Ok, after all that we need something cute, frothy, and feminine. Surely a cute shojo manga from Shojo Beat can deliver that!
...right?
IN THE NAME OF THE MERMAID PRINCESS (Mio no Na no Moto ni), written by Yoshino Fumikawa with art by Miya Tashiro. First published in 2020 and first published in North America in 2024.
PLOT:
Princess Mio was born a mermaid, but her kingdom of Blognig severely persecutes demi-humans like her. As such, she is hidden from the world, forced to take magical medicines to hide her true form. Only her father and a select few servants know the truth, and all of them go out of their way to avoid touching her.
As her sixteenth birthday approaches, she is assigned a tutor to teach her the ways of her fiance's kingdom. This tutor, Yuri, refuses to humor her kingdom's prejudices and encourages her to embrace her true form and abilities, putting the both of them in peril. It's up to Mio to use her abilities to save Yuri and escape to a world where they both can safely exist.
STORY:
Well that was certainly more serious than I expected from that title! You might think you're getting fluffy cuteness with that title and cover art, but you're actually getting a story about oppression and prejudice. It's heavy stuff for a story originally targeted to preteens, but you can't argue that these are lessons that aren't still worth learning.
I'll admit I initially side-eyed the dynamic between Mio and Yuri. She can be cheerful, but she's also painfully naïve and a bit of a wilting flower and Yuri comes off a bit too aggressive at the start. Thankfully things get better once they start to venture outside of her tower. It becomes clear fairly quickly that his intentions are not to train her in etiquette but instead to show her how her father's policies have caused his people to suffer and left his daughter ignorant of her true powers and identity. These revelations are enough to radicalize Mio, allowing her to take a more active role in the story and to save him in return when he needs it most.
As far as allegories for racism and xenophobia go, this might be one of the least subtle. You've got children torn away from their families, people getting deported, rampant fearmongering, the whole nine yards, with everyone from the king to ordinary citizens participating. I have to give Fumikawa some credit for not shying away from the seriousness of this theme, even if she tries to temper it with silly little running jokes like Mio's servants docking points for naughty behavior. Her approach is not complex and she can sometimes be rather blunt about the moral, but there's absolutely no harm in being blunt about the fact that no one should be oppressed for who they are and that it's important to stand up against such evil, even if it comes at great personal cost. If anything it's a lesson that's only gotten more timely and one that everyone could stand to remember and internalize.
ART:
The story might be serious, but the artwork is adorable. There's nothing here that's stunningly original in style or composition but it's competent and pleasant. The only notable gaffe is one that is all too common to shojo manga artists: the inability to draw older people in a credible fashion. Since Mio spends most of this series in long sleeves and skirts (even in mermaid form), it's hard to judge her true character design, but I do like that she's given little fin ears that stick out like elf ears. It's a fun detail that's not often seen in mermaid designs as well as a little visual metaphor for the futility of suppressing one's true self.
PRESENTATION:
There's an additional short story, and technically the main manga is a spin-off of this story (per the author's notes). "Eno's Flight, Pt. 1" follows an angel girl who performs in a travelling circus. Initially she is simply happy to have a place to belong and a purpose in the world. It's only after a wingless angel boy named Ayun is brought (arguably shanghaied) into their troupe that she begins to question if she is truly loved or merely being exploited for spectacle and for her healing powers. Thematically it's quite similar, if somewhat lower-stakes.
RATING:
In the Name of the Mermaid Princess delivers its serious message in a cute and filly package, like an iron fist in a lace glove. If the art were a little more distinct, this would be a surefire green light. As it is, it's still a good work that would make a fine fit for a library shelf or as a gift for younger shojo readers.
This manga is published by Viz under their Shojo Beat imprint. This series is complete in Japan with 7 volumes available. 4 volumes have been released and are currently in print.
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