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Aoi Uroko to Suna no Machi #1-2
Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand
Everyone besides Tokiko denies the existence of merpeople, and yet the town holds a secret annual festival to honor them. Can she solve the mystery of what is real and what is fantasy…?
When Tokiko’s parents break up, she and her father move from the bustling city to a sleepy coastal town to live with her grandmother. Starting sixth grade in a new school where everyone has known each other their whole lives isn’t easy. Things start to look up when local boy Yosuke, another outsider, wants to be friends.
But then strange memories start to surface.
Swimming in the ocean…
Drowning…
Getting saved by…
…a merman?
Yosuke denies the presence of merfolk, yet the townspeople hold a festival to honor them every year. Can Tokiko solve the mystery of what is real and what is fantasy...?
When Tokiko’s parents break up, she and her father move from the bustling city to a sleepy coastal town to live with her grandmother. Starting sixth grade in a new school where everyone has known each other their whole lives isn’t easy. Things start to look up when local boy Yosuke, another outsider, wants to be friends.
But then strange memories start to surface.
Swimming in the ocean…
Drowning…
Getting saved by…
…a merman?
Yosuke denies the presence of merfolk, yet the townspeople hold a festival to honor them every year. Can Tokiko solve the mystery of what is real and what is fantasy...?
400 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2023
24 people are currently reading
829 people want to read
About the author
Yoko Komori
9 books11 followersName (in native language): 小森羊仔 (KOMORI Youko)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews
July 3, 2025
Placeholder for volumes 1-2
Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand is a soft, magical story about a girl who moves to a small town by the sea with her recently divorced father. As she tries to adjust to life in this new environment, she looks for signs of mermaids since she believes that a merman saved her from drowning when she was 4 years old.
Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand is a soft, magical story about a girl who moves to a small town by the sea with her recently divorced father. As she tries to adjust to life in this new environment, she looks for signs of mermaids since she believes that a merman saved her from drowning when she was 4 years old.
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May 19, 2023Now I want to move to a seaside town and feel the ocean breeze. 🌊
I picked this manga because I am curious about its merfolk theme. But it is more than that.
This is a slice-of-life manga with a touch of melodrama about a young girl who tries to move forward and live the best life she can despite those setbacks. I do appreciate the art style. It is light and mellow. 😌
They can always rebuild, as they live in a town of sand. And it was like an embrace. 🥺
I picked this manga because I am curious about its merfolk theme. But it is more than that.
This is a slice-of-life manga with a touch of melodrama about a young girl who tries to move forward and live the best life she can despite those setbacks. I do appreciate the art style. It is light and mellow. 😌
They can always rebuild, as they live in a town of sand. And it was like an embrace. 🥺
June 7, 2025
Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand/a> by Yoko Komori is a manga novel about the last of the witches and their connection with the Earth and it's creatures.
Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.
Four out of five stars (4/5 stars).
TRIGGER WARNINGS: None.
"When Tokiko’s parents break up, she and her father move from the bustling city to a sleepy coastal town to live with her grandmother. Starting sixth grade in a new school where everyone has known each other their whole lives isn’t easy. Things start to look up when local boy Yosuke, another outsider, wants to be friends."— GoodReads book page for 'Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand'.
// Pre-read: Just another mermaid/merfolk story. //
"Everyone besides Tokiko denies the existence of merpeople, and yet the town holds a secret annual festival to honor them." — the Goodreads page for 'Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand'.
I'm surprised that I haven't already read this before because this was something I'd totally read and now I have so it doesn't really matter now, does it? I'll honestly pick up anything that even remotely mentions mermaids and not just the pretty singing kind, I even love dark, evil ones too.
This was a real joy to read and even though it wasn't what I expected when I picked it up, I soon fell head-first into the waves. Amazing illustrations and the plot was well thought out and the author followed through without any errors that I could see on the pages. This shows a good editing team as well as the hard work of Yoko.
"But then strange memories start to surface.
Swimming in the ocean…
Drowning…
Getting saved by…
…a merman?"
Tokiko has quite the vivid imagination and if that's not enough she's also quite spirited as well, which I like about her, of course, she still has that typical dramatic side that you see in mangas (I became gay for this very reason maybe?) and honestly all her friends compliment her personality well, we have a great slee of different characters and I even enjoy the grumpy Yosuke quite a bit.
This didn't end how I wanted it to and I might have shed a few tears when I realized.
Even though it did catch me off guard, I would read it again and probably soon. I'm already mad about the idea of forgetting about it so I just set an alarm for a year from now so I can read it again.
It is well worth the read and I recommend it if you also live a good folk story about mermaids.
Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.
Four out of five stars (4/5 stars).
TRIGGER WARNINGS: None.
"When Tokiko’s parents break up, she and her father move from the bustling city to a sleepy coastal town to live with her grandmother. Starting sixth grade in a new school where everyone has known each other their whole lives isn’t easy. Things start to look up when local boy Yosuke, another outsider, wants to be friends."— GoodReads book page for 'Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand'.
// Pre-read: Just another mermaid/merfolk story. //
"Everyone besides Tokiko denies the existence of merpeople, and yet the town holds a secret annual festival to honor them." — the Goodreads page for 'Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand'.
I'm surprised that I haven't already read this before because this was something I'd totally read and now I have so it doesn't really matter now, does it? I'll honestly pick up anything that even remotely mentions mermaids and not just the pretty singing kind, I even love dark, evil ones too.
This was a real joy to read and even though it wasn't what I expected when I picked it up, I soon fell head-first into the waves. Amazing illustrations and the plot was well thought out and the author followed through without any errors that I could see on the pages. This shows a good editing team as well as the hard work of Yoko.
"But then strange memories start to surface.
Swimming in the ocean…
Drowning…
Getting saved by…
…a merman?"
Tokiko has quite the vivid imagination and if that's not enough she's also quite spirited as well, which I like about her, of course, she still has that typical dramatic side that you see in mangas (I became gay for this very reason maybe?) and honestly all her friends compliment her personality well, we have a great slee of different characters and I even enjoy the grumpy Yosuke quite a bit.
This didn't end how I wanted it to and I might have shed a few tears when I realized.
Even though it did catch me off guard, I would read it again and probably soon. I'm already mad about the idea of forgetting about it so I just set an alarm for a year from now so I can read it again.
It is well worth the read and I recommend it if you also live a good folk story about mermaids.
July 14, 2023
3.75⭐️
December 28, 2022
Moving to a new town can be overwhelming when you’re a kid: everything seems unfamiliar, and you have to figure out where you fit in all over again. This is especially true for Tokiko, who follows her father from the bustling metropolis of Tokyo to the quiet seaside village of Sunano-Mori, where her grandmother lives. But Tokiko is struggling with more than just the discomfort of the move. It isn’t her first time in Sunano-Mori, and this is her chance to discover the truth behind obscure memories from her past. Could one of her classmates be the key to solving this mystery?
The best way to describe Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand is bittersweet: it deals with aspects of loss and sadness, but it also focuses on life’s simple pleasures and beauty that can be found in the everyday. Fans of slice-of-life stories will likely enjoy this title, and it touches upon universal concepts and feelings in a way that children and adults can appreciate. The artwork is a perfect fit as well, with delicate line work highlighting the beauty in Tokiko’s world both far away and up close.
Some of the characters, especially some of Tokiko’s friends, feel a little flat, but I think that’s partly because the story is a bit more focused on the mysteries and beauty of the world around the characters and less so on their various personalities. In another story this might be a detriment, but it generally fits the tone and plot for Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand, in which the emphasis is on the individual through the lens of the community as a whole.
Despite the moments of loss or sadness, it’s a comforting read and a story I would revisit again in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review!
The best way to describe Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand is bittersweet: it deals with aspects of loss and sadness, but it also focuses on life’s simple pleasures and beauty that can be found in the everyday. Fans of slice-of-life stories will likely enjoy this title, and it touches upon universal concepts and feelings in a way that children and adults can appreciate. The artwork is a perfect fit as well, with delicate line work highlighting the beauty in Tokiko’s world both far away and up close.
Some of the characters, especially some of Tokiko’s friends, feel a little flat, but I think that’s partly because the story is a bit more focused on the mysteries and beauty of the world around the characters and less so on their various personalities. In another story this might be a detriment, but it generally fits the tone and plot for Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand, in which the emphasis is on the individual through the lens of the community as a whole.
Despite the moments of loss or sadness, it’s a comforting read and a story I would revisit again in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review!
January 15, 2023
They say there are mermaids in the town. Twelve-year-old Tokiko believes it, because when she was four, a mermen saved her from drowning, and now that she's moved back with her father, she wants to find the merman and thank him.
There's a lot going on here, from the quiet pain of personal tragedies to the lengths adults will go to "protect" children from life, all tempered with the need to believe. Although we are presented with mundane answers, the tail end still leaves us - and Tokiko - with space to believe in mermaids and sea gods, and that's the most important part of the book. What we know and how we make sense of that is up to us, and what we see out of the corners of our eyes may be the truth we need to hold on to.
There's a lot going on here, from the quiet pain of personal tragedies to the lengths adults will go to "protect" children from life, all tempered with the need to believe. Although we are presented with mundane answers, the tail end still leaves us - and Tokiko - with space to believe in mermaids and sea gods, and that's the most important part of the book. What we know and how we make sense of that is up to us, and what we see out of the corners of our eyes may be the truth we need to hold on to.
December 10, 2022
It was sweet and easily readable. I liked the art, esp the merfolk :)
February 4, 2023
Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand is the story about a girl coming back to a small town. I am not sure how I feel about this book. Unfortunately the watermark on my review copy was so dark that it made it hard to read on my phone and Netgalley's apps do not work on a Chromebook. So the tiny font and blurry pictures with a super dark watermark made it close to impossible to catch everything.
That being said, what I could read was sweet. 3 stars.
That being said, what I could read was sweet. 3 stars.
September 2, 2023
This is such a sweet graphic novel. I like how it teeters between magic and realism.. it makes for an interesting suspension of reality. The mystery was nice and unravels slowly… and the way they deal with emotions is really grounded
September 1, 2023
Tokiko moves with her dad to her grandmother's town along the coast. Tokiko remembers that the last time she visited the ocean when she was only four years old, she was saved by a merman when swimming and she had started to sink. Now it is years later, and Tokiko is convinced that mermaids are real. Although the town has a yearly festival to honor the seagods and mermaids, no one else really believes in mermaids. But there is definitely something mysterious out in the ocean.
I loved this sweet story! Tokiko is such a sensitive character. She is kind and caring to all her new friends in her new town. She is respectful and affectionate with her father and grandmother. But she hides her inner grief since her mother has left. As Tokiko is searching for mermaids, she is really looking for something to comfort her in her grief and help her say goodbye to her mother.
I loved the beautiful artwork in this book! Every page is so pretty!
I loved this sweet story! Tokiko is such a sensitive character. She is kind and caring to all her new friends in her new town. She is respectful and affectionate with her father and grandmother. But she hides her inner grief since her mother has left. As Tokiko is searching for mermaids, she is really looking for something to comfort her in her grief and help her say goodbye to her mother.
I loved the beautiful artwork in this book! Every page is so pretty!
June 29, 2023
Adorable 🥹
March 2, 2023
This was so cute!! I really enjoyed the story of Yokio and her school friends. They were all really well written and it actually felt like I was reading about children. Sometimes when I read a manga about kids it feels like the author has never met a child and doesn't understand what they're like at all. While parts of this were sad, most of it was wholesome and sweet. A great read if you are looking for a adorable slice of life manga.
June 20, 2023
A quaint, little coming of age story about a young girl living in a small town that possibly has mermaids while also dealing with her parents' separation. A little too quaint and without stakes for me, but I liked the art a lot so I stuck with it. It's nice to see VIZ picking up these left-field titles and giving them a US release.
December 28, 2023
I picked this up solely because a patron decided they didn't want it. It's a nice slice of life about fitting in. The art is simple but pretty. I'd give this 3.5 stars if I could. Probably would have given it 4 stars when I was younger and the target audience.
I would recommend this to anyone who is into middle grade books.
I would recommend this to anyone who is into middle grade books.
December 29, 2023
This was so cute!
January 23, 2025
This was cute but it felt longer than it needed to be and was dragged out.
I really enjoyed the art style and thought it fits the tone and themes well!
I really enjoyed the art style and thought it fits the tone and themes well!
March 15, 2023
“But everyone has a place inside of them that others can’t see.”
After her parents separate, Tokiko “Toki” moves with her dad from Tokyo to a small, coastal town to live with her grandmother. Though she lived there for a time when she was little, it’s very different from the big city she’s grown used to.
Plus, she’ll be starting sixth grade in a new place where all the kids know each other already and have grown up together.
That’s not easy.
Luckily, her classmates are kind and the townspeople are welcoming. Toki even meets a boy named Yosuke, an outsider of another sort.
He likes to gaze out at the ocean, searching for his older brother who was lost at sea years ago.
Toki likes to watch the ocean, too. It reminds her of an old memory. She was drowning but, then, she was rescued…by a merman?
When she ask Yosuke about merfolk, he brushed her off. But, Toki learns the town has a regular festival to celebrate and honor the merfolk who once blessed their town.
So, what is true?
Will Toki be able to uncover the truth of her memories and help Yosuke discover what happened to his older brother? Or, will they both decide it’s better to live in fantasy?
What a remarkably beautiful story!
This one really pulls at my heartstrings! I absolutely adore the charm and the wholesome atmosphere this story emphasizes. This story feels like both a folk tale reimagined in the twenty first century and also a quaint coming of age story. It’s such a seamless blend of the two.
I wholeheartedly appreciate how tender and sincere this story and its characters are. This is a story about growing up but it’s also about grief, longing, fear, memory, and moving on. Life isn’t always easy and it doesn’t always go the way we hope it will but there’s always the opportunity to try again.
Highly recommend to all readers but especially younger readers who are starting to branch out and explore not only their own independence but also to explore their own feelings and interior lives more deeply~
After her parents separate, Tokiko “Toki” moves with her dad from Tokyo to a small, coastal town to live with her grandmother. Though she lived there for a time when she was little, it’s very different from the big city she’s grown used to.
Plus, she’ll be starting sixth grade in a new place where all the kids know each other already and have grown up together.
That’s not easy.
Luckily, her classmates are kind and the townspeople are welcoming. Toki even meets a boy named Yosuke, an outsider of another sort.
He likes to gaze out at the ocean, searching for his older brother who was lost at sea years ago.
Toki likes to watch the ocean, too. It reminds her of an old memory. She was drowning but, then, she was rescued…by a merman?
When she ask Yosuke about merfolk, he brushed her off. But, Toki learns the town has a regular festival to celebrate and honor the merfolk who once blessed their town.
So, what is true?
Will Toki be able to uncover the truth of her memories and help Yosuke discover what happened to his older brother? Or, will they both decide it’s better to live in fantasy?
What a remarkably beautiful story!
This one really pulls at my heartstrings! I absolutely adore the charm and the wholesome atmosphere this story emphasizes. This story feels like both a folk tale reimagined in the twenty first century and also a quaint coming of age story. It’s such a seamless blend of the two.
I wholeheartedly appreciate how tender and sincere this story and its characters are. This is a story about growing up but it’s also about grief, longing, fear, memory, and moving on. Life isn’t always easy and it doesn’t always go the way we hope it will but there’s always the opportunity to try again.
Highly recommend to all readers but especially younger readers who are starting to branch out and explore not only their own independence but also to explore their own feelings and interior lives more deeply~
May 23, 2024
A beautiful and bittersweet slice of life manga about a young girl who comes back to her Mom's home town. Tokiko finds friends and takes the first steps in moving toward with her life after her Mom walked out on her dad. The art harkens back to an older style and captures the beauty of the small town and sea wonderfully.
April 13, 2025
A sweet telling of a story that seems to be a favorite for the Japanese - a mingling of two plots, one about overcoming grief, the other about something mystical. I've read any number of manga like this. They all have their differences and similarities, and this one was one of the more delicate and simple ones.
July 25, 2025
Really cute and interesting manga. The story was fantastic, I love it subverted my expectations multiple times, it made it very engaging. The art style is fucking adorable, I love how it looks so much. The characters were also great and well fleshed out
June 20, 2023
Simple, but beautiful. Great casual summer read. Very meaningful :)
January 29, 2024
Banger bok, takk Thea ❤️
July 5, 2024
I think this was a really pretty and bittersweet story and It made me happy that i took some time out of my day to read it.
May 22, 2025
Great manga with a good storyline of change and how friendship can help us grow and be stronger. The art is awesome too. Would recommend this read!
August 6, 2025
A very melancholy but beautiful book - easy read because the manga format and drawings tell a lot of the story without words needed.
March 25, 2023
I READ THIS IN TWO HOURS IT WAS SO BOOD I LOVED IT SO MUCH PLEASE READ IT THE STORY IS SO BASIC BUT ITS JUST SO GOOD OH MY GOD AND THE DRAWINGS WERE AMAZING *chefs kiss*
July 7, 2024
The only thing that would make this better is full color art. Very nice.
December 19, 2022
This was a sweet and poignant story of a 12 year old girl moving from Tokyo to a small costal town and dealing with her parents imminent divorce. This was slow paced and dealt with the tough emotions of the story in a kind and gentle manner. I really love the illustrations. The town and the ocean aesthetics were quite lovely.
Thanks so much NetGalley and Viz Media for the beautiful digital arc!
Thanks so much NetGalley and Viz Media for the beautiful digital arc!
July 12, 2023
i loved it so much!!! I wanna re-read it already hehe
Displaying 1 - 30 of 145 reviews