Umibe no Onnanoko

Add to My List

Add to Favorites

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

More titles

Information

Type: Manga

Volumes: 2

Chapters: 20

Status: Finished

Published: Jul 7, 2009 to Jan 8, 2013

Genres: Erotica

Themes: School

Serialization: Manga Erotics F

Authors: Asano, Inio (Story & Art)

Statistics

Score: 7.19¹ (scored by 43,840 s)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: N/A²

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

Popularity: #184

: 89,440

Favorites: 2,164

Available At

Kodansha USA

Resources

Wikipedia

7.19

Ranked N/APopularity #184 89,440

Asano, Inio (Story & Art)

Add to My List

Volumes: /2

Chapters: /20

Edit
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]

Edit
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. It was also released in Argentina by Editorial Ivrea; in Italian by Panini Comics from July 29, 2021, to August 5, 2021; in Polish by Wydawnictwo Kotori from May 2018 to July 2018; in Russian by Comics Factory from January 31, 2018, to March 14, 2018; and in Spain by Milky Way Ediciones in 2014.

More characters
Characters

Isobe, Keisuke

Main

Satou, Koume

Main

Otsu, Katsutoshi

ing

Kobayashi, Keiko

ing

Kashima, Shota

ing

Sanzaki, Misaki

ing

Yoshizaku

ing

Kanae

ing

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 it 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 s. 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.

Open

Gift

May 22, 2023

oliverton

Mixed Feelings

Well-written

I feel like "Umibe no Onnanoko" is the most telling of inio asano's issue in his writhing. Which is that if you don’t have some sort of direct connection to the ideas he tackles you are never going to like the story. Unlike most stories, where the point is to introduce an idea to the reader. Asano's writing feels more like a depiction of feeling that use the experiences of the reader as a way to connect them to it.

This is why "a girl on the shore" is so impactful for me, while being so boring or disgusting for other people. I feel drawn ...

Open

Gift

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 ...

Open

Gift

More stacks

Interest Stacks

Cohesive cover design (PAIRS)

by soparamen

46 Entries · 15 Restacks

Mangás: Top30 para a vida!

by 4100RogerRocha

30 Entries · 2 Restacks

Adult Friendly Manga that Worth your Time

by hamidio1998

28 Entries · 118 Restacks

More recommendations
Recommendations

View All

More news
Recent News

North American Anime & Manga Releases for August

Here are the North American anime, manga, and light novel releases for August. Week 1: August 1 - 7 Anime Releases Dragon Ball Z Season 1-9 Collection Blu-ray [2023 ...read more

Aug 10, 2023 8:49 AM by Discuss (1 comment)

North American Anime & Manga Releases for January

Here are the North American anime & manga releases for January Week 1: January 5 - 11 Anime Releases Dai-Shogun: Great Revolution Complete Collection DVD Dai-Sho...read more

Jan 5, 2016 2:51 PM by Discuss (22 comments)

More discussions
Recent Forum Discussion

Masshiroi - Oct 5, 2024	16 replies	by »» Apr 22, 11:00 PM
Poll: sarroush - Jun 13, 2014	85 replies	by »» Mar 21, 9:56 AM
Poll: Ale1212 - Apr 23, 2013	15 replies	by »» Feb 7, 1:31 PM
Poll: Stark700 - Feb 16, 2014	8 replies	by »» Jul 18, 2024 8:29 PM
Poll: Stark700 - Feb 16, 2014	6 replies	by »» Aug 4, 2023 11:59 AM

Umibe no Onnanoko
A Girl on the Shore
Edit

What would you like to edit?

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Available At

Resources

Edit
Synopsis

Edit
Background

Visit MALxJapan
MALxJapan -More than just anime-

More characters
Characters

Reviews

Interest Stacks

More recommendations
Recommendations

More news
Recent News

More discussions
Recent Forum Discussion

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

Umibe no OnnanokoA Girl on the Shore Edit What would you like to edit? SynopsisBackgroundAlternative TitlesPictureChapters/VolumesPublishing DatesRelationsTypeExternal Links

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Available At

Resources

Edit Synopsis

Edit Background

Visit MALxJapan MALxJapan -More than just anime-

More characters Characters

Reviews

Interest Stacks

More recommendations Recommendations

More news Recent News

More discussions Recent Forum Discussion

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

Umibe no Onnanoko
A Girl on the Shore
Edit

What would you like to edit?

Edit
Synopsis

Edit
Background

Visit MALxJapan
MALxJapan -More than just anime-

More characters
Characters

More recommendations
Recommendations

More news
Recent News

More discussions
Recent Forum Discussion