Princess Jellyfish 1 (PRINCESS JELLYFISH GN)

I discovered this delightful work through watching the (also recommended) anime first. I adored the quirky characters, the simple, yet not overly cutesy art design, and plot so much that I wanted more, so I immediately pre-ordered the first three 2-in-1 omnibus volumes (all that was then available), and I just can't wait for the next one to appear at my door. At the moment only the first 12 volumes are planned to be released in English in this omnibus volume format with the publishers, Kodansha, waiting to see what the general response is before committing beyond that. I certainly hope that the response is as positive as mine has been, to allow the series to be continued to be published in this format. It is a nicely refreshing tale of madcap, yet believable, reclusive characters with quirky obsessions. The main character who is jellyfish-mad, is simply delightful. Throw into the mix, the outgoing, driven, fashion-conscious new arrival, with a secret only the main character is aware of, to this group, and you soon get to see sparks fly. Not to mention the backdrop of romance, corporate skulduggery, property buy-out fights, and so much more going on all at once.As of now, I am awaiting delivery of the second volume, arriving in the next fortnight or so. Other reviewers comment on the height of the volume, which, yes, is taller (at about 20.8cm) than the average manga tanbokon (about 19cm). It is also deeper (14.5 vs 12.5 cm) but with 5 more (and then some, hopefully!) of the same size volume to come, this would perhaps become less of an issue to those who obsess about their shelving layouts. I've read through this volume several times now with no issues with the ink, the paper, or with the glossy cover.I heartily recommend this.

Fangirls and romance are an irresistible combination and Princess Jellyfish absolutely nails it. From the moment I was introduced to Tsukimi I knew this was a young woman I could relate to. Her and her friends the Amars are socially awkward and devote their lives to their passions in trains, manga and kimonos. They're disinterested in fashion and no real desire to fit in. So when a beautiful woman bursts into their life and shows no sign of taking the hint to leave, everything changes.Princess Jellyfish was a perfect introduction to manga. Firstly, the art is absolutely gorgeous. When I finished reading I started again so I could really appreciate it in its own right. And it was also really, really helpful that the characters were visually different. I wasn't ever wondering which character was which because they all had individual styles. The story was compelling - familiar enough because it followed the trope of the misfit, yet with a new twist. It was humorous and light hearted yet still dealt with issues such as societal expectations, politics (on an accessible level!) and grief. I'd urge anyone keen to try manga to start with Princess Jellyfish - I can't wait for volume 2 to be released in June!

Honestly don't know why so few people know about this series, it's sweet, it's fun, art is great and it's just a plain nice read. Also, jellyfish are awesome.