If I had a nickel for every mermaid manga I read this year, I would have two nickels. That isn't a lot but it's more that I would have expected for a concept this niche.
A SINNER OF THE DEEP SEA (Abyss Azure no Zaizin), by Akihito Tomi. First published in 2020 and first published in North America in 2024.
PLOT:
Deep in the ocean, there is an entire society of mermaids living their lives. That includes Jo, a rebellious young mermaid who is happy to tag along with her best friend Ryuu, a popular dancer. One day it is revealed that Ryuu committed the worst crime possible in their world: she revealed their existence to a human. Worse still, she's fallen in love with them and is willing to go on a heartsick hunger strike to prove it! Jo is determined to save her friend at any cost, even if means swallowing her pride and risking her own freedom to confront this man herself.
