Wadanohara and the Great Blue Sea Vols. 1-2

by Mogeko

The young witch Wadanohara has just returned from a journey across the oceans, searching for a clue to her lost memories. Now that she has come home, along with her familiars Memoca, Dolphi and Fukami, Wadanohara must continue her quest while ensuring the safety of the ocean kingdom she hails from. But a mysterious figure from her past has appeared and demands that she leave her ocean home forever. What dark event transpired in Wadanohara's past and what does it portend for her future?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Comics Manga, Graphic Novels, Comics

330 pages, Paperback

Published July 3, 2017

Reviews

[Lidiandoconlavida · Rating 3 out of 5]

⚠️Recomiendo jugar el juego antes de leer el manga para tener mayor contexto (y porque el último arco nunca fue traducido entonces la historia del manga está inacabada)⚠️

Hace unas semanas empecé a jugar el juego de Wadanohara que me llamó la atención desde hacía años (salió en 2013 wtf) y es para +18 y yo con 10 años como "pero por qué si el juego se ve muy mono, quiero jugarlo pero ahora tengo miedo, mejor espero" y menos mal porque 💀

El manga resume demasiado la historia del juego. Tengo que decir que los paneles son cute/silly y hay personajes icónicos, aunque la historia se ha quedado a medio terminar porque el último arco nunca fue traducido y es mi favorito :'(

El world building se me hace muy interesante: la perla que parece una luna, las brujas y sus familiares, la historia de las princesas del mar Uomi y Mikotsu... Me ha recordado a Nagi no Asukara, a Pichi Pichi Pitch y a Las sirenas de Mako por la temática del océano y el romance pero también a Madoka Magica por las brujas y los temas oscuros, así que muy buenas vibes porque esas series son de mis favs🛐 Y hablando de favoritos, los personajes que más me han gustado han sido Samekichi, Fukami, Wadanohara y la princesa Mikotsu y hago especial mención a Sal (especial mención porque no apoyo sus acciones pero es un personaje bien escrito el hdp, iykyk).

Me encanta la pareja que hacen Wadanohara y Samekichi, de verdad, es que son tan adorables, pero ¿Fukami, hola? Es el triángulo amoroso más increíble que he visto nunca. De mis ships preferidos de todas las historias que he leído hasta el momento.

En lo personal he disfrutado mucho más el juego que el manga pero éste también me ha gustado.

[Perla Villa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75/5 I love the art but the actual story was okay. The problem is that it has too many unanswered questions. They should have made it longer or a continuation.

[Robert Pierson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was really disappointing The artwork is kind of OK the stories got a Lotta plot holes in it and doesn’t make a lot of sense at times the characters I just feel were made to try to be cute but there’s no real depth or anything to them that I’m sure there’s an audience out there for this I’m just definitely not in that audience

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really nice adaptation of the game! Cute artwork and I liked how they handled the battle scenes. Some parts of the game which weren’t very story-heavy were skipped over which makes sense.
I really hope a sequel is made for the final arc! That’s my favourite part.

Edit: you can download and play the game here: http://vgperson.com/games/wadanohara.htm (legal!!)

[Megan McFaddin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the art for this series!! I thought it was very cute. The story was a little confusing and felt a little incomplete. But considering there is a 3rd volume that never got translated and it’s a game, that makes sense. It has some darker themes so I would definitely be aware of that going in.

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so this manga... uh...

Well, I liked it. I was confused as all heck and a little weirded out, but I liked it. I get the feeling though that it's supposed to be confusing and unsettling beneath all the cuteness and humor though, so on that front, it worked.

It also felt incomplete? Which makes sense considering there's another volume they don't intend to translate apparently. (I had to do some Googling on this point. Apparently there are 3 volumes and this omnibus only has 2, but the 3rd the creator doesn't intend to have translated? I'm confused, please correct me if I'm wrong).

The art feels like it wandered out of something intended for a younger audience, and it lulls you into a false sense of security with adorable characters and goofy comedy. Then WHAM, murder. It doesn't come out of nowhere, but it is jarring after the chapters leading up to it. Which I'm sure was the point. From there, it swings back and forth between "totally G-rated ;)" to "viewer discretion advised." In this omnibus, it knows when to lean in and when to back off, so though use of blood and violence is sparing, it's also used to great effect.

I hope they reconsider translating the last volume because while this tells a full story, the ending isn't satisfying and it's definitely hinted that there's more going on than we see here. Having looked up the game this is all based on's endings, though, it's only going to get more disturbing from here if they do continue.

[Libra Frills · Rating 3 out of 5]

... Meh. I heard about the game first and played it for a little while years back. I always loved the art and the world, so I was excited to give the manga a try. It's bland, to say the least. Lots of manga/shojo cliches that I was able to predict, a bit of a rushed ending, pointless scenes and something of a nonsensical conflict. The art is absolutely adorable and I love the character design, so there's that. I think it would've been a better manga if it was just longer, maybe five volumes instead of two.
I'm sure the game is better, but I wonder by how much. I've heard praise for the game and for the writer, but this manga didn't impress me besides the cute art.

[Andy Wolf · Rating 2 out of 5]

…I’m not sure what I just read and it was a lot of it. I’m not familiar with the game so I tried to keep that into account when I gave my rating. However, as another reader said, it left so many unanswered questions. How was the conflict ended, just like that? What did Wadanohara forget? Will she remember? What is her curse? Why did her curse make Samekichi leave her? The war is over, why is he not back with her?

And the list goes on. The book is based off a game so maybe all of those questions are answered in it.

I did find the murderous little bunnies adorable though.

I don’t recommend this book of you haven’t played the game.

[Mercy Nurse · Rating 4 out of 5]

WATGBS holds a special place in my rpg maker game loving heart. That being said, I’m not sure this manga would make much sense to those who haven’t played the game or have no prior knowledge of it. It’s a nice peek into the fantastical world Mogeko created and adorable (but deadly) characters based off sea creatures - but I just think it’d be a bit too confusing for someone new to the fandom. Having had the insight I did going in, I enjoyed it but wished it was longer for a more satisfying ending.

[Sarah Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this out of nostalgia for the game, but I gotta say that while the art is cute and I can't say it's not worth a read for any fans of the game who are nostalgic like I was, it's overall a pale shadow next to the game's experience. There's a lot of the latter game stuff left out, and in fact because some revelations are omitted the driving plot thread of "who is the traitor" is left unresolved here. I can't recommend it as introduction to this story, play the game first at least.

[Mouse Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has played the game, this is a very straightforward adaptation of the story. However, because it’s so direct, a lot of plot points from the game are referenced and never addressed, with characters appearing and disappearing at random. This “complete series” only covers the first arc of the game!

I think Mogeko should’ve changed some things if the story was going to be adapted, since not everyone is going to go out of their way to play the game.

[Di · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for my IRL Manga Club.

I enjoyed this read, however I do wish they released more of the story. Now I need to go look for the game so I can get answers to questions I have. I also feel like they left quite a bit up in the air with this release which is a little frustrating. That being said, the art style is super cute and I will definitely read this again.

[Nathaniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considering this is the "adaptation" of a game, those who don't know it will definitely be confused.
If you like the game, read it.

Even me, someone who's a fan of the game, thought it was confusing. It's kind of vague and lacks some answers for specific things, but overall, it's not bad, and it also has one of the cutest art styles I have ever seen on a manga.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute, with a hint of gore. I loved the story, but felt like they could have done more with it. It leaves you feeling like its not finished.
The art is super adorable, and simple. This mixed with some gory bits and a more adult theme make it even more interesting.

[Bethany (CozyLittleBookNook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, it was fun and fluffy but there are still some questions that I need answers to. And I don’t really won’t to have to play the game to get them. But that’s pretty much it and with that said I did really like it.

[lislisette · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the cutest stories ever read. I absolutely loved the style, the art, but I think a little more exploration in the plot was needed. There's a lot of unanswered questions... nevertheless, I loved it <3

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ultra cute art, but waaay too many unanswered questions. None of the mysterious elements were actually resolved and the hyped-up war was stopped too quickly. I did not know this was based on a video game, but I wish it had had a proper ending.

[Vi · Rating 3 out of 5]

the extra chibi-ness of this all is off putting.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art style was cute and pretty, but the story left me wanting more.

[lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

i hope there will be more its so cute

[Yuiko · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was sorta bored with this

[Rebecca Dawkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much of a story but the art style was super cute. I am interested in playing the game it’s based on.

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story but does jump around a bit and can be hard to follow

[silas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super cute manga with dark twists. One of my favorite mangas ever due to the creativity and the cute artstyle. If Mogeko ever makes a translation for the other part I will definitely pick it up :)

[Alin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It ends really abruptly and it isn't really that true to its source game.

[Dominicmgm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love you so much Idate

[Bri B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this cute manga, but I felt there wasn't MUCH to the story. I'm not saying that it didn't have anything and that there is no story whatsoever, i'm just thinking that there could have been more to it than there was to the story. Such the part in the beginning when Wadanohara was in a school of witches then suddenly left because the sea is her true home. But anyways, that aside, this was a really adorable book with a cute art style and I enjoyed it and its characters.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was surprisingly a little dark and gruesome, but still really cute. I really love the art style and character designs of the characters.
I feel like the story is a little lacking. Especially the ending, I felt like it was missing something. It feels like there should be more to the story, is there more to the story? I hope there's more to the story.
It's based off a game right? Maybe there's more story in the game. Maybe the things that weren't answered in the manga are answered in the game?
So, I'm gonna try an eventually play the game now.

[bee ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit that my enjoyment of this book is purely from nostalgia... it’s certainly a nice little read for fans of the game. I should note that I would strongly suggest that you play the game before picking this up.

[Meesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

DUDE WHEN I BOUGHT THIS BOOK I WAS OBSESSED THE ART IS SO CUTE AND ALL but everything else was a littleeee ehhh… including the story for the manga, which was really off and missed out some key parts… i wished there was a more detailed version instead of a rushed omnibus without a proper conclusion