Ranked #1586

Umi no Misaki (Manga)

Umi no Misaki is a Harem, Ecchi, Romance, Slice of Life with a very enigmatic story revolving around an island community and its ancient customs and rituals. But for the most part it is just your standard harem focusing on the relationships between 1 male protagonist and 3 heroines.

The story is about a city boy (Nagi Goto) who travelled to Okitsu Island, to check out the Umi no Misaki (Ocean’s Cape) when he meets a local girl named Shizuku Narumi. They then get acquainted with one another, subsequent to a life & death situation. Whilst living on the island Nagi begins to learn some of the secrets surrounding Okitsu; involving their traditions and the Dragon God and he soon becomes a major part of it all. This is what basically occurs during the 1st volume and the volumes preceding this just further develop the story, in a more romantic sense.

For this to be recognized as a harem a protagonist is required and it comes in the form of a young adolescent named Nagi. In the beginning there’s nothing outstanding about him or his personality, as he is just as normal as you and me but he quickly becomes a very involving character. The girls aren’t quite what you typically find in your harems and they all emit a form of perplexity in some way. The 3 main girls (Shizuku, Karin & Soyogi) all have contrasting personalities and it’s remarkable to see the effect Nagi has on each of them, over time.

The outstanding feature of this manga is its incredible artwork, with a style that ever so often mixes real life images, with hand-drawn stuff (mostly in the colour panels). The scenery is beautifully drawn, with fine detail put into the building architecture, ocean waves and the vegetation. Whereas the characters are somewhat well-drawn, with excellent facial expressions; their features can sometimes be out of proportion and the blushing cheeks look out of place.

Overall Umi no Misaki is proving to be a dazzling harem series, with an ample amount of tasteful fanservice that doesn’t rely, too much, on the usual clichés. The whole Dragon God and Cape Maiden concept is quite unique and helps spice things up a bit but there’s still long way to go until this can become a remarkable manga. So if you’re looking for a harem manga that isn’t like your typical Ichigo 100% or Love Hina then this is certainly worth checking out.

Note: May edit if necessary. ^_^ read more