Umibe no Onnanoko (A Girl on the Shore)

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Umibe no Onna-no-Ko, The Girl of the Beach, A Girl by the Sea

Japanese: うみべの女の子

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Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 2

Chapters: 20

Status: Finished

Published: Jul 7, 2009 to Jan 8, 2013

Genres: Drama, Romance

Themes: Psychological, School

Serialization: Manga Erotics F

Authors: Asano, Inio (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 7.22¹ (scored by 38,706 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #5642²

² based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #180

Members: 79,717

Favorites: 1,914

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Wikipedia

7.22

Ranked #5642Popularity #180Members 79,717

MangaManga Erotics FAsano, Inio (Story & Art)

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Volumes: /2

Chapters: /20

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Synopsis

In a seaside town where very little happens, middle school students Keisuke Isobe and Koume Satou live a rather dull life. But when Koume's crush breaks her heart, their situation becomes quite unordinary. She starts a "no-strings-attached" relationship with Keisuke, whom she had previously rejected, both finding solace in the other in order to fill the emotional voids in their lives. However, being "friends with benefits" becomes complicated when real feelings begin to develop, as the consequences of their relationship start to take their toll on those around them and themselves.

Umibe no Onnanoko takes a harsh look at love, relationships, and the emotional price that will be paid as the result of a decision made between two teenagers.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Background

Umibe no Onnanoko was published in English as A Girl on the Shore by Vertical Inc under the Vertical Comics imprint in a single volume on January 19, 2016, in Spanish as La chica a la orilla del mar by Milky Way in early 2014, and in Russian as Девушка у моря by Comics Factory from January 31 to March 14, 2018.

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Characters

Isobe, Keisuke

Main

Satou, Koume

Main

Kobayashi, Keiko

Supporting

Otsu, Katsutoshi

Supporting

Kashima, Shota

Supporting

Sanzaki, Misaki

Supporting

Yoshizaku

Supporting

Kanae

Supporting

Reviews

Jun 20, 2014

Veronin

Recommended

Known for the acclaimed "Oyasumi Punpun" and "Solanin", Asano Inio has established his talent with both imagery and the written word. His stories are most noticeable for their oppressive and perpetual sense of melancholy, and "Umibe no Onnanoko" is certainly no exception.

Umibe no Onnanoko (lit. Girl of the Sea) is a brief tale of two teenagers' sexual frustration. Where most anime and manga draw the line at a simple kiss or confession, Umibe no Onnanoko starts its first chapter with a sexual encounter. There is no build-up, no confession: the two just decide to share their loneliness by having sex with one another. It is ... not a story based in the ideals of romance; Asano knows that the real world is not quite so innocent.

Following the experiences of Isobe and his long-term crush, Koume, the story quickly falls into one of despair and misanthropy. Koume was betrayed (a truth she does not want to admit to herself) by her previous boyfriend, used as a source of sexual pleasure rather than being loved and cherished as the kind-hearted person she is (or was). She knows that Isobe has feelings for her and soon finds herself exploiting his feelings to make herself feel like she is appreciated. She does believe another person would ever love her for her personality, so she uses the only thing she is a certain a boy would love: her body.

Unsurprisingly, things do not turn out well for the two. Isobe has his feelings betrayed and sees the girl he once loved exposed as a fake, manipulative nymphomaniac. His ideals of love and romance are destroyed in front of his eyes. He grows to hate Koume for it and devolves from an innocent boy into a depressed, hateful misanthrope. Eventually he does not even want physical intimacy with another person.

What is most appealing about the story is how natural it all feels. Everyone (well... nearly everyone) has known what it is like to be rejected or lied to by somebody they love. Sex is a natural part of an intimate relationship and sometimes it is not always a romantic experience. It can be heart-breaking, painful and even empty.

Asano uses dialogue well throughout the manga. Like its portrayal of sex, the conversations between the characters feel authentic. Teenagers curse with their friends and gossip about how big a girl's breasts are or how hot a certain boy is. There is none of the 'idiot friend' or harem set-ups common in anime. When two characters talk to one another, it feels like something a real person would say. This allows the reader to empathise with the story around them, but also brings something much more relevant: emotional resonance. There is a powerful scene where Koume asks Isobe what kind of person he doesn't hate (owing to his blatant misanthropy), and he simply responds with "Kind people." Everything the story had been buildings towards was encapsulated in those two words of text.

There is also a bit of side-story about Isobe's deceased brother, but it mainly exists to develop Isobe's character rather than simply existing as a distraction from the overlying story. The story is focused, and thankfully, given its short two-volume length. There is plenty of dialogue between background characters as well, which expresses that the world around the two main characters is alive and moving. They inhabit the world but they are not the world itself. They are just two dirty cogs cycling their way around an infinite world.

The artwork of Umibe no Onnanoko is beautiful, though that should come as no surprise given the author. Each character is given life and emotion in their facial expression, including even the background characters who appear for just one or two panels. There is no scene that feels lazy. There are even gorgeous, intoxicating scenery shots spread throughout each chapter (much like what is found in Oyasumi Punpun), though they are never there to take the reader's attention away from the story. Asano Inio is surely one of the best mangaka when it comes to putting images to paper, but he never neglects the story in favour of glitter and glamour. He conveys both the beauty and anxiety of life in his imagery.

If there is one major criticism to be had, it is that the ending feels abrupt. The characters had been steadily falling downwards and downwards, so far down that it seemed they would never be able to get out of their mess. And then they suddenly forget all their troubles and decide to live for the better. I suppose it could simply be rationalised as human beings being whimsical creatures, but it did feel lacking compared to the endings of some of Asano's other works. No doubt he could have expressed himself better.

Umibe no Onnanoko is not always a pleasant manga to read. It challenges the reader's perception of sexuality, romance and sincerity. The two main characters and the world that surrounds them are deeply flawed, imperfect existences. It is less concerned with ideals and more with providing a believable setting that the reader can understand and empathise with. All human beings need a healthy dose of escapism from time to time, but stories such as this are just as necessary.

It will not change anyone's beliefs, and while it is hardly a 'fun time', it is difficult to come out of reading Umibe no Onnanoko without the feeling that something a little bit more meaningful was gained.

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Apr 21, 2021

ItKindaDepends

Mixed Feelings

*POTENTIAL SPOILERS*

This is going to be a most curious review because if I could have not put a grade on this piece of work, I would have done so.

Before Umibe no Onnanoko, I have read Asano's "Oyasumi Punpun" (10/10), "Solanin" (8/10), "Subarashii Sekai" (with the author's commentaries) (8/10) and "Reiraku" (10/10).

Is Umibe no Onnanoko a great piece of work ? Certainly. Because it made me think so much. Each time I finish one of Asano's work, I am blown away by how much his work makes me think on how I feel about it. However, this is the first time where I "disagree" ...

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Apr 18, 2016

chevybow

Not Recommended

Umibe No Onnanoko is quite possibly the worst piece of literature that my hands have touched in the past decade.

Now to be fair, I knew absolutely nothing about this manga prior to buying it. Perhaps I should have done my research. When the first sex scene came by I was surprised because, again, I knew literally nothing about the manga. But it was fine. Sex scenes aren't that bad right? I'm sure they have meaning. Oh look another sex scene. And another one. Another one. Another one. Dj khaled can't save me here this book is literally sex and bad story telling.

The actual story ...

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Poll: Umibe no Onnanoko Chapter 4 Discussion Stark700 - Feb 16, 2014	6 replies	by UnoPuntoCinco »» Aug 4, 11:59 AM
Poll: Umibe no Onna no Ko Chapter 3 Discussion name_is_MAYO - Aug 20, 2011	12 replies	by UnoPuntoCinco »» Aug 4, 11:49 AM
Poll: Umibe no Onnanoko Chapter 20 Discussion ( 1 2 ) sarroush - Jun 13, 2014	78 replies	by waltermb »» Jun 8, 1:49 PM
Poll: Umibe no Onnanoko Chapter 16 Discussion Ale1212 - Apr 23, 2013	5 replies	by Tunnnel_Vision »» Jan 15, 9:59 AM
Poll: Umibe no Onnanoko Chapter 11 Discussion Ale1212 - Apr 23, 2013	8 replies	by Tunnnel_Vision »» Jan 14, 3:05 AM

Umibe no Onnanoko
A Girl on the Shore
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A Girl on the Shore
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