First off, I would like to get this straight. I am not a huge fan of romance anime that throw in a harem in the way, then just forget about it . Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not saying this anime breaks away from the tired formula of harems, in fact it has the word cliche written all over it. But what separates this anime from the rest, is how it uses those cliche to its advantage. My Bride Is A Mermaid is a romantic comedy about a young boy who was saved from drowning by a beautiful mermaid and according to mermaid law, he/she must die. However to escape their wrath, he decides to marry her but this will eventually cause more problems.

 Yes, the episode start out predictable at first, but you have no idea what Seto is capable of. It will go from cliche and then takes a huge step forward and jump to embellished. It has a fast paced and frankly, I liked it. After that, each episode basically consists of random events follow by some more ridiculously stupid events and help bring us to the end. However, these little the bits and pieces of randomness does build up quite well overtime and give us a broad picture of not only the main casts, but the general surrounding environment as well. However, each mini story are all very well thought out and made my guts cry in pain (due to uncontrollable laughter).

But one of the key factors of why Seto  is so downright hilarious is its brilliant application of the K.I.S.S theory. Seto No Hanayome is by no means a laid-back anime, but at the same time, there is no dull moment here as every moment is hectic enough for you to go lmfao! It tries to be what it can and should be, simple and funny. Because of this, the formula works.The anime is all about comedy, nothing else. It wont throw you any cheap drama just for the hell of having it. Another strong points of Seto is its parodies. Its derision ranges from Japanese Culture to American, heck, it even makes fun of itself. Who would’ve thought that they actually include a Hokuto No Ken parody here? Not to mention Terminator.

All the characters in this anime are great in their own individual way. The supporting characters also gives way for comedy, as each of one of them is provides comic antics albeit that all of it are horrifically trite. Whether its the over-protective father, the yandere, or the timid class president, they will all crack you up. Plus, the influence and interaction on each other have has a significance. And to my surprise, there is even character development. The typical lame protagonist not only goes through a transition, but something you can never imagine. He is able to mature, and he erase whatever bad impression you have for harem male leads. Not only that he brings out the comedy from the characters around him but he also manages to act in a believable manner and he always ends up saying what we might be thinking, at the time.

The quality of the animation is really hard to describe, where at times it can look piss poor there are also times it looks great, but this is really just to suit the whacky nature of the show. The action parody moments are the times when the animation truly shines and it’s those moments which are to look forward to. On the other hand the music is decent, nothing amazing or special about it but good enough to gain merit.

Seto No Hanayome adds nothing new to the genre. It is another recycling of harem anime. But its sheer presence of comedy is outstanding that you’ll pay no attention to its unoriginal qualities. For the first time in a long time, a harem is done right. Overall Seto no Hanayome is one of those anime series, appearing every now and again, that may seem average but manages to surpass your expectations. This proved to be one of the most enjoyable comedy anime series of the year 2007, with plenty of laughs to be had. Yet it was lacking in the story department, to allow it to reach the same level of other popular Parody Rom/Coms (Fumoffu?). Nonetheless, as a comedy, this is one you must see.