Umi no Misaki

For unspecified reasons, Goto Nagi decides to move to the island of Okitsushima, his deceased mother's birthplace. When he arrives, one of the locals, a girl named Shizuku, offers to show him around and even saves his life when Nagi accidentally falls of a cliff. However, when he meets her again at school, she refuses to have anything to do with him. As he tries to adapt to his new life on the island, Nagi learns that Shizuku, along with his neighbor Karin and his classmate Soyogi, are the local Cape Maidens, representatives of the island's Dragon God, and are essentially worshiped as goddesses by the people of the island.

Nagi also learns that his mother was a Cape Maiden before she left the island and that, because his birthday matches the day that the previous Dragon God died, he is the current mortal incarnation of the Dragon God.

Naturally, the position comes with a harem.

Shizuku, Karin and Soyogi must now fulfill their duties as Cape Maidens by earning Nagi's favor while Nagi himself tries to figure out what the Dragon God is supposed to do, and gradually settles into the role.

Umi no Misaki differentiates itself from stereotypical Harem Series by its character development and its approach to the Harem Genre's standard tropes. Although Shizuku is originally set up as the obvious winner, Nagi spends time with all three of the girls, shows an interest in their daily lives and hobbies, helps them with their work, cooks for them and shows genuine concern for their feelings.

See also Ai Yori Aoshi by the same author, Fumizuki Kou. Even before finishing Umi no Misaki, he started another manga: Itadaki! (The Summit!), about a mountaineering club at a girls' school. The two principal characters of Itadaki! somewhat resemble Kisaragi and Shizuku.

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Tropes used in Umi no Misaki include:

• Adult Child: Kisaragi, their teacher.
• A God Is You: Nagi, although he doesn't have any magical powers, and isn't too sure what to do with his position. He has indirect social power over the island through the Maidens; they're highly-regarded figures whose lead the islanders tend to follow, and as he helps the Maidens defrost and grow more confident in themselves, those changes are going to influence the islanders.
  • Also kind of subverted: Getting told that he's the reincarnation of the dragon god doesn't change his personality in the least, and he mostly tries to get people (especially the maidens) to treat him like a normal person. It's just the maidens (at the beginning, before Character Development kicks in) that treat him like a god. Although it seems as if most of the people of the island don't yet know he's the Dragon God. Aside from Nagi, the Maidens, Rinne, Karin's grandmother, Kisaragi-sensei, and the actress friend she told, only one other person -- who may be the school principal -- has been confirmed as knowing.
  • Late in the story, Nagi does manifest some degree of supernatural power, although he can't seem to control it. But when a white glowing figure walks out of the ocean carrying nearly-drowned Rinne, hands her over to Karin, and then turns into Nagi and passes out, any lingering doubts anyone may have had about him being the Dragon God should be gone.
• Armor-Piercing Question:
  • Nagi to Soyogi: "After all, you're a woman, aren't you?"
  • Nagi to Karin: "Is there something you want me to do? Just tell me what you want me to do."
  • Really, the Maidens' emotional armor stands up against Nagi about as well as paper armor would a sword. He casually stumbles across things some of them have kept secret for most of their lives, like Shizuku's secret room full of plushies and manga.
• Arranged Marriage: A multiple-choice arranged marriage, no less.
• Balanced Harem: Nagi is determined not to let any of the girls feel left out or like he's ignoring them because he likes them all. This becomes an active thing when the girls say Nagi has to spend time with each of them exclusively and not pay attention to anyone else.
• Barbie Doll Anatomy: Regularly averted.
• Beach Episode: Nagi ends up at the beach quite often, usually with Shizuku.
• Belief Makes You Stupid: Nope. However, how the maidens see Nagi is coloured by their beliefs. Karin is the least devout and simply thinks of him as a boy. Shizuku truly believes that he is the reincarnation of the Dragon God, and thanks the god for appearing in the form of Nagi to her. (The other two mention she's always been a bit irrational about her faith.) Soyogi is devoted to her position and, before she sorts out her feelings, at first only pursues him out of duty.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Shizuku can be scary when she gets angry. As kids, Soyogi once ate a cake roll Shizuku had left as an offering for the Dragon God. Shizuku tied her up and left her in the shrine. It was a very hot day. By the time the islanders came to cut her loose, Soyogi was delirious from exposure.
• Be Yourself: Shizuku and Soyogi originally stick to their Cape Maiden persona when in public, but their private personality eventually starts to come out.
• Blush Sticker: Permanently featured on Rinne, Karin's little sister.
• Ceiling Cling: Among Kisaragi's hidden talents.
• Cat Smile: Kisaragi, on occasion. Rinne shows one a couple of times late in the series, especially cute because she's wearing a cat-eared hood at the time.
• Character Development:
  • Nagi is gradually becoming more aware of his responsibilities towards the Cape Maidens.
    • He is also becomes more and more comfortable becoming physical with the girls. He starts off being nervous just kissing, to kissing the girls whenever he felt ready with no fear, to attempting to have sex.
  • Karin starts off as insecure because Shizuku and Soyogi both have fuller figures than she does and are more dedicated to their religion than she is, but she eventually comes to realize that as far as Nagi's favour is concerned, she's a serious contender.
  • Soyogi originally pursues Nagi's favour out of pure duty. Eventually, she develops a more feminine side and decides that she wants to pursue him as a woman and not just as a Cape Maiden.
  • Shizuku spent most of her life isolated from everyone because of her position. She started to relax when Nagi showed up.
• Cute Little Fangs: Kisaragi
• Defrosting Ice Queen: The Cape Maidens all started a little chilly. It didn't last, though Soyogi holds on to it the longest.
• Double Standard: Invoked by Karin early on after she tells Nagi not to peep while she and Shizuku are in the bath:

Nagi: Besides, you were the one who was peeping!
Karin: Shut up! I'm a girl! So it's no big deal!

• Dying Town: Okitsushima island.
• Erotic Dream: Seems to be a reoccurring problem for Karin. Maiden of fire indeed.
  • recently Rinne also had one that may have caused a feminine Nocturnal Emission.
• Expy: Karin's visual design is just about identical to Natsuki, a minor character from Ai Yori Aoshi, and Natsuki has a childhood friend named Keisuke whose design is strongly reminiscent of early Nagi minus the spiky hair. Natsuki and Keisuke have a similar playfully affectionate relationship, as well.
• Fan Service: The Maidens each desire Nagi's attention, and aren't afraid to show some skin to get it. They also each tend to offer their own "variety" of fanservice: Shizuku gets a lot of bathing suits and wet dresses; Karin gets a lot of very tight clothing, and gets caught naked or nearly so to fuel Nagi's Accidental Pervert moments; while Soyogi's is more psychological, being rather Tsundere and very forward when it comes to pursuing Nagi... and is also quite well-built and favors frilly underwear, which doesn't hurt.
• A Fete Worse Than Death: Suspected by Nagi at the start, but quickly discovered to be incorrect. And then revealed to be true after all. Luckily, no one argues too hard when the Dragon God orders an end to the sacrificing.
• Fiery Redhead: Karin, both in temperament and as the Maiden of Fire
• First Girl Wins: There's certainly room for the First Girl to Win, and she's a lot like the heroine from Ai Yori Aoshi, but there really isn't enough to go on. The other two complain a bit about her "head start" when they find out.
  • In chapter 96, Shizuku's probably the first girl to go ALL the way.
• Food Porn: A number of characters are good cooks, and some of the spreads are positively mouth-watering.
• Gag Penis: Nagi, apparently. Karin's reaction on discovering this is a strong candidate for Crowning Moment of Funny.
  • Well he is the Dragon God.
    • Not to mention that the only reason that Soyogi failed her Sex as Rite-of-Passage is because of this.
• Genki Girl: Kisaragi, who looks and acts like a 12-year-old pervert.
  • Pervert, indeed. Early in the series, she comes to his house to wake him up, and ducks under his blankets (this is how she learned about his endowment), saying, "Get up or I'll do something unseemly to you."
• Heavy Sleeper: Shizuku. Nagi is also able to sleep through people throwing themselves quite violently on him.
• Idiot Hair: Kisaragi
• Ignore the Fanservice: Kisaragi slips into Nagi's room and shakes him awake; she's in what's either a bikini or bra and panties. His lack of reaction disappoints her. On the next page, she notes gloomily that he's become very adult, and admits that makes her feel lonely.
• I Kiss Your Hand: People receive the Maidens' (or in the girls' case, Nagi's) blessings by bowing before their hands.
• The Immodest Orgasm: Soyogi's back is very sensitive...
  • As of the latest chapters, that's not the only part of her. Nagi actually gets a little bit concerned after she passes out...
• Innocent Fanservice Girl: Soyogi is fully prepared to do whatever it takes to win the Dragon God's favour and can walk in front of him naked without batting an eyelash.
• Lovable Sex Maniac: Kisaragi-Sensei
• Male Gaze: Specifically, Nagi's. At times, the Maidens seem to be going out of their way to get him to look.
• Marry Them All: Possibly a 'You Never Asked' answer to the love triangle, given that the competition for Nagi's Favour between the maidens was seemingly sparked by themselves. The Obaa at the temple mentioned the Maiden's duty to devote themselves, but not that only one of them could gain favour. So, until said otherwise...
  • While certainly possible, the girls have made it clear in no uncertain terms that they consider themselves in competition and aren't interested in sharing. In addition, Nagi himself has shown conflicting feelings about liking all three of them.
• Marshmallow Hell: From Mike.
• Meaningful Name: All three of the Cape Maidens. Shizuku's name means "droplet", and she is the Maiden of the Sea. Karin, the Maiden of Fire, has the character for fire in her name. And Maiden of the Wind Soyogi's name means "flutter", as in leaves fluttering in the breeze.
  • Rinne also counts as her name means reincarnation. As in her being a Cape Maiden in a former life who gained the favor of Nagi's previous life.
• Morning Wood: And Karin gets an eyeful.
• Must Make Her Laugh: Played straight, but limited. Getting Shizuku to smile is Nagi's main concern once he learns he's the Dragon God.
• Naive Newcomer: Nagi isn't really naive, but he is largely ignorant of the island's customs when he first arrives.
• Naked First Impression: Nagi to Karin. She could have closed the curtains ... and Rinne explicitly pointed that out.
• Nice Guy: Nagi is sensitive, honest and kindly, though passive.
• Not a Morning Person: Shizuku
• Not So Stoic: Shizuku and Soyogi
• Not What It Looks Like: Subverted. Any situation this trope might be applied to is exactly what it looks like.

Shizuku: Ka ... Karin. This ... um ... it's not what it looks like. I was helping Nagi get to bed when we tripped. And he ended up on top of me...
Karin: But all I see is that you are on top of Nagi.
(Nagi is sound asleep, exhausted after a long day.)

• • Done straight later on: Nagi is spending the day at Soyogi's home when Shizue walks in on him in the shower -- both are naked. Despite Nagi's attempt to calm things down, it leads to this scene. (NSFW) Soyogi was not amused by this.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: Kisaragi. Despite looking and frequently acting like a child, she's very knowledgeable about traditional and obscure religious practices (such as those of the island) and knows how to ferret out details and put the pieces together. She even offers Nagi some coaching on how to get into his role.
  • It's revealed at one point that she's a graduate of Tokyo University (Todai). Only the best of the best pass the Todai entrance examinations (which is why Kaito is suddenly so enthusiastic about having Kisaragi tutor him when he finds out).
  • Kisaragi's old friend, actress Mike (Satomi Keiko), also turns out to be surprisingly insightful, considering her usual scatterbrained manner.
• Older Than They Look: Kisaragi, who looks like a Token Mini-Moe despite being a high school teacher.
• Parental Abandonment: Nagi's mother is dead and his father is busy working somewhere off the island. Shizuku and Soyogi both chose to live on their own from a young age, so that might explain why their parents never show up, although Soyogi's grandmother is shown, and Karin and her sister live with their grandmother.
  • Shizuku's mother now lives on the next island over, and they are estranged, apparently because Shizuku's position has built a wall between them. Ironic, as Shizuku was eager to become a Cape Maiden in the hopes it would bring her and her mother closer.
• Personality Powers: The Cape Maidens. Relatively subtle, in that their powers are more extreme aptitudes than actual supernatural abilities. Maiden of the Sea Shizuku takes to the water so well that she may as well be a porpoise in human form. Maiden of Fire Karin is an extremely social Fiery Redhead who helps tirelessly with the farm work of the island and tends to the people, much as the sun helps the crops grow. Maiden of Wind Soyogi has an uncanny sense of the weather, while holding herself as distant from others as the weather patterns she can predict.
• The Power of Acting: When Mike gets really into a role, she can make herself sound - and, in dim light, even somehow look - like who she's playing. Nagi is stunned when she seems to become Karin, then Soyogi (complete with glasses), and finally (though with more difficulty) Shizuku while coming on to him.
• Reincarnation: Nagi, as part of A God Am I.
• Reincarnation Romance: Nagi and Rinne were lovers in one of his previous incarnations. She's not pleased that he came back years too soon for her to be his choice again.
• Relax-O-Vision: A drunken Kisaragi-sensei gives information on how to please a man to the maidens; we don't hear what she's saying, just their reactions.
• Religion Is Wrong: Averted - the story (and Nagi) is neutral about the islander's beliefs, accepting it as part of their culture. While Nagi is bewildered by the need to choose and "grant favour" to the maidens, he is able to appreciate the folk shinto of the island.
• Rescue Romance: Shizuku dives off after Nagi after he falls off a cliff, but it's mostly unrelated to their romantic relationship and never comes up again.
• Sand Bridge At Low Tide: Okuhime island, which is joined to Okitsu for only a few days a year.
• Scenery Porn
• Schoolgirl Lesbians: One of their classmates, Shizue, plainly has a strong crush on Soyogi, who isn't interested and thinks the girl is only joking, anyway. Despite the fact that Shizue regularly cooks for her (at least once hurrying to Soyogi's place to welcome her home in a Hadaka Apron), including bento lunches which she tries to feed her, and even dropped to her knees to fondle Soyogi and nuzzle her belly the one time Soyogi let her share the bath. Joking. Yeah, right.
• Serious Business: Anything and everything related to the island's religious practices.
• Sex as Rite-of-Passage: The whole point of Nagi's favour, for those who haven't figured it out yet. Hasn't happened yet.
  • Yet. As of 90+ chapters, this is not for lack of trying. Karin and Nagi messed up and lost their drive literally at the last second while naked in bed together, and chapter 87 ended on a cliffhanger which seemed to be Soyogi making her move. It was actually Shizue hoping to make her move on Soyogi. The main cast is increasingly at the point where ridiculous coincidences are the only things preserving their collective virginity.
  • As of 91, Nagi and Soyogi were THIS close to it happening. Only thing averting this was Nagi's size. They still enjoyed it anyway.
    • Maybe. Many people feel that Nagi actually DID penetrate Soyogi during that time, based on her comments about intercourse in the next chapter.
  • While the above example leaves some room for reasonable doubt, there's NO doubt that Shizuku and Nagi DO do it in chapter 96.
• Sexy Shirt Switch: Kisaragi tries it here, but Nagi is unaffected -- which annoys her.
• Shrines and Temples
• Shout-Out: Nagi comes to a new town, meets a local girl who gives him her straw hat, the hat blows away in the wind, and when he gets to school the girl doesn't acknowledge that they've met before. Does this sound familiar?
• Sorry to Interrupt: Subverted. Odds are, whoever's interrupting isn't sorry and actually wants in on it.
• Sprouting Ears: Shizuku, after Mike specifically states she does so.
• Stealth Hi Bye: Kisaragi does this on occasion.
• Super Drowning Skills: Kisaragi, which leads to a hilarious scene at the beach party when her students are "purifying" Nagi by tossing him into the ocean. She, while drunk, tells them to do it to her. It is only after she hits the water, do her students remember this fact about her.Seen here
• Supreme Chef: Nagi, Karin and Shizuku.
• Tall Dark and Bishojo: Soyogi.
• Triang Relations: A type 7 Love Triangle. Or is that love square . . . ?
  • Considering the female classmate (Shizue) who's got a crush on Soyogi, Mike whispering to Nagi that she's available, and Kisaragi threatening to seduce him herself if the Maidens make her mad -- she'd jumped up to wrap her legs around his waist -- we're well beyond squares. Possibly stars.
• Trickster Mentor: Kisaragi-sensei seems to think of herself as this. Although there're traces of Hot for Student as well.
• Two-Teacher School: Kisaragi and the principal are really the only two faculty seen. Semi-justified in that the entire island only has 17 school-age residents at all, and Nagi's homeroom consists of 7 or 8 of those. Each teacher has to pick up multiple subjects just so they can perform a full day's work.
• Two-Timer Date: Averted. Even if Nagi wanted to go out on a date with two of the girls at the same time, the three of them would just go together. And the third girl would probably find some way to slip in as well.
• Unknown Rival: Karin had always felt she was the weakest of the Maidens. But in truth, Soyogi considers Karin her superior because while Karin seemed to slack off at Maiden training, she has always had a deeper connection to the people of the island and could make them smile so effortlessly, something Soyogi feels she could never do.
• Untrusting Community: It takes a while for Nagi's classmates to accept him, since most people who come to live on the island end up leaving after a few months.
• Unusual Euphemism: To gain/give "favor".
• Unwanted Harem: Subverted (and seemingly on the way to being entirely Deconstructed). All the people involved want the harem; the girls all admit that they love Nagi, and he shows equal consideration towards all of them.
  • It's telling that the girls are all three written not just as a group that Nagi can't decide between, but whom the reader also would have a hard time deciding between. None is clearly better for Nagi than the others, nor is Nagi clearly better for any particular one than the others. Each Maiden is obviously meant to be equally attractive, physically and mentally, yet each in different ways.
• Well Done Daughter Girl: Shizuku, who feels she can't live up to the example of her mother, who was also a Cape Maiden and left the island when her daughter took up the role.
  • Played almost verbatim when Nagi, understanding this part of Skuzuku's relationship with her mother, tells her, "You've done well." Shizuku breaks down into uncontrollable crying with the emotional release.
• Wham! Line: In-Universe. When Kisaragi-sensei sees the girls on the day none of them are with Nagi, she asks them if they were "used women"^[1] Karin and Soyogi yell they weren't. Shizue's silence is the Wham! Line in this instance.
  • Another, in-universe and out: Karin tells Nagi she fears Shizuku may kill him as part of an upcoming ceremony.
• What Is This Thing You Call Love?: Soyogi has detailed notes. Graphs included.
• What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?: Played straight and then subverted hard with Karin. Of the three Maidens, she has always been the most social, making "heart" her Personality Power, but it left her feeling inferior to the others because the Maidens are supposed to be distant from the people of the island. Turns out that in a romantic comedy, Heart Is an Awesome Power, making her a very serious contender for Nagi's favor.
• Where the Hell Is Springfield?, It is never definitively stated where Okitsu is, but based on what is shown in the Manga, it appears to be in the vicinity of Okinawa.
• Wise Beyond Their Years: Rinne. Justified as she is a reincarnation of a previous Cape Maiden who had the Dragon God's favor and remembers some of her previous life.
• The Woman Wearing the Queenly Mask: The Maidens must act prim and mostly proper, within reason of their element and role in society. Thus Shizuku restricted herself completely. Soyogi was a close second. Karin interacted with people on a daily basis and helped with farming; they typically have a smile and often a gift of food for her ... but there was always a line no islander would pass over.

1. ↑ had sex with Nagi