This Boy Caught a Merman (2012): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2012, This Boy Caught a Merman is a fantasy, animation and romance film directed by Soubi Yamamoto, running about 28 minutes.

What it’s about. They say look before you leap and make sure you can swim before you go in the deep water, but when a picture of his late grandfather falls into the ocean, Shima jumps in after it without thinking. Nearly drowning as a result, he is instead saved by a very perfect stranger... one whose strangeness extends to only being human from the waist up! For Shima, who's always felt like a fish out of water himself, it's more than just a revelation, and the young man and merman quickly begin to bond in ways neither anticipated. And yet, it's going to be far from easy sailing. After all, Shima and Isaki aren't just from opposite sides of the tracks, they're from entirely divergent species, and swimming in separate gene pools may make maintaining a long term relationship a whole different kettle of fish!

Who’s in it. This Boy Caught a Merman stars Hikaru Midorikawa as Isaki and Yuki Kaji as Shima Kawauchi.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.7/10, This Boy Caught a Merman has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch This Boy Caught a Merman page.

If you liked it. Fans of This Boy Caught a Merman tend to enjoy The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Green Mile, Spirited Away and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.