the Song of the Hero she usually uses to buff up Nagasumi.
• Pretty Freeloaders: Sun, Maki and Lunar are all staying at Nagasumi's house, moving him up to the attic.
  • Partly subverted however, since both their families continually upgrade or repair damage they cause to his house. Nagasumi's mom in particular loves the new kitchen.
• Putting on the Reich: It could be this or that, depending on your own point of view.
• Real Men Eat Meat: Invoked by Sun during her Testosterone Poisoning stint.
• Real Men Wear Pink: Dating sim episode. Maki, at least, thinks its very manly to do something like that for one's boss.
• Rescue Romance: Satori fell for Nagasumi by this.
• Reset Button: Averted between episodes 11 and 12. At the end of episode 11, the house has been destroyed by Giant Nagasumi. At the start of episode 12, we see everyone in the house like usual...however, it's quickly established that Sun and Lunar's dads used their connections to have the house rebuilt between episodes (Nagasumi's mom even gushes about how much she loves the new kitchen!) In fact, this indirectly leads into the Wham! Episode.
• Rule of Funny: This shows runs on this. Only the Crowning Moment of Heartwarming Father/Daughter and Nagasumi/Sun moments are played even remotely straight, and even then subverted with a good-natured chuckle.
  • I will calm everyone down with the Mermaid Lullaby!! Ralli-Ho!! Ralli-Ho!! Ralli Ralli Ralli HOOOO!! Truly, a yodeling mermaid is something you don't hear very often.
• Rule of Cool: The various fights taking place throughout the series, most notably the intentionally exaggerated Grand Finale.
• Scary Black Man: Bob and Michael, Lunar's bodyguards...sort of.
• Serious Business: The Sun vs Lunar fan club war. It almost tore the school apart.
  • The dating sim episode 20. Both Lunar and Sun's dads end up cosplaying and getting a little too in-character with the visual novel they're playing, which freaks both of the girls out.
  • Mawari tends to think of this too when trying to enforce school rules. It's not very effective most of the time.
  • When Sun's dad pulls the fire alarm in episode 14 which causes several firetrucks to show up at the school. Mikawa also calls in some fighter jets. After Ren finds out they both did that simply because of a kitten, she beats them all up for going overboard, while Masa apologizes profusely for wasting the firemen's time.
• Shout-Out: The fat lady disguise from Total Recall, the Gate of Babylon from Fate/stay night The Lance of Longinus from Neon Genesis Evangelion... and of course, The Terminator.
  • Mawari Zenigata, who wants to be a join the police like her father, who is the superintendent.
  • Nagasumi goes Fist of the North Star on everyone's ass thanks to Sun's "Song of Heroes."
• Shrinking Violet: The class president.
• Skinship Grope: "Must Mawari teach you the rules of the bathroom?" to the class rep. Everyone leans against the wall to listen.
• Sleep Cute: Sun and Nagasumi in episode 13.
• Solar and Lunar: Sun and Lunar tend to be associated with the sun and the moon for obvious reasons. Sun is an honorable woman and kind to everyone she meets while Lunar has a bit of a rotten side and is Sun's Sitcom Arch Nemesis.
• Spell My Name with an "S": Sun/San and Lunar/Luna/Runa are the main cases, though most official material (And the Funimation translations) give their names as Sun and Lunar.
• Spit Take: Terminator, Saru and Masa-san~, in that order from the lies their kin use for moe appeal while working at a Maid Cafe.
  • Sun's mom Ren does one after seeing giant Nagasumi in episode 11.
• Storming the Castle: Episode 26.
• Super-Deformed: Happens regularly throughout the series.
• Super Reflexes: Nagasumi has this from time to time. Such as whenever a character attempts to hit one of the mermaids with water, like Mawari on Sun, and later Maki on Akeno (although he fails to completely block her attacks). In episode 21, he also activates a super-evasive mode, allowing him to dodge all the hits from both Sun AND Lunar's fathers. At the same time.
• Supporting Harem: Other than a close call with Lunar, none of the girls really have a shot at Nagasumi. It's pretty obvious that he only wants Sun.
• Take a Third Option: "You saw my true form and know I'm a mermaid. I don't want to die, but I'd rather not kill you either. I know, let's get married..."
• Taking the Bullet: "Nagasumi Barrier!"
  • Done more seriously in the final episode.
• The Jimmy Hart Version: A major offender, contains alternate versions (rip offs) of Ride of The Valkyrie, Terminator, Phantom of The Opera etc.
• Theme Music Power-Up: Sun's "Song of Heroes", being Magic Music, actually causes this effect on Nagasumi. Used normally in episode 26, where Nagasumi powers up by himself by virtue of being extremely pissed off and the music just plays as BGM.
  • Lunar's "Song of Battle" has a... less refined sort of similar effect.
• Theme Naming: Times two yet. Mermaid characters will usually have an important body of water inserted into their family names (Seto Inland Sea, Tokyo Bay (Edomae), Shiranui Sea, Mikawa Bay, the Sea of Okhotsk), and a celestial object as their given one (Sun, Lunar, Akeno (Ake no Myoujo = Venus in the Eastern Sky), Kai (Kaiousei = Neptune)).
  • Saturn is also added to the celestial list.
• The Obi-Wan: Masa often gives useful advice to several characters, usually Nagasumi.
• The Only One Allowed To Eat You: Fujishiro the shark says that when the gang shows up to save Nagasumi from Yoshio's guards.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Lunar gives one to Sun, and Mikawa gives one to Nagasumi as well. Both are jealous that the other seems to have everything while they believe they have nothing.
• Third Person Person: Mawari
• This and That: Maki suggests that Lunar and Nagasumi when she catches them almost kissing each other.
• Transfer Student Uniforms: Lunar and Kai.
• Transformation Sequence: "Last Amazoness"
• Tsundere: Lunar, Mawari at times.
• Unknown Rival: Lunar, trying to top Sun.
• Unlucky Childhood Friend: Mawari towards Nagasumi, Mikawa towards Sun.
• Unusually Uninteresting Sight
• Unwanted Harem: Sun, Lunar, Mawari, Akeno, the class president, Maki, Masa...
• Villain Protagonist: See Card-Carrying Villain above; it's REALLY easy to forget that these are Yakuza that we are laughing with.
• X Meets Y: Ron Howard's Splash with Yakuza...
  • This Is Your Premise on Drugs: ...on crack...particularly strong crack.
• Wham! Episode: Episode 12 and 13, which focuses on Sun and Nagasumi's relationship and feelings with each other.
• What Have I Done: Akeno has second thoughts about inviting Sun's family to Yoshio's "party" when she realizes how much of a Jerkass Yoshio is.
  • Lunar seems to invoke this trope shortly after gloating over stealing Nagasumi away from Sun in episode 13.
• Why Did It Have To Be Cats: Sun's dad, despite being a Yakuza leader still has his childhood fear of cats. Taken to hilarious extremes when the cat's he deathly afraid of is still a kitten.
  • Most of the mermaids have this, and it's justified in that they are technically fish. And cats love fish.
    • Particularly hilarious with Maki. Although the kitten merely licks her, she acts as if she's going to be eaten alive.
  • Akeno, despite being a hardened swordswoman, is extremely afraid of ghosts.
• Wife-Basher Basher: "How dare you point that thing at a girl! How dare you point that thing AT SUN!"
  • This in itself is a reference to Fist of the North Star, pointing weapons at helpless innocents was a good way to get Kenshiro pissed at you.
• Wig, Dress, Accent: The so-called "shapeshifter", Furiyo.
• Yakuza: Mermaid yakuza, at that.
• Yamato Nadeshiko: Sun is extremely devoted to Nagasumi, to the point that she decided to follow him to Saitama and live under the same roof as her fiancé. She was even willing to bet herself for her future husband's contest. What truly sells it is when she Interups Lunar's Shotgun Wedding while wearing a wedding kimono and carrying a katana, which she then uses to great effect.
  • Nagasumi's grandmother is sweet and caring and strangely adaptable to the craziness that has invaded her family.
  • Note that Sun, despite her YN traits, subverts it in the speaking department, at least in English. Instead of the formal speech patterns of more traditional Y Ns like Belldandy or Aoi Sakuraba, Sun has a more "casual" register, with contracted words and dropped final "g"s.
• Yandere: Scary, scary Lunar and Maki.
  • Saturn from the second OVA makes Lunar look positively harmless.