From the creator of the acclaimed manga titles the gods lie and The Golden Sheep comes a new short story collection – Mermaid Prince. Mugi is a big city kid struggling to adjust to life in Okinawa, where he moved with his sister and new brother-in-law. But to his only friend Matori, he’s a bona fide prince. Feeling out of place at home, Mugi runs away to Matori’s house and learns about legendary mermaids who will grant you one wish – if you can make it to them alive.
Kaori Ozaki has built up a strong reputation amongst manga readers for her emotionally powerful works, a feat made all the more impressive by achieving this without the help of anime adaptations of her work. This latest release from Vertical is a collection of short stories showcasing Ozaki at her very best. As well as the title story, there are two additional stories included. Ametsukigahara focuses on Umino, an eccentric high school girl who is drifting apart from her friends and having a hard time finding direction in her life. One Snowy Day meanwhile sees a librarian encountering an unusual father and son taking shelter from a blizzard in her workplace.
As to be expected from Ozaki’s work, this collection packs a punch and will go beyond tugging at your heartstrings. She has always excelled at depicting believable characters in relatable situations (even when elements of fantasy are involved). Ametsukigahara hits on several themes that Ozaki has explored in her previous works (particularly The Golden Sheep) including troubled adolescence, bullying and running away from home. It’s rare to see a character as all over the place and negatively impulsive as Umino (you just have to look at her rather drastic actions when she finds out her best friend has a boyfriend) with Ozaki presenting a sensitive portrayal that doesn’t hold anything back.
The title story – being the longest piece – also hold many hallmarks of what readers expect in Ozaki’s work with Loneliness and homesickness being predominantly explored. Fans of the gods lie will gravitate towards this piece with the focus on the Okinawa seaside location along with Mugi’s struggle to adjust to non-city life and rather lofty wishes hitting all the right targets when it comes to exploring turbulent adolescence.
Ozaki’s art continues to be one of her major strong points in her latest work. She tends to avoid over exaggerated actions and faces that are regularly encountered in most manga. Her characters still have a delicate quality, and she favours subtlety when it comes to expressing emotion and conveying body language. The location work is also tremendous with the tropical feel of Mermaid Prince and the snowy setting of One Snowy Day adding many more layers to each respective story.
This collection won’t disappoint long-time fans of Ozaki with her proving she is still at the top of her game. In addition, any fans of standalone manga should definitely give Mermaid Prince a look.
Mermaid Prince is out 25 June from Vertical (9781647293611, p/b, £13.99)
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