Top Coastal Manga Recommendations

Grand Blue

Also known as Grand Blue Dreaming.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Comedy , Romance , Slice of Life , Sports

After moving out on his own to a seaside town, Iori Kitahara makes a college debut he never anticipated. A new chapter of his life unfolds, full of diving with beautiful girls and shenanigans with a gaggle of lovable bastards! Idiot-expert Kenji Inoue and au naturel authority Kimitake Yoshioka bring you a glorious college tale filled with booze-fueled antics!



Tags: Slapstick , Surreal Comedy , Male Protagonist , College , Seinen , Primarily Adult Cast , Nudity , Coastal , Bar , Scuba Diving , Love Triangle , Heterosexual , Otaku Culture , Kuudere , Meta , Tsundere , Female Harem , Bisexual , Gore , Yandere , Gyaru , LGBTQ+ Themes

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

Also known as Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou.

Status: Finished
Genres: Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

Set hundreds of years in the future after an environmental catastrophe, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (also known as Yokohama Shopping Log) centers on the simple life of Alpha, an android who runs a small coffee shop in coastal Japan. Alpha stands witness to chronicle the end of humanity’s days with coffee, a slice of watermelon, and the sound of her moon guitar backed by distant seagulls. Quiet and bittersweet, this tale is about the melancholy beauty that can be found even as the end approaches.



Note: Includes four extra chapters.

Tags: Iyashikei , Coastal , Female Protagonist , Post-Apocalyptic , Coming of Age , Philosophy , Rural , Robots , Lost Civilization , Seinen , Time Skip , Artificial Intelligence , Episodic , Travel , Work , Mopeds , Yuri , Family Life , Restaurant , Motorcycles , Nudity

My Broken Mariko

Also known as My Broken Mariko.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological

Tomoyo Shiino has stood by her friend Mariko through years of abuse, abandonment, and depression. However horrific her circumstances, their friendship has been the one reassuring constant in Mariko's life-and Tomoyo's too. That is, until Tomoyo is utterly blindsided by news of Mariko's death. In life, Tomoyo felt powerless to help her best friend out of the darkness that ultimately drove her over the edge. Now, Tomoyo is determined to liberate Mariko's ashes for one final journey together... to set free her dear, broken Mariko.



Notes:
- Includes the one-shot "YISKA".
- includes the extra "Home Sweet Home!".

Tags: Tragedy , Female Protagonist , Suicide , Coastal , Primarily Adult Cast , Josei , Coming of Age , Primarily Female Cast , Tomboy , Yuri , Rehabilitation , Philosophy , LGBTQ+ Themes , Denpa

Sachi-iro no One Room

Also known as One Room of Happiness.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Slice of Life

That day, she was abducted. But to her, that abduction was a ray of hope -- the beginning of a new life. The girl promises to marry her abductor, and the abductor offers plenty of "happiness." This is the story of an abductor and his victim... How could it be so warm?
Note: Chapter count includes one bonus chapter.

Tags: Denpa , Rehabilitation , Female Protagonist , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Bullying , Crime , Philosophy , Suicide , Found Family , Detective , Yandere , Age Gap , Homeless , Heterosexual , Coastal , Delinquents , Time Skip , Primarily Adult Cast

Gyo

Also known as Gyo.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi

The floating smell of death hangs over the island. What is it? A strange, legged fish appears on the scene... So begins Tadashi and Kaori's spiral into the horror and stench of the sea. Here is the creepiest masterpiece of horror manga ever from the creator of Uzumaki, Junji Ito. Hold your breath until all is revealed.

Something's rotten in Okinawa...



Included one-shots:
Volume 2:
Daikokubashira Hiwa (大黒柱悲話, The Sad Tale of the Principal Post)
Amigara no Dansou no Kai (阿修羅断層の怪, The Enigma of Amigara Fault)

Tags: Seinen , Body Horror , Tragedy , Animals , Gore , Male Protagonist , Cosmic Horror , Primarily Adult Cast , Survival , Pandemic , Urban , Coastal , Circus , Cyborg , Time Skip , Nudity

Umibe no Étranger

Also known as Seaside Stranger: Umibe no Étranger.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

"There's nothing wrong with liking another guy."

To be in the arms of the person I love... I thought that was an unobtainable dream......... On an island off the coast of Okinawa, two young men meet on a beach. Shun Hashimoto is gay and aspires to be a novelist. He is interested in Mio Chibana, a somber high school student, and starts to flirt with him. Day by day, the two of them grow closer, but then, suddenly, Mio decides to leave the island. Three years later, Mio returns and approaches Shun with the words, "I've thought about it for the past three years. I like you, Shun, even if you're a guy." However, when faced with the prospect of finally becoming lovers with Mio, Shun cannot take the first step towards commitment...

This is a tantalizing love story about a gay novelist and a younger part-time worker. It's a manga that will touch and purify your heart.



Tags: Boys' Love , LGBTQ+ Themes , Male Protagonist , Time Skip , Writing , Coastal , Age Gap , Nudity , Love Triangle , Yuri , Cohabitation

ARIA

Also known as Aria.

Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

On the planet Aqua, a world once known as Mars, Akari Mizunashi has just made her home in the town of Neo-Venezia, a futuristic imitation of the ancient city of Venice. In pursuit of her dream to become an Undine — a gondolier who leads high-end tours around the city — Akari joins as a trainee with the Aria Company, one of the three most prestigious water-guide companies in Neo-Venezia. There, she explores the beauty of the city and the world along with other trainees from Aria and rival companies, working hard for her dreams and making new friends along the way.



Note: Includes seven extra chapters.

Tags: Iyashikei , Primarily Female Cast , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Work , Ensemble Cast , Philosophy , Urban Fantasy , Episodic , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Foreign , Shounen , Heterosexual , Coastal

Umineko no Naku Koro ni Episode 1: Legend of the Golden Witch

Also known as Umineko When They Cry Episode 1: Legend of the Golden Witch.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

Each year, the Ushiromiya family gathers at the secluded mansion of its patriarch, the elderly Kinzo. It has been six years since Battler joined his cousins at the annual event, but their happy reunion is overshadowed by worsening weather and an eerie premonition from his youngest cousin—not to mention their parents’ feud over the inheritance. Battler doesn’t hold much stock in dark omens, nor does he believe the tales of the witch rumored to have given his grandfather a fortune in gold…and who walks the halls of the mansion to this day… But when the eighteen family members and servants are trapped on the island by the raging typhoon, the grisly events that follow leave Battler shaken to his core. Is one of his relatives desperate enough to kill for the family fortune? Or is this the work of the Golden Witch?



Note: Volume 4 also contains the tea party chapter for this episode.

Tags: Ensemble Cast , Detective , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Female Protagonist , Maids , Coastal , Time Loop , Witch , Tragedy , Gore , Magic , Meta , Primarily Adult Cast , Ojou-sama , Foreign , Butler

Dwaejiuri

Also known as PIGPEN.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Thriller

A relaxing getaway in paradise, or a death trap? A young man wakes up on a breathtaking beach, but he has no idea who he is or how he got there. Try as he might to piece it all together, untangling this mind-bending mystery won’t be easy when every clue leads to more maddening questions... and the family that welcomes him into their home is not what they seem.



Note: Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Amnesia , Anti-Hero , Body Horror , Male Protagonist , Achronological Order , Full Color , Rehabilitation , Survival , Alternate Universe , Gore , Primarily Adult Cast , Rural , Tragedy , Coastal , Software Development , Crime , Long Strip , Wilderness

Pocket Monsters SPECIAL

Also known as Pokémon Adventures.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy

Red is just a normal kid living in the rural Pallet Town, when he decides to go out on his own adventure, along with his rival since childhood, Green. In this world of Pokemon, he makes many friends, humans and Pokemon alike. However, all is not well. Team Rocket is trying to capture Mew, a very rare Pokemon, and is performing experiments on other Pokemon, trying to increase their power. Red and his friends must battle against Team Rocket to stop their cruel experiments and unlock the secrets of Pokemon.


Tags: Travel , Animals , Primarily Child Cast , Ensemble Cast , Coming of Age , Proxy Battle , Female Protagonist , Male Protagonist , Tomboy , Criminal Organization , Urban Fantasy , Creature Taming , Video Games , Kids , Gangs , Coastal , Ojou-sama , Cult , Detective , Slapstick , Super Power , Time Skip , Time Manipulation , Estranged Family , Shapeshifting , Acting , School , Tragedy , Environmental

Barakamon

Also known as Barakamon.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Slice of Life

For a certain reason, a handsome, young calligrapher by the name of Seishuu Handa uproots himself and moves to an island on the westernmost edge of Japan. "Sensei," as he comes to be known, is a city boy through and through, and has never experienced rural life until now. And by the looks of it, he has much to learn! Luckily(?), he has a willing teacher in Naru, the energetic expert islander, to help show him the ropes. But can Sensei keep up with the plucky first-grader, or will he get schooled?! Here unfolds a heartfelt island comedy about a gruff on the outside, soft on the inside urbanite teacher and his new, unfailingly kind island neighbors!



Notes: - One extra and four side stories are included in volume 18+1. - Original serialization was completed on 2018-12-12 with 18 volumes (139 chapters). - A new limited-run serialization was started on 2023-04-12 and ended on 2023-09-12 in Monthly Shounen Gangan, in conjunction with the TV-drama adaptation. This new run adds 7 chapters and 1 volume to the total count.

Tags: Family Life , Iyashikei , Calligraphy , Rural , Found Family , Work , Male Protagonist , Coastal , Food , Rehabilitation , Teacher , Cars , Fishing , Shounen , Agriculture , Tomboy , Crossdressing , Cycling

Nettaigyo wa Yuki ni Kogareru

Also known as A Tropical Fish Yearns for Snow.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Slice of Life

Konatsu is doing her best to adapt to her new school, but being required to join a club has introduced additional pressures. Her friendly classmate Kaede invites her to join the Home Ec Club, but Konatsu hasn’t even had time to consider which club she’s interested in. Meanwhile, Koyuki is like a ray of sunshine in Konatsu’s cloudy world. Will Konatsu join the Aquarium Club?



Tags: Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , School Club , Primarily Female Cast , Animals , School , Coastal , Cute Girls Doing Cute Things , Yuri , Seinen , LGBTQ+ Themes , Fishing

Harukaze no Étranger

Also known as Seaside Stranger: Harukaze no Étranger.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Romance , Slice of Life

Shun and Mio connected on their small island near Okinawa, leading to a friendship and eventual romance. But Shun’s quiet home by the seaside started with pain–he left his hometown after his parents disowned him for being gay. That inescapable fact still haunts him, especially now that his father is ill. Shun is ready to go back to Hokkaido to see his parents again, but this time, he has Mio by his side. Mio has complicated feelings about this himself, as he was devastated by the loss of his own parents and now might not be accepted by Shun’s–what will this trip mean for him?



Tags: Boys' Love , LGBTQ+ Themes , Iyashikei , Time Skip , Male Protagonist , Nudity , Writing , Age Gap , Coastal , Family Life , Estranged Family , Adoption , Orphan

Ping Pong

Also known as Ping Pong.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Sports

Makoto “Smile” Tsukimoto and his friend Yutaka “Peco” Hoshino have been playing table tennis since they were kids, but as they enter high school, they find that the game has changed. Seeing potential in them that they themselves don’t fully realize, the coach recruits them for the school team. Bringing out their best will mean challenging the top players from rival schools in the summer tournament, including an ace Chinese exchange student who almost made the Olympic team. With the pressure on, can Smile and Peco take the heat and make it into the finals?



Tags: Table Tennis , Coming of Age , Seinen , Philosophy , Tragedy , Coastal , Male Protagonist , School Club , Teacher , Primarily Male Cast , School , Primarily Teen Cast , Bullying , Language Barrier , Urban , Time Skip

Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi

Also known as This Monster Wants to Eat Me.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Drama , Horror , Psychological , Romance , Supernatural

“I’ve come to eat you.”

So softly utters the mermaid Shiori as she emerges from the sea and takes high school girl Hinako by the hand. Hinako lives alone in a town by the sea and possesses an unusually delicious body that is irresistible to nearby monsters. To ensure that she matures to the best condition, Shiori seeks to protect Hinako—all so that someday, she can devour every piece of her. What will become of Hinako’s feelings as this looming unjust death closes in on her…?

Tags: Tragedy , Mermaid , Monster Girl , Female Protagonist , Youkai , Denpa , Coastal , Yuri , Primarily Female Cast , Orphan , Primarily Teen Cast , Seinen , LGBTQ+ Themes , Mythology , Gods , Rural , Body Horror , Disability

Fujimoto Tatsuki Tanpenshuu: 22-26

Also known as Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 22-26.

Status: Finished
Genres: Comedy , Drama , Ecchi , Psychological , Romance , Supernatural

Killer mermaids, gender swapping, and a devilish little sister with the power to end the world—four more unforgettable short stories that reveal the starting point of Tatsuki Fujimoto, the twisted mastermind behind Chainsaw Man.



1. Ningyo Rhapsody (2014)
2. Me wo Sametara Onnanoko ni Natteita Yamai (2017)
3. Yogen no Nayuta (2015)
4. Imouto no Ane (2018)

Tags: Anthology , School , Mermaid , Fishing , Coastal , Gender Bending , LGBTQ+ Themes , Nudity

Geunyeoui Simcheong

Also known as Her Tale of Shim Chong.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Romance

Based on a Korean folktale, two very different women find themselves making the same wish - to leave this world behind. One is Shim Chong, a young beggar living off the kindness of others to support herself and her blind father. The other is the bride-to-be of old Chancellor Jang, sold off to him for the sake of her family. When Shim Chong rescues this new bride from the river, their relationship triggers both love and hidden intentions. But will these two women be able to find their way forth in a world that favors men?



Note: Includes seven extra chapters.

Tags: Female Protagonist , Full Color , Yuri , Historical , LGBTQ+ Themes , Primarily Adult Cast , Class Struggle , Arranged Marriage , Primarily Female Cast , Fairy Tale , Politics , Tragedy , Coastal , Long Strip , Tanned Skin

Kaijuu no Kodomo

Also known as Children of the Sea.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Supernatural

When Ruka was younger, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad works. Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora. They were raised by dugongs and hear the same strange calls from the sea as she does.

Ruka's dad and the other adults who work at the aquarium are only distantly aware of what the children are experiencing as they get caught up in the mystery of the worldwide disappearance of the oceans' fish.



Tags: Philosophy , Mythology , Environmental , Seinen , Swimming , Female Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Astronomy , Cosmic Horror , Animals , POV , Coastal , Kaiju , Male Protagonist , Scuba Diving , Amnesia , Monster Boy , Urban , Educational , Ships , Body Horror , Cannibalism , Primarily Teen Cast , Primarily Adult Cast , Heterosexual , Work , Nudity

Umineko no Naku Koro ni Episode 2: Turn of the Golden Witch

Also known as Umineko When They Cry Episode 2: Turn of the Golden Witch.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

With help from the witch Beatrice, Shannon has enjoyed a budding romance with George Ushiromiya, her master’s eldest grandson. As a servant of the Ushiromiya estate, Shannon is little more than furniture, but since her bargain with Beatrice, Shannon has never felt happier…or more human. Her brother and fellow servant, Kanon, is troubled by his sister’s reliance on the witch to reach beyond her lowly status. But when love begins to flutter in Kanon’s heart, will he be tempted to abandon his station and take the witch’s hand as well?



Tags: Witch , Magic , Meta , Male Protagonist , Shounen , Female Protagonist , Maids , Coastal , Ensemble Cast , Gore , Detective , Tragedy , Primarily Adult Cast , Alternate Universe , Cosmic Horror , Ojou-sama , Butler

AQUA

Also known as Aqua.

Status: Finished
Genres: Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Sci-Fi , Slice of Life

After 150 years of Terraforming, Aqua, the formerly planet known as Mars, now has more than 90 percent of its surface covered in water. A young girl named Akari Mizunashi arrives at the city of Neo-Venezia, an exact replica of the old Italian city of Venice, hoping to become an Undine, the most coveted job on Aqua.



Note: Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Work , Primarily Female Cast , Iyashikei , Female Protagonist , Foreign , Episodic , Aviation , Shoujo , Coastal