Member Reviews
This has quickly become a favorite manga series of mine. The characters are great, the story is really interesting, and the art is really pretty.
I enjoyed the first installment in this series and volume 2 is even better! I love following Mio's story and getting to see more unhumans and different cities. Here we get to see humans and unhumans living together but there's still clearly some prejudice and fear of what's different. Mio learns more about her powers and uses them to help people in order to repay the doctor that helped her and Yuri. While Mio sees some goodness in the world where humans and unhumans coexist, she also sees some darkness and by the end of the volume wonders if it's safe for humans if she's around.
We meet a few new allies and interesting characters in this one, especially July who I won't say much about except that he is a rare and powerful being in a similar way to Mio. Mio has a lot of character growth in this volume, growing into her true self more and learning what that even really means after being forced to hide that part of her her whole life. Yuri isn't that active in this one until the end but we see enough to realize how much he and Mio care for each other and are willing to do whatever they can to protect each other. We're left on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I look forward to seeing what happens next, particularly how July and Mio will influence each other, and meeting more unique characters.
Thank you VIZ Media LLC for the DRC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
My feelings about this volume of the manga and the series in general are quite conflicted. I love the message that it's trying to tell about discrimination and the fact we are never to old to learn to be different. The art is pretty and the concept of the story is cute. However, I can't say much more about it that's positive.
We started out with one conflict and instead of solving problem number one we just keep creating more without anything being resolved. I understand it's early in the series, but it just makes the story drag with no conflict resolution. I thought that Yuri and the prince were going to end up being the same person and that was also going to solve the relationship problems of her being betrothed and seeming like she's falling for someone else, and instead we've added another man into the mix that will probably also develop feelings for her. I also understand the idea of her hiding her identity because she's a princess, but for goodness sakes it's like she became the playable character in an MMORPG. She needed to earn money to pay the Dr, go in town and take up some side quests from the board. Then later, clean up the ocean cause you destroyed the town. I just don't see a clear path that this story is trying to take, at this point I don't even remember what the main issue in the story was and it's only been 2 volumes.
I'll probably give it one more volume, but this series is on the chopping block for me. It's going to have to do something amazing in volume 3 to change my opinion.
Thanks to #netgalley for an c-copy of #IntheNameoftheMermaidPrincessVol2 to read and review.
I'm really falling in love with this series. Mio is a really sweet main character, so watching her try to thrive in a world where people both hate and desire her for her abilities is really heartbreaking. The books also manage to be quite hopeful at the same time. I can't wait to see where this story goes next.
This story reminds me of the manga +Anima. I will always enjoy reading stories about magical people!
In volume 2, Mio and Yuri have set out to explore the world outside and of course nothing goes according to plan. In the Name of the Mermaid Princess is a cute series that tackles the subjects of prejudice and self doubt in a way that is fairly obvious, but easy to grasp for tween and young teen readers. The series is cute, albeit fairly predicable even for the target audience and overall a satisfying read.
Mio and Yuri make their escape through the currents and end up in Millicuffs, the kingdom to the south, rather than Aquatia! Mio is rather unhurt, but Yuri needs medical attention, and Mio racks up quite the debt from an unhuman doctor. She goes to town to try to earn some money and does so with one of the only skills she knows — healing people. This also makes her a big target, as the inhumane here know that means she’s probably very valuable. Mio also meets another powerful unhuman who tells her she, and everyone else, would be much safer if she returned to the sea and learned to embrace her true powers. As it is, she may be putting everyone in danger!
This volume also has Part two of Eno’s Flight
.
This story has a lot of heart. There is so much about self-discovery and learning to love who you are even though that can feel scary and dangerous sometimes. Mio will also have to figure out her place in the world and whether she is too dangerous to be with the humans, and her new friend echos a lot of what her father taught her, but for different reasons this time. Towards the end of this volume, Mio also learns some valuable lessons about taking responsibility for her actions from a strong female figure who I hope plays a reoccurring role in the story.
Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 6-10
This volume of "In the Name of the Mermaid Princess" continues to captivate with its adventurous storyline and intriguing character development. The exploration of Mio and Yuri's journey, as well as the complexities of their magical abilities, adds depth to the narrative. The tension surrounding Yuri's loss of control over her powers creates an engaging conflict, leaving readers eager to see how it will be resolved. Overall, a solid addition to the series.
When Mio and Yuri escape into the ocean, they end up in an unexpected place. Here Mio can use her healing magic to make money for travelling, but when brigands try to kidnap her and hurt Yuri, Mio's powers erupt in dangerous ways. Can the stranger with the earth powers help Mio learn to control her own gifts.
I was very delighted by the first volume of this series and am happy with the second one too. The art is gorgeous and the characters are well-defined. I look forward to learning more about the mysterious stranger too.
In continuation from the previous volume, Princess Mio is currently on the run from her hateful father and after some strife she and Yuri end up in a seaside town. In an attempt to earn money using her skills/powers, Mio learns some new things about herself.
As the story progresses I find myself having more and more of a difficult time connecting with the story. I am not a fan of conflict that involves a character getting pulled back and forth between the same issue over and over again, as Mio is with her powers being dangerous/helpful. She constantly questions whether she belongs in a world with regular humans and that will get old for me quick. Still, the different types of non-humans are interesting and the story is much more smooth than in the first volume.
This is a really interesting series so far! It reminds me of old school shoujo, even down to the art style (which I mean in the best way)! I really hope this keeps going in the direction it is going!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for the review!