Umi no Misaki

It really is quite a story. Umi no Misaki is very unique and can pull us into this lovely tale with suspicion, mystery, and a slight suspense that enthralls the ecchi and romance that surrounds the main character.

I liked the uniqueness and the suspense built into this manga. I didn't like the various awkwardness that was brought about, even if it added to the story.

There we are, umi no misaki, one of the best romance manga ever written. Open polygamy, god tier characters development, excellent original and mysterious story.

The story is based on the believes and the mythology of the island. It makes everything refreshing and realistic. In this manga, you wont have the cliche plots of slice of life romance and harem. The story is serious, mature, well paced, cute and to enhance everything, there is a LITTLE touch of drama on the last chapters. I can only say this much to avoid spoiling the interesting story.

The characters is the point where I can put everything.

MC is not tense, he's open about his feelings, carefree and he's not stupid. He's the opposite of the MC that you can see in almost every shounen romance without being the perfect tall, handsome, muscular and mysterious cliche man found in shoujo. He's very realistic.

Shizuku is joyful and smart. She's probably the first girl to fall in love with MC. She's the most attached girl to the believes of the island. There is so much to say but it will be spoiling her character development.

Karin, the neighboor of the MC, she's one of the best tsundere I have ever seen. She started being the classical tsundere but the author didnt stretch everything for 100 chapters. She IS NOT the stupid tsundere that will punch MC during 100 chapters. She will quickly fall in love and become adorable, that is the good word. She's the least attached girl to the believes of the island (the total opposite of Shizuku on this point).

Soyogi, like Karin, starts the story as a cliche girl from harem. She's the cold type that only thinks about her duties ans she practices kendo. She has, obviously, no fucking clue about relationship and it will leads to an extraordinary character development with the growth of her love. Once again there is soo much to say but it would spoil the story...

The secondary characters are just necesary. No useless garbage characters added to fill the world. The only useless characters here are rare and present only in 2 panels maximum.

The teacher will push MC during his relationship with girl and will give "external" tips to MC. By external, I mean that she's from abroad like MC, she has not been raised with the island's believes. She will be of a great help throughout the story and at the end.

Rinne, Karin's sister will always root for the MC. She's bound with the story (no explanation because it would spoil) and she will give a great help at the end because of her knowledge (knowledge bound with the story, when reading you will understand)

Keiko, teacher's friend. She appears far in the manga so I wont say much about her but she will HUGELY improve the character development of MC and his feelings and she will hugely improve Shizuku's development.

Overall, this story is probably the best romance I have even read. It's a real mature seinen and not a fake seinen with shounen features like you can find many. It's the best character development I have ever seen, all the girls are litteraly as enjoyable and likable. The romance plot is truly a lesson, 99% of the authors that write harem should learn from umi no misaki. The story is constantly good and straight. The word "useless" is not on author's vocabulary. No useless characters, no useless chapters, no useless drama, no useless filler. It's a must read.

Well, this is my first time reviewing a manga but after finishing this prime example of a harem manga, I thought I should write one.

Story starts with our hero Goto Nagi, who's a highschool kid coming to a remote island where his mother was a local. The background for the manga is pretty generic. "A used playground" is the correct word. Manga is based on that used playground, but it makes a great sandcastle.
For the few chapters, manga makes you think that this is a mystery manga and that the protaganist is trying to solve the puzzle, but that's not it. Not remote. It's a pretty sweet story. We have our climax, our closure, our epilogue. I have something that I can't overlook though. In the first chapter, Nagi's dad tells him on the phone that his company gave him more work and Nagi should live alone for a year. I'm passing the fact that a parent is notifiying his child that he'll be leaving him alone for a year "on the freaking phone", but it is later said that Nagi's mom is a maiden. (Not a spoiler, you'll learn it pretty soon.) Which means that his father knows that the islands traditions, and who Nagi really is. (Again, first chapter, no spoiler.) So he knew the hardships that his child would face. I may not have let my kid go to that... island if I knew what would happen. Or maybe he didn't know jack so he let him go, but it's still a pretty big question not answered.


Art is quite... soft. It's silky. It's what makes this manga this manga. Few panels were badly drawn of course, but that happens in every manga. It was pretty much flawless.


Character is where the manga shines.You see, in many harem mangas/animes, the hero is a wimp. Yes he is. I'll never find out why Japan love their wimp heroes. This manga shows what a harem should be. No, it's the ultimate harem. I've read many harem mangas, and many much better mangas, but no manga or anime could beat the harem in this manga. It's a pretty good example of romantic harem. So far, Nagi is my favorite harem hero, he should be a role model to Keitarou (love hina). I never thought someone could beat Ichika's harem of mecha girls (infinite stratos), but someone did. No nosebleeds, no redness, no beat ups. No bullshit. Nagi is the man, man. He is everything a hero should be. He's there when he's needed, he's super nice, he's smart and most of all, HE CAN HANDLE THE GIRLS. HE-CAN-HANDLE-THE-GIRLS. No one does it. Eventually, the hero breaks down in a harem. No. Not Nagi. He goes 'till the end. He blooms the romance. He's not some pussy who can't even deliver the feeling of a man. (Yes, I'm looking at you Ouma Shu. Fuck you and your Guilty Crown.)

Some might not like him for being equal to all girls, but he's really equal to all. He loves them all. He's indecisive at that. I really loved the character development in this manga, because you literally see Nagi growing up as a person. Same goes for the girls. Each go through with their developments and become the flowers they are. Soyogi is my best girl of course.


It was a while since I've enjoyed a romantic harem manga. No, I didn't enjoy any other harem manga as I've enjoyed this one. Since my expextations was so low, it easily held a place in my mind. If you're a fan of harems, romance, and characters that are grown-ups, look no further. This manga may be in your top 5 after you read it.

This is the harem manga I've been looking for!

So the comment field were full of comments saying things like "this is not your average "harem comedy", and guess what, they are all correct!

My personal theory on how this manga came about is that the author came up with this highly erotic setting; a desolate island in south Okinawa, a mystical and ancient sect, and three maidens who have been trained their whole life to fulfill the desires of the reincarnated Dragon God - if the Dragon God were to reincarnate that is. So when the mangaka was about to get off on this whole thing he realized that the three poor maidens would really have a f***ed up childhood due to this, and instead of going full frontal, he decided let the protagonist actually help out these poor maidens and sort out their issues - while falling in love with all of them.

This concept actually works really well. It is done with warmth and humour, and the setting combined with the art is just wonderful, you can really feel the stingy heat from the mid day sun, the sand between your toes and taste of salt (from the sea - he did not go the hentai route, remember?). So the whole thing is an exercise of indulgence of beautiful girls, good food and a good enough story that you keep reading it. The depiction of the MC kind of suck though, he seriously looks like a mix between Goku (from DBZ) and Gatsu (from Berserk). There's one thing I've realized though, the mangaka loves drawing girls with outstanding ears! It's great! Why is he alone about this?

Character wise I think this is where it really hits the spot. These characters seem like real people. The three maidens have distinct, realistic and interesting personalities that you actually care about and everyone develop very realistic through out the story. You understand why the MC falls for all three of them, and you totally get why he is indecisive and insecure, and the interaction between them have a great flow.

As for the story, it is a harem comedy after all. Misunderstandings, jealousy and very unrealistic premises, of course. It cant really be helped. I'd rather read this than a manga about a polygamist mormon family. What I like with it is that it tries to be somewhat realistic within the premises, with a somewhat realistic take on polygamy. Compared to the generic harem comedies this is very refreshing.

Over all, as an indulgence of girls, sandy beaches and such, it's a refreshing take on the harem comedy that I absolutely recommend.

After being into Anime and Manga seriously for over 10 years now, I can say with confidence that I'm familiar with the medium, as well as the genres. But there isn't a genre that I'm more judgmental of than harem romcom.

In the beginning I was accepting of most harem stories if the main character finally chose one girl by the end. But as I got older, I had more and more expectations and became less tolerable of certain tropes. It's because of this that I've ignored Harem series as of late.

But then I came across Umi no Misaki. I'd seen the series cover on Mangareader many times but never felt the need to read it until recently. The series begins typically for the genre and sets up to be a standard series; depending on the level of sexuality and nudity of course.

I was surprised to find that the series quickly dispatched the typical tropes of the harem genre. Not all of them mind you but a good portion of them. The repetitive demonizing of sexuality and labeling of the main character a pervert doesn't happen; except once at the beginning as a joke. Instead, there overall seem to be a celebration of sexuality and no shunning takes place. This trope has been the main reason to why I don't read harem series anymore. There doesn't HAVE to be sex in the stories, but the demonizing of sexuality, especially for men is insulting and repetitive.

Overall the series is very well written with a great story and developed characters. It still has its share of problems however. By the final act of the series, the story deteriorates leaving you completely confused about what's going on. The Dragon God backstory is never explained, which is a problem since it's the MAIN PLOT. And for a Dragon God, not much magic or godly activities happen, which is very disappointing. Furthermore, Rinne's past life as the lover of the Dragon God comes out of no where and goes no where.

I know I'm supposed to avoid spoilers but I find it impossible to properly review ANYTHING without some spoilers. The ending is abrupt and inconclusive, and the Christmas special right after adds to the lack of closure. According to this website there are 135 chapters, but every Manga hosting site says the series ends at chapter 127. If there are 8 missing chapters, though it wouldn't fix much, it makes sense given the incompleteness of the conclusion.

I want to give the series a higher score, but I honestly can't given how incomplete it feels. It doesn't help that at a certain part of the story, it feels like a horror movie. No joke, it feels like Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, and just as overrated and confusing. Seriously, no word of a lie I fell asleep while watching that Anime.

In short, Umi no Misaki is a good Manga that breaks the mold well, but the last part can really ruin the experience; it did for me at least. I'm rating it a 5/10, though why this website classes "Decent" below "Mediocre" I don't know.

After following over 500 series (manga and anime) I've finally found the rare pearl I was looking for !

I began reading this by pure chance, I just saw the title in a list and the synopsys made me want to have a look at this manga even if I dislike harem.
But after I began to read, I couldn't stop, the story is really amazing, the folklore of the island is well developed, even if some character can be pretty annoying at some time you'll realise that there story is developed as much as the main character and that they are not just girl, but a character with his own story.

Every character will grow during this story, in terms of maturity, sociability and romance. The Romance is much more present than the harem. This story remebered me my teenage years 3-4 years ago when I was discovering "love", this nostalgic feeling given by the manga is jsut amazing.

Tradition, romance, problem of life, and funny moments, with sad moments will lead you to support and acknowledge every character in this manga. If you like slice of life and grown-up story, this is a must see.

I rated it 10 because 9.8 wasn't available, even if the art is a bit old, you can see the beauty of this island.

Hello guys reading my review, this is my first review so please don't think badly of it.
Now to get onto the grasp of this manga, i have read about 100 chapters so i would have a fair knowledge about this. You might hate this manga for whatever reasons but i give good scores to anime and manga because they are always entertaining in a way whatever the anime/manga is like typical,ecchi,harem,drama.

About: This starts off like some typical harem mangas and animes do, which i fairly like about it, it starts off the main protagonist then meets a heroine in a way, then he discovers a secret or something that would make him a harem king (or a lucky bastard). One thing i do like about this manga is that it has a little bit or more later on of ecchi (e.g. kissing,touching,sex scenes), it mainly focuses on the main characters and a little bit of the supporting ones, but they could of put more story about the main protagonist be known around the island and his classmates, but on the bright side you won't care much about details like this.

Art 8/10: The art is noticeably good, not bad but something over the top to slice it off, i do however like the cutesy act the heroines try to put on,but for chibi fans sorry this series won't have art looking like little people.

Story 7/10: Story is enough to put you on the trail, it won't make you go 'Gasp! what a twist', this series hardly details on the outside of the island like the main protagonist's past or what happens inside island

Character 8/10: The main protagonist, is a easy going and kind guy who isn't oblivious to girl's feelings and responds to all of them ("if you know what i mean -_-" ) However the girls are trying to gain his favor and they all kissed him, but i guess not that many unique characters such as a tsundere or flat chested girl.

Enjoyment 9/10: I pretty enjoyed this manga because of it's comedy side, and how they all are competing for his attention, this did make me curse a lot but like sorta a good curse, like saying lucky bastard to the main protagonist.

Overall 9/10: I would recommend this manga for typical harem,ecchi and romance lovers, it's definitely one of my most read manga.

The story starts out great, you have a fun set of characters and it's beautiful to see their interactions and growth, even if the main character still leaves much to be desired, I would say he still resembles shonen main characters that just go along with the flow without a will of their own.

But by the ending, the story not only took a turn for the worst, it went full speed at it. Disregarding everything we were presented before about the characters, their feelings and resolve.

Too me those final chapters completely destroyed any good mood I had while reading the story, and instead of finishing satisfied, happy and fulfilled, all I have right now is a feeling of disappointment, I feel empty.

I'm tempted to even review this below 5 out of spite, but you might still find enjoyment while reading, so I'll settle for a 6.

It is not often that you'd come across an ecchi harem manga, where the main characters aren't afraid to follow-trough and express their affections for one another, just like any real couple in an actual relationship. Yet that is exactly the kind of manga you've stumbled across. Umi no Misaki being an Ecchi, Harem, Slice of Life, with a greater focus on the Romance to enhance its relaxing story; revolving around an island community, with its own ancient customs and cultural traditions.

Set in the radiant & lush island of Okitsu; a city boy named Nagi Goto travels to such an isolated rural environment, for both family reasons and to visit the "Ocean's Cape" his late mother talked about. It is there he meets a local girl, who he then becomes acquainted with, subsequent to a near-death incident. This is what kicks off a chain of events, whereby he eventually learns of the customs within Okitsu, which involves their traditions surrounding the island deity known as the "Dragon God". And Nagi eventually becomes a major part of it all.

This is what basically occurs during the 1st volume and the volumes that follow just further develop the story, in a slow yet more romantic sense. Now I must say that the romance that occurs in Umi no Misaki is quite remarkable for a harem and will keep a lot of readers hooked, even without much comedy or drama, which a lot of harems can't seem to do without. Even with its sluggish pacing and how it constantly skirts around the major issues, the mangaka seems afraid to address, the well done & tasteful romance is what makes this manga worth reading. Because beyond that, there isn't much to this harem's drawn out story.

Now for this to be recognized as a harem, a male protagonist is usually required and it comes in the form of our young adolescent/young adult (it's never really clear) Nagi Goto. In the beginning there’s not much to him or his personality, as Nagi feels just like one of those blank slates in the beginning of an average visual novel. However he quickly becomes very involved in the plot and to an extent, a rather charismatic character to both the readers and the girls.

The girls in question are not quite the one-dimensional, cardboard cut-outs, with labels like "dandere" & "tsundere" plastered on them. No instead of relying on such generic archetypes, they almost resemble actual girls (almost) that have been born and raised in a closed-off community and it's rather refreshing that it often shows things from their perspectives. 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. However it stumbles across the usual pitfalls of having interesting main characters and side characters that range from dull to plain annoying.

Yet one area this manga doesn't falter is in its incredible artwork, with a style that mixes realistic environments and stylistic characters. The scenery is beautifully drawn, with fine detail put into the building architecture, ocean waves and even the foliage. Whereas the characters are much more simple-looking yet well-drawn, with excellent facial expressions. Though their features can sometimes be out of proportion and the blushing cheeks tend look out of place and overdone, but I guess I'm just nitpicking here.

Overall Umi no Misaki is a harem manga I'll remember, not for its fanservice or generic scenarios filled with misunderstandings. But for the way it handled the romance, making it feel like a "true harem". Whereby the characters genuinely feel like they are in a relationship with one another and not just fumbling into each other. The whole island and its cultural traditions, isn't a unique concept in the story, but it is handled in quite the unique fashion and helps spice things up gives the romantic story some direction. Unfortunately the story lacks some much needed tension and even though it tries to shoehorn some towards the end, it comes across as rather sloppy and leads to a rather anti-climactic finish. Yet even with the way things drag on to a point that it could kill ones interest, I'll still recommend Umi no Misaki to anyone who enjoys a good romance or harem.

This is your archetypal 2000's harem manga, 'nuff said.

...The first half is quite good for this genre and deserves at least a 7/10. Unfortunately it progresses in exactly the direction you won't want it to (i.e. nothing happens) and the resolution comes out of nowhere and feels like a step backwards. But the girls are cute, it's kind of funny, it's an easy read, and it (usually) does a good job of just taking itself seriously enough to feel like a real story without getting bogged down in drama.

Let's be honest, you're reading this for the ecchi. Umi no Misaki delivers on that front for sure, by gradually building up the sexual tension and going a bit further in each encounter, throwing in some extra girls here and there, and all around it's a good time. But for some reason, around the 2/3's mark when we're finally getting to see the things we've all been waiting for, it just stops with the ecchi almost entirely and shoehorns in some crappy drama that consumes the rest of the series. It's very disappointing because at that point, the story feels like it's been laying the foundation to a proper ecchi series, where the characters are all in the right setting and states of mind to get some juicy romance. But then it just... doesn't happen. There's a BIG DRAMA that gets quickly resolved and the story ends.

Story-wise, it kinda sucks but it's a quick read, so it's not too bad? Seriously, the dialogue is VERY light and simple, I've never read a ~130 chapter manga so quickly in my life. So even though the plot is paper-thin, it progresses quickly enough that it stays fresh. Honestly didn't find myself bored until the end, mostly because I could get through 10 chapters in as many minutes. The characters are fun and have their own personalities, although Soyogi and Shizuku are basically the same person, and Karin (the most interesting character by far) gets the short end of the stick most of the time. Nagi is about as bland as they come and spends most his time passively observing the girls as they lose their minds with jealousy and try to take his pants off.

Our main dude, Nagi, is the "remarkably level-headed"-type, which is the most tolerable of harem protagonist archetypes. He basically just earns the affection of every girl he comes across, simply by being less insane than they are and also not an asshole. He has no interests, backstory, motivations, or personality. But he's kind of a nice guy and that's enough for three women to spend their lives fighting over him. Whenever one (or all) of the girls start losing their minds with jealousy, he pats them on the head and tells them to believe in themselves, and they transform into a little puppy and go back to fighting over him.

Do I recommend this? If you're already reading reviews for this manga, then you're clearly already the type to enjoy it. So go ahead and read it until you get bored, then stop. There is no satisfying resolution, nothing exciting is revealed towards the end, so you're absolutely free to give up whenever you lose interest. It's fun if you want some summery, nostalgic ecchi, but it's probably not enough to actually crank one out to and you're not gonna find anything particularly memorable. Try it out, it's fun.