In the kingdom of Blognig, "unhumans" (which I kind of suspect is a translation of "ajin"), those born with special powers or features, are discriminated against to the point where any unhuman children born are summarily removed via forced relocation. That means that when Mio, the princess of Blognig, is born a mermaid, her father tries everything to change her, including hiring a shady doctor to concoct a medication. Mio has accepted that she's less than for her entire life, until one day Yuri comes from another kingdom to teach her about the land she'll marry into, Aquatia. Yuri tells Mio that she's not "less than," she's "more than," as in "more than enough, just the way she is," and while there's perhaps a little bit of boy saves girl here, mostly what he's teaching her is how to save herself.

It's a bit heavy-handed, and in places the volume reads like An Elementary Schooler's Guide to Racism, but it works better than a lot of other similarly-themed fantasy tales that try to do the same thing. Watching Mio find herself and her courage is rewarding, and even the first part of a short story set in the same world but featuring an angel who's kept in a sideshow (a la Gabriel Garcia Marquez) is equally strong and doesn't feel like it's just there to pad out the volume. Blending folklore and more typical manga fantasy, this is a solid debut, and I'm excited to read the second volume, for both Mio and Eno (the angel)'s stories.

In the Name of the Mermaid Princess introduces the reader to the main character, Princess Mio, and the world that she lives in.

In the Name of the Mermaid Princess Volume One
Written by: Yoshino Fumikawa
Publisher: Shueisha Inc.
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: February 6, 2024

The story is set in a world where some people are born not quite human, having strange powers and looking different. Theese people have become known as “unhumans.” Some kingdoms have passed humans-only decrees, which causes fear and bigotry of the “unhumans” to flourish. One of those kingdoms is Blognig, where, unbeknownst to its populace, its princess, Mio, was born a mermaid. Mio’s father banished Mio’s mother for giving birth to an “unhuman” and has never let Mio leave the castle. The king has spent a lot of time and resources trying to find a way to turn Mio into a human before her 16th birthday, when she is supposed to marry Prince Chika from the neighboring kingdom of Aquatia. Mio and Chika have been sending letters back and forth to each other, and Mio is very fond of him.

At the beginning of the story, we see that medication that scientists have been developing to help Mio become human. Unfortunately, it currently only lets her legs work for 30 minutes. With only six months to go before Mio’s birthday, there’s a lot of pressure to turn her human. As part of preparing her for her upcoming marriage, a tutor from Aquatia named Yuri Ban is brought in to teach Mio about Aquatia and its customs.

At first, Yuri seems to be upset by the fact that Mio is allowed to stay in Blognig, but that anyone else born “unhuman” in the country is deported. However, after he learns that Mio has been compiling a secret archive of the “unhumans” born in her country in the hopes of finding out why they’re so despised, Yuri starts acting kinder toward her. He tells her about mermaids and their abilities, as well as about some of the other “unhumans” out there. Later, when he sees how the staff treats Mio, Yuri declares that he won’t stay silent in the face of injustice. When Mio protests, Yuri tells her that “nothing could be more painful than betraying my beliefs.”

As we see throughout the rest of the volume, Yuri helps Mio sneak out of the castle so she can be around seawater (since she’s never been allowed to be near it) and experience the power it gives her. He also encourages her to not suppress her true self and to live her life. A short while later, Yuri helps sneak Mio out into the nearby town and to experience what her subjects are going through. By chance, she encounters a mother whose “unhuman” children were deported. With the information the woman gives, Mio is able to give her a possible lead as to where her children are.

Unfortunately, Mio and Yuri are caught sneaking back into the castle and are taken to the king. When Mio tries to argue with her father and asks why she can’t be a mermaid, he makes it clear that he thinks “unhumans” are cursed and that they’ve been trying to purge Mio of the curse for all these years. After Mio declares that she wants to live as a mermaid, Yuri Ban is imprisoned and Mio is detained to her quarters. However, Mio receives some unexpected help from her two assistants, which leads to Mio freeing Yuri and the two of them running away together.

I thought that Volume One did a great job of setting up Mio and Yuri’s story, and concluding with the two of them escaping was the right point to end at. After reading this volume, I really got the impression that there’s more to Yuri Ban than what we see on the surface. I was especially convinced of this when I saw some of the panels depicting Yuri’s expressions when Mio talks about Prince Chika. I have a suspicion about who Yuri could be, but this mystery is obviously left unanswered at the end of Volume One. I suspect that the reader will learn more about him as the series progresses.

It should be mentioned that there’s an additional chapter after the final chapter of Mio’s story that focuses on another “unhuman” named Eno. She’s an angel who has been taken in to be part of a sideshow. Eno is indebted to, and in love with, the manager that runs the show.

One day, a couple of men bring in a young man who they believe is “unhuman” to be part of the sideshow. However, they don’t know what his ability is. Eno goes to see Ayun, the young man, to use her healing powers to help him. However, she discovers that Ayun can heal himself. She suspects he’s an angel but wonders why he doesn’t have wings. After Eno’s wings are plucked so her feathers can be sold, Ayun heals her wings. The chapter ends with Ayun promising to tell Eno why he doesn’t have wings, and the text says the story will be concluded in the next volume.

I’m a little torn about the inclusion of Eno’s chapter. On one hand, it allows the reader to get to know another “unhuman” and their situation. But on the other, it just kind of feels tacked on at the end of the volume. There was a great stopping point for Mio’s story, and Eno’s chapter kind of feels like it breaks the flow.

When it comes to the character designs that appear in this volume, I couldn’t help thinking that Mio’s character design kind of makes her look like Chi from Chobits. She’s got the same type of hair, and her mermaid ears kind of look like Chi’s ears. I found this similarity to be a little distracting at times. Eno also kind of resembles Mio, except for the fact that she has normal ears, wings, and her hair is usually braided. But the facial features between the two characters are just similar enough that I had to remind myself that the character I was seeing in the final chapter was Eno and not Mio. Admittedly, Yuri’s design doesn’t stand out terribly much, but this could have been done intentionally, especially if I’m correct as to who I think Yuri might actually be.

As for the rest of the art, I have to give artist Miya Tashiro credit for panels that feature closeups of characters’ faces. These closeup panels emphasize that the artist has a strength for depicting facial expressions on the characters. Also, some of the details that the artist includes in those closeup panels look quite impressive.

In the Name of the Mermaid Princess is a shojo manga. Even though Mio declares that she admires Prince Chika, there are hints included in this volume that she may be developing feelings for Yuri Ban. In addition to the romance angle, though, this series also includes bigotry against those who are “others” as part of its worldbuilding. I do appreciate having this angle included, because it elevates the story from being just a simple love story. Hopefully, future volumes will be able to tackle the bigotry angle as strongly as Volume One did.

If you’re a fan of shojo manga, I think you’ll find something to appreciate in the first volume of In the Name of the Mermaid Princess.

A cute and fantastical mermaid tale that will have my YA readers waiting for the next one. I love the illustrations and everything just feels so magical. I can't wait for the next volume.

I really liked this one! The back of the book made me expect a more mermaid positive spin on the classic tale. Instead, we have a world where unhumans as they are dubbed here, are sent away from society. Our titular princess is forced to appear more human for the sake of her father. This doesn't last forever, thankfully. I look forward to her further adventures as she becomes comfortable with her true self and meets others like her as she gets to see the world.

This was cute! I liked the princess's design and the characters that were introduced. It reminds me a lot of +Anima. I will keep an eye out for the next volume.

I enjoyed this cute story of a mermaid princess who is shunned by her father, the King, for being unhuman but sticks to her desire to remain in mermaid form and create a country in which both humans and unhumans can live in harmony no matter the cost. The premise is interesting despite the story being a bit disjointed. The art is also lovely, especially the scenes with water.

This one felt a little disjointed to me in the beginning; some of the dialogue felt very abrupt and I didn't understand what they meant by deducting points. By the end, the story grew on me and I liked the inclusion of Eno's Journey. It showed a place that wasn't like Blognig, where the unhumans are hated and banished, but also not like how Aquatia is described, where unhumans can live and be who they are freely. Eno is not hated but she's not truly free, while Mio is royal but told to be something she is not and taught not to accept herself as she is. Both girls start off trapped, one by family in the only life she's ever known, and one by gratitude for the man she considers to have saved her. I would like to see more unhumans, but considering volume 1 takes place in Blognig where any unhuman (besides Mio) is banished, it makes sense that we don't see any other than the princess except when referring to another character's children. With Eno's story, the author is able to show the reader a few more ideas for unhumans which is nice. Both Mio and Eno are upbeat and kind of naive despite their circumstances and I didn't expect much character development from any of the side characters but I was pleasantly surprised. While there isn't a lot, there is still enough to show that each character is more complex than meets the eye, which is a big theme here. There are clear morals to the story and they are well delivered throughout. The idea behind this story is interesting and I look forward to seeing what happens in volume 2.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mio is a mermaid in a kingdom that treats Unhumans as second-class citizens and deports them if discovered. When she meets her new tutor—who not only accepts but encourages her in exploring her identity as a mermaid—a friendship blossoms and she begins to question and rebel against the injustices perpetuated against the magically-inclined citizens of her kingdom.

The first volume was compelling: the bubbly art style suited the story and Mio’s progression towards questioning herself and her kingdom’s customs was enjoyable to read. Art-wise, the screentone choices to depict shading and texture on the characters (particularly their clothes) were varied and compelling, and the way the artist drew ocean and water was very pretty. In terms of the story, I hope that in the following installments, we get more answers about why the people of Mio’s kingdom are distrustful of magic and magical creatures in the first place. I was also surprised by how fast-paced the story was for a shojo manga—a surprising amount of action happened within the first few chapters and it makes me wonder if the next few volumes are going to take place on a journey.

I’d recommend this to shojo/fantasy fans in upper elementary or older! People who liked reading Cursed Princess Club by lambcat will likely enjoy this manga.

Thank you NetGalley and VizMedia for the opportunity to read this volume!

I loved this!
In this world, there are people with powers named Unhumans who are looked down upon and bullied. Except, the princess is an Unhuman (no one knows this, though). She has powers of a mermaid. The only reason she is still alive is because she is destined to marry a prince, which is why a man comes to train her on the ways of being a human.

Mio's a mermaid in a kingdom that despises magic. The castle staff tries to control her magic by giving her potions that turn her human. When an attendant from her betrothed's kingdom arrives to tutor her in preparation for her marriage, she learns that her magic may be more important that her family realizes.

The art is gorgeous. The story is compelling. There are secrets and hidden identities. I love it and you will too!

Wow I loved this manga!! The story and the art style are really compelling. Definitely one of the better mangas that I've read this year.