Yuta

The protagonist of the story. An immortal who has lived for over 500 years, Yuta has been seeking a cure to his immortality. Until the 1980's Yuta had never met another true immortal like himself. When he met Mana she proved to be a kindred spirit and a companion he could theoretically live with for eternity.

Yuta is a kind-hearted person, not wanting to involve innocent people in his quest, and always trying to warn them of the dangers of seeking the mermaid's flesh. Even though he no longer wants to be immortal, he lives his life to the fullest and rarely shows his depression to others. His goal in life seems to be to live quietly, and then die as an old man.

Yuta's life began in the late 1400's as a fisherman. He ate the flesh of a mermaid and was one of the few to survive the experience. At first he did not realize he had become an immortal, but as his wife began to age and he did not, she herself told him the legend of the mermaid's flesh. By the fifth time he came back to life he had washed up on shore and was found by Rin, a girl he had hoped to make his wife. The trials of being an immortal brought too much danger though, and he had to depart from her village.

Yuta also had a brief relationship with a girl named Nae in Misaki Village around the 1920s or 1930s. The girl disappeared and Yuta moved on not discovering what happened to her until the early 1990s.

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The Meaning Behind the Name

The first kanji, "Yu" can be one of many things. Boil, ferment, seethe, uproar, or breed. The second, "ta" is "big". "Big uproar" is most likely the meaning for Yuta.

Voices:
Koichi Yamadera

Koichi Yamadera is perhaps best known to Takahashi fans as the voice of Ryoga Hibiki and the Jusenkyo Guide in Ranma ½. He has also stared as Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop, Togusa in Ghost in the Shell and Jubei Kibagami in Ninja Scroll.











Jason Gray-Stanford & Liam O'Brien

In the Mermaid Scar OVA, Jason Gray-Stanford portrayed Yuta. He's also well known for his work in Takahashi anime, where he has played Yusaku Godai in Maison Ikkoku and Shinnosuke in Ranma ½. His other roles include the unnamed hero of Ogre Slayer, Haruhiko Kazama in Please Save My Earth and Joe Higashi in Fatal Fury.

Justin Gross provides the voice of Yuta in the Mermaid Forest TV series for the first three episodes before being replaced by Liam O'Brien (pictured). O'Brien's other works include Jushiro Ukitake in Bleach, Junta Momonari in DNA², Mamiya Chida in Revolutionary Girl Utena and Gaara in Naruto.