CORAL'S REEF VOL. 1

Aquatic adolescence meets magical girl intrigue in this surfside romantic comedy.

Sea sprite Coral works as a surf instructor for a hotel. She has a little stepsister, Maki, who is a kappa. Maki’s father, Taki, runs a boba shop and is married to Coral’s mom, Leora, who is a fashion designer. Coral’s friends include siren Anemone, whose legs turn into twin fish tails when wet, and dryad Lillyana, who has plant powers and a penchant for nudity. Maki teases Coral about her huge crush on Nick Inferno, a fire ifrit. In fact, there are plenty of crushes to go around in this story. Coral also finds Lance Riptide, the hotel owner’s privileged son, irresistibly cute, and Lillyana subjugates a boys’ volleyball team with giant plants in order to flirt with them. On top of that, the student body at Littoral High School is gaga for Nick and Ember, his “smoking hot” billboard model twin sister. The romantic comedy and drama that ensue take center stage along with a touch of mystery around Coral’s secret powers and missing father. The full-color artwork gives each anthropomorphic species its own palette (for example, kappas are green, while ifrits are yellow and orange) and frequently shows off the cast’s buff and curvaceous swimsuit bodies.

The perfect beach read for shōjo manga fans who like a little fantasy magic with their love triangles.