In the Kingdom of Blognig, there is nothing but people. People born with animal characteristics are not accepted, even though it is a completely natural thing. Even if neither parent has a surname, and according to both law and custom, such”inhumans” will be transferred to other, more tolerant countries. Perhaps because execution would isolate Blognig politically, there are signs that it was their method of execution. Blognig prides herself on her “purity”, so it’s a big deal when the kingdom’s only princess, Mio, is born with fins and scales—she’s a mermaid. Perhaps for political reasons, the king did not abolish her but instead locked her in the palace, kept her away from the salt water that enhanced her strength, and insisted on hiring a doctor to prepare a medicine to transform her. His daughter became a fully human person.
If this sounds like a thinly veiled form of racism and ableism in a fantasy world, it is. In The Name of the Mermaid Princess is keen to use fantasy creatures to draw a parallel between real-world racism and ableism and their ills within its context , and for the most part, it works. Mio is Othered to an impressive degree, and she has heard that she is unworthy or less than human her entire life. She internalized it until she believed her existence was somehow wrong, if not downright disgusting. She wanted to love her differences, but for the most part she swallowed her father’s insistence that her fiancé, Prince Chika of Aquatia, would only accept her as his bride if he did not know about her situation. . Since his letters were one of the few positive things in her life, telling him the truth was not something she was willing to risk. She wants to be free to be herself but is scared.
Enter Yuuri, a young Aquatian who has come to Blognig to tutor Mio in that country’s way of life. Yuri is amazed at Mio’s treatment and doesn’t mind that she’s a mermaid; he tells her that it is wrong not to accept all parts of herself. This risks Mio learning to accept her mermaid nature because a boy told her to, and there are aspects of Mio and Yuri’s relationship that make her feel condescending. Yuuri is very straightforward and sometimes it seems harsh. Author Yoshino Fumikawa tries to paint it as simply one of those people who “talks as if.” Still, there’s something a little uncomfortable about the way he plays the part that opens her eyes to her true beauty, which would have made her feel more at home in a teen romantic comedy from the 1990s.
It is notable not only for its slight ick factor but also for the relationship between the female protagonist of the original short story set in the world of the series found in”Eno’s Flight”. Eno, like Mio, is a young woman, not human, but in this case an angel. After being abandoned by her parents as a child, Eno meets a young man who invites her to join his circus. He sees it as a safe place for her, but as soon as we see it in action, it becomes clear to us that Wondertini is much more like a freak show, where inhumans are on display to” perform”. We only read the first of what I assume will be two or three chapters at the end of this volume, the rest will be in later books, but Eno’s story parallels Mio’s in that it puts her under the power of a man. says he knows what’s best for her. In Eno’s case, that turned out to be untrue, and Wondertini (if that’s his name as well as the name of the show; it’s unclear) was more like the king of Blognig, wanting to use the people he He considers the Other for his own benefit. Yuri seems to be on the upswing (in fact, if he wasn’t Chika in disguise, I’d be shocked), and Mio is learning to have the strength to think and stand up for herself. It’s interesting to watch the two stories play out together, showing how Fumikawa changed his approach to his female protagonists over time.
Although In the Name of the Marine Princess can be a bit preachy, possibly due to its publication in the youth manga magazine Ribon, it essentially turns out to be an engaging story that is both easy to read and susceptible to. attractive. Mio shows impressive growth throughout this first episode and we see that her servants, the maid Rimore and the maid Pernice, are not quite what she believes they are, caught between loyalties. loyalty to the king and their interactions with his daughter. The story has an impressive level of nuance with clear points it wants to convey and the art enhances it beautifully, giving the story the feel of a literary fairy tale. If you’re a fan of Rei Tōma but are looking for something a little lighter, give it a chance.