“The art and print quality are excellent! The limited edition cover by Manlin is stunning, and the bookmark included with Vol. 1 is beautiful. The story starts with mystery, conspiracy, and thrilling moments — it makes you eager to see what happens next.”
— A German Goodreads reader (on the Manlin German edition)

“An ambitious ‘high-concept’ dark biology work. The black-scaled merman’s obsession, possessiveness, and ancient mythic sense of destiny are intense. It combines oceanic horror with cross-species romance.”
— Reddit BL manga community user

“A visual adaptation of a classic IP. The art by _Houby and the studio carries a unique dark aesthetic, showing the merman‘s wildness and Desharow’s struggle between reason and instinct.”
— Kuaikan Comics reader

★ Over 1.926 billion popularity on Kuaikan Comics, 1.24 million followers, 110,000+ comments. German print comic published up to Vol. 5; Thai comic edition Vol. 1 released.
★ Original author Ya Sheng (former pen name: Mr. Deep Sea), a popular Chinese fantasy author known for grand worldbuilding and vivid storytelling. Major works include “Desharow Merman,” “Emperor in the Cage,” and “Merman’s Bait.”
★ Desharow, a biology student at St. Petersburg Maritime Academy, sails to Iceland for his thesis and captures an aggressive black-scaled merman. He thinks he is the researcher, the predator — until he realizes: capture is courtship. The merman king Aghares follows an ancient logic.
★ Striking art with dark aesthetics and grotesque beauty. A German Goodreads reader: “The art is excellent... the story starts with mystery, conspiracy, and thrills, making you eager for what comes next.”
★ “Desharow Merman” visualizes “fringe science + mysterious amphibious species + dark interspecies aesthetics,” appealing strongly to young readers who like “oceanic horror” and “mild horror romance.”

Desharow, a senior biology student at St. Petersburg Maritime Academy, sets sail with his advisor Rhine to complete a merman research project and his thesis. Near Iceland, the expedition captures a highly aggressive, mysterious male black-scaled merman and names him Aghares.

Driven by academic obsession, Desharow throws himself into contact and experiments with the merman. He thinks he is the “tamer,” the researcher standing on the other side of the glass. But in the enclosed cabin and laboratory, the merman displays intelligence and mental influence beyond human imagination. Desharow fails to tame him. Instead, he falls step by step into a “courtship trap” carefully laid by this ancient apex predator — to be captured is to be courted. The roles of predator and researcher silently switch.

As the voyage continues, pirate attacks, military research conspiracies, and oceanic anomalies erupt one after another. At a life-or-death moment, Desharow discovers that his hidden childhood amnesia and bodily changes are fatefully linked to this black-scaled merman. From “scientific scrutiny” to “cross-species symbiosis,” the story unfolds between high-concept sci-fi fantasy and dark oceanic horror, gradually revealing deep secrets surrounding the origins of ancient marine life.

“Back then, Norway was too cold, so I had to let you go. Later, I began searching every sea. I searched for you for fifteen years.”

【Original Novel Author】
Ya Sheng (former pen name: “Mr. Deep Sea”). The name means “born from a cliff, original intention remains.” A high-popularity Chinese fantasy author, known for bold ideas and fast-paced novels with grand architecture and tight logic. Her plain, concise prose delivers highly visual storytelling, with a romantic quality beyond the story itself.
Major works include “Desharow Merman,” “Emperor in the Cage,” “Merman‘s Bait,” “Medicine Man’s Poison,” “Flower of the Rib,” and “Law of Temptation.”

【Comic Creative Team】
Drawn by the mature webtoon studio “Youdian Bige Studio” together with renowned comic artist _Houby. Through striking color and grotesque, gorgeous dark aesthetics, they visualize the original novel‘s high-concept cross-species sci-fi fantasy. Script by Lu Fang.