#MangaMonday 64 “Tropic of the Sea” by Satoshi Kon

Before moving to #anime Kon worked as a #manga artist. This is his first serialized story, and only complete one. It’s a more straightforward than most of his films (closer to “Tokyo Godfathers” than “Perfect Blue.”)

Yosuke Yashiro’s family maintain a shrine near a seaside village. They are tasked with keeping a “Mermaid’s Egg” for sixty years, then returning it to the sea. In return the nearby seas remain calm and bountiful. But times change.

Yosuke’s father, the 23rd head priest, regards the egg as so much superstition and is trying to use it to help turn the small town into a tourist destination. The grandfather is aghast at what his son is up to. Yosuke… is worried about his entrance exams.

There’s a supernatural story and a fair bit of action, but also generational tensions, the pull of city life, and the tension of development in rural areas.

Complete English volume available digitally (Kodansha.)

#TropicOfTheSea