This was cute, but not something I would purchase for our collection. I liked the illustrations, but the story just felt flat. Maybe in future installments things pick up?

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was a really cure fantasy manga. Very easy and fun to read. The art style was also cute and engaging.

Thank you Publisher and Netgalley for this advanced copy

Sadly, this book is your typical shojo manga, so so

As a mermaid and manga lover this was such a cute manga! It was fun and I can't wait to see where the story goes. Good for a light read and a smile.

I was really excited to read this one as it sounded like it was going to be a fun romance manga and while there were parts of this I enjoyed, it also kind of let me down a little for a first volume.

The artwork is stunning, first of all! I really enjoyed the art style and it was nice and detailed! I also felt for Mio and I was intrigued by the world and the initial set up but for such a potentially rich world, it wasn’t all that fleshed out.

Oddly enough, this volume felt incredibly rushed which is a shame because it made it hard for me to care about the characters. The butler and the maid were incredibly unlikeable and said such nasty things and then suddenly have a change of heart out of the blue and when the butler sacrificed himself I didn’t really feel any kind of way about it because we barely knew him.

I’ve never come across a first volume before that’s been rushed like this and I was honestly disappointed because it was such a potentially interesting world and didn’t get the world building it deserved, while characters have little depth so far.

I’m hoping things improve in future volumes and at least the secret identity is already out on in the open!

I really enjoyed this manga, such an unusual and unique story I hadn’t come across before, I can’t wait to carry on with this story!

A cute manga romance with interesting themes which read as allegorical at times. The art style is more subdued in terms of grading but lush in details.

Thank you to Viz and NetGalley for the review copy.

An intriguing new series with at least two storylines that are sure to intersect in the future. Planning to buy for my library's narrative fantasy lovers!

In this story, some individuals are born with animal traits and are heavily discriminated against. The main character, Mio, happens to be one of these individuals. As a princess born a mermaid, Mio has always been hidden away and been told to suppress her mermaid nature out of shame. Throughout the story, Mio learns to be proud of herself and her powers. I think this was a cute story, although I wouldn't say it was original.

This was a really great first volume! I'm very interested to see where the story goes. We get to see a lot of Mio but I'm really curious about Yuri. There seems to be more to him than just what we learned in volume one. I can't wait to read the next volume!

I was really confused coming into this book. I felt like even for a manga, the story wasn't well fleshed out. I was gravitated by this manga because of the title and the synopsis, but it didn't make me want more. It felt rushed for a first volume. I felt like when I was settling into one scene, I was immediately taken to another. I see a lot of potential for this series to be fun and full of life lessons and I think I would have enjoyed seeing the princess' character growth. But I don't think this was it for me.

As a longtime manga reader and Shojo lover, I wanted to check out In the Name of the Mermaid Princess, Vol. 1 because of its premise and because it was one of Viz’s newest releases. I love fairytales and I am especially drawn to when they are used and molded to create new, enchanting stories for newer generations. In this case, Princess Mio has been born into a world where there are people, humans and folks who are not quite humans. Called “Unhumans” this race of people look different: some have horns, claws, wings, tails, scales with animal features and limbs.

Unhumans are so unique that they are in fact even feared and discriminated against to a not so shocking degree: some countries have straight outlawed them and the bans against them from barring certain borders is an everyday occurance. One such kingdom, Blognig is such a place and unbeknownst to most everyone is the fact their own princess, isolated from the people, locked up in the castle—is a mermaid!

Mio was born with the powers of the merfolk. Instead of being loved and adored, she is merely tolerated and controlled. Rebuked and trained to one day be betrothed to Prince Chika. Regardless if they’ve never met. Everyday she makes progress in retaining a more human form longer and longer in hopes of completely repressing her lovely tail and her mannerism in her true form.

Yoshino Fumikawa’s story hits a bit on the nose: switch out unhumans with mutants or inhumans or any fictional marginalized group and one can see the plight of Mio and those like her. This should give food for thought for readers who could think of real life groups of people who are marginalized like queer folks or people of a certain nationality or ethnicity as the feared and discriminated group. This manga delves straight into the fantasy and romance genres with a flourish: Miya Tashiro’s artwork flows in the Shojo way: beautiful transformations, handsome male leads, unique ways screentones in the backgrounds are used and the like. I especially loved the world building in the artwork–being able to see the few examples of other unhumans and how even mothers of those born as unhumans was interesting.

I would recommend In the Name of the Mermaid Princess, Vol. 1 to those who already like and read Shojo manga and to those who are just now starting their journey into manga for the preteen to teenage girl pipeline. I think that age group will enjoy and follow Mio’s story. On the Viz website the publisher elaborates the Teen rating: “May be suitable for early teens and older. For example, may contain violence, infrequent use of strong language, suggestive themes or situations, crude humor, alcohol and/or tobacco use.” In the Name of the Mermaid Princess, Vol. 1. There’s a little blood, some threats of violence, a few people being imprisoned (and breaking out) but nothing that would push this manga to gore or big triggering claims.

What I like best of In the Name of the Mermaid Princess, Vol. 1 is the age appropriate story about a young woman, who is different ,starting to come into her own. She was raised to think and see of herself, the world and how it works in a certain light. She’s been taught that she’s unworthy, unlovable and only a tool the way she is now–with help with Chika–a handsome young man who was sent to be her tutor (and who may be hiding a secret identity) –she’s seeing that she is more. So much more. She wants to change decades, perhaps centuries old ways and laws and the end of this first volume seats her leaving home in a start to do that.

I think preteen and teen readers who like Shojo manga and/or look for female protagonist led stories centering girls will lean towards Mio and his struggles and triumphs. For older readers like myself, we might be looking for a manga with a little more narrative heavy meat on the bones, yet I can see younger readers enjoying this. This should be a title that parents,librarians and booksellers should consider for readers who are girls, femme presenting as manga continues to sell and be requested everywhere–and we should NEVER count out or ignore those who like Shojo. (When I was a teenager it was manga volumes like Fruits Basket that changed the way people saw how much manga sold and how many girls and women were buying it) As a plus: a bonus story about a royal subject with wings by the same creative team is included and ties into the same story universe that the central story takes places in.

I really enjoyed this manga.
Whilst quite basic and fast paced, it's the ideal read if you want something light and cute and just smile.

The art style for this was so pretty. This is a great start to a wonderful new manga series! Reminds me of Mermaid Melody a bit

A lovely and beautiful first foray into the world of the Mermaid Princess, Mio. Unhumans are not welcome in her father's kingdom of Blognig. But Mio can't help that she was born as a Mermaid, no more than twins can help being born as fox spirits, or a lonely girl can change her fate as an Angel... But when an outsider named Yuri Ban arrives to show her the ways of her betrothed Prince Chika and his kingdom of Aquatia, she finds herself questioning right from wrong in a world she once saw as black and white. She doesn't want to become human. She wants to become herself.

The artstyle is simple but pretty. The dialogue is well-translated into English. The small cast of characters allows you to get to know most of them quite well. And mystery lurks under the surface... And it's not hard to solve, either. But overall, a very fun little manga.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is its exploration of Mio's journey towards self-discovery. From the outset, readers are drawn into her internal struggle as she navigates the complexities of her dual identity as both a princess and a mermaid. As Mio learns to accept her true nature, readers are treated to a poignant portrayal of courage and resilience in the face of adversity.

Furthermore, the dynamic between Mio and her tutor, Yuri, adds an intriguing layer to the narrative. Yuri's hidden secrets are a compelling parallel to Mio's struggles, highlighting the universal nature of identity and the importance of authenticity.

While "In the Name of the Mermaid Princess, Vol. 1" offers a refreshing take on the classic fairy tale trope, it also serves as a timely reminder of the power of diversity and inclusivity in shaping a more compassionate society. Mio's journey is a beacon of hope in a world where difference is often met with hostility, inspiring readers to embrace their uniqueness and stand tall in the face of adversity.

Overall, "In the Name of the Mermaid Princess, Vol. 1" is a captivating tale combining fantasy, romance, and social commentary elements to create a truly unforgettable reading experience. With its richly drawn characters and thought-provoking themes, this book will resonate with readers of all ages. Highly recommended.

I really enjoyed reading it. The incorporation of various fairy tale themes into the narrative, whether purposeful or not, gives it personality. Everyone knows the story of the little mermaid, but what if she wasn't really like the fairy tale - it's a twist that I have seen in other books, especially Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw (adult horror fiction).

This is a cute intro into what I hope will turn into a magical tale. While the world building we see is limited, and not very original (unhuman/fae/vamps/whatever Others vs humans is a generic and a thinly veiled racism allegory) it does allow for the story to be of greater interest to younger readers.

The artwork is very pretty. There's a great sense of flow and movement to the water sequences. I look forward to seeing other unhumans!

Overall, a solid start. I'd say 3.5 rounded up because of its potential. I'll be sure to pick up the next few volumes!

This was an okay read for me. I can see how the series could get good and this was a set up first volume. The story deals a lot with racism and discrimination, but put in a way that feels less like a real world issue by being human and unhuman, but the underlying tone is still there. I think there is a little bit of a twist in there about Prince Chika - I don't think I misunderstood, but it happened so quickly that it almost didn't feel real. I do love the main character and how despite everything she's been through she still wants to be a good person.

The story could have been fleshed out even more in this first volume though, because the last 25% of the manga was a short story - and I didn't really care very much about it. I would have rather that chunk of the book been spent of the main characters and the story I was here for.

Thanks to #NetGalley for an e-copy of #IntheNameoftheMermaidPrincessVol1 by Yoshino Fumikawa to read and review.