Book Type: Manga/Series/Graphic Novel
Author: Itokichi
Current Volumes: 6
Summary(amazon.com): Merman in My Tub is an uproarious supernatural comedy manga that turns the popular "monster girl" genre on its tail by focusing on monster boys. What happens when an intruder from the sea stakes claim to your bathtub? A cool yet demure teenage boy named Tatsumi must learn to live with the self-obsessed and playful merman, Wakasa, in a small Tokyo apartment. These two dissimilar young men will learn what it takes to deal with one another in their everyday lives.
My Review:
After previous encounters with graphic novels and manga, I admit, I was skeptical, but after giving this series a chance, it's become one of my favorite merman books EVER!
A word to curious readers; manga is an adventure when you first start. Traditional Japanese manga is read from right to left, so you start at the back of the book! Once you get into the pattern, it's quite enjoyable.
Itokichi created a variety of curious mermen in her volumes. My favorite is of course, Wakasa, the main merman character. He's cheeky, cute, and demanding. Wakasa has a bunch of merman friends, which are based off a shark, jellyfish, octopus, hermit crab, clown fish, and more! Each one has their own distinct personality and appearance. The reader never knows when they are going to show up, so each chapter is a surprise.
The dialogue is also very clever and funny. I actually laughed aloud during some of the scenes. While their is an occasional suggestive moment, the book is fairly clean of anything graphic. I also recommend this book to those who want to try manga for the first time. The plot is very easy to follow.
Itokichi ends her last volume on a cliffhanger, and I can't wait until the next one is released! I give this manga series (*****) 5 stars.
PS: If you also enjoy anime, the first volume was turned into a show! Click here!
-Sirenita The Selkie
UPDATE: May 26, 2019
A new volume of Merman in My Tub was released a year ago, and I wanted to update this post.
Summary(goodreads.com):
Wakasa wants to write a book! Before he can do that, he’s got to master a few rudimentary skills–like learning how to write the word merman. After that, things get dirty when Takasu and Wakasa decide to make mudballs. Meanwhile, Tatsumi’s uncle is cooking up his own crafty creations: romantic bath salts! And who better to test them out but the merman in Tatsumi’s bathtub?
My Review:
After reading the other volumes in this series, I was so excited for more of Wakasa's adventures! Itokichi's writing and illustrations are brilliant, witty, and funny.
Sadly, this volume just didn't have the same spark of enjoyment as the others.
A Bratty Merman and His Friends: What I Loved: One of my favorite characters is still Agari, the shark merman featured on the cover (has the black tail). My favorite chapter with him is when he has cavities. Agari bites into a loaf of french bread to extract the bad teeth, and they fall out just like a shark! I love that Itokichi uses real animal characteristics in her mermen. Tatsumi always cracks me up; he's such an emo kid with a grumpy face, but still cares about Wakasa and the other mermen. In this volume, we also learn that when Wakasa feels threatened, he has the ability to manipulate water. I'm interested to see if Itokichi will develop this further in future volumes.
Another one of my favorite chapters is when Wakasa and his friends are put into The Little Mermaid! While Itokichi kept the basics of the story, she still added her own spin. It was so funny and cute to see Wakasa as a princess :)
Even with these moments, the story still felt as if it was missing something...
Missing Characters, Weird Moments, and More Questions:
There were some chapters in this book that were violent or uncomfortable. Also, there was also a lot to build off from the previous volumes that weren't explored at all.
One chapter I didn't enjoy was when Tatsumi's uncle gives him a new bath salt to try. The experiment makes a white smoke in the bathroom, and Tatsumi nor Wakasa can see. This causes Tatsumi to fall in the tub and hit his head. When the smoke clears, both characters were bloody with nasty wounds. It was a dark turn considering how this manga is usually light and fun.
But there was another chapter that just left my skin crawling.
When it's Wakasa's mating season, he admits he can't control his body and may become aggressive. When Kasumi, Tatsumi's little sister who is only five walks into the bathroom, Wakasa starts wiggling his tail and displaying mating behavior! Even though Merman In My Tub is funny, I found this moment extremely uncomfortable. Then Tatsumi asks his sister to hold Wakasa's hand to relieve his urges?? Because this is a clean teen book, thank the Sea Gods nothing happened. But this uncomfortable pattern of behavior continues.
The starfish merman named Goromaru has had a crush on Kasumi since we first met him. However, the scene in this mating chapter went too far when he wants to show her his "fifth arm." I just want to ask the author why she puts this child in so many sexual situations!
Lastly, the volume never explores the potential love interest, Makara the clownfish mermaid. At the end of the previous volume, Tatsumi and Makara have an interest in one another, but she only appears in one chapter this volume, and their crush is never explored!
Final Thoughts: Overall, I was disappointed with this volume. It had funny moments but didn't build off the previous events, and the amount of sexual situations Kasumi is involved in was uncomfortable to read.
I give this volume (***) 3 stars.
-Sirenita The Selkie