A Girl on the Shore

Koume, a popular girl dealing with the universal confusion and loneliness of finding that one is simultaneously powerful and powerless when it comes to sexual awakening. An older, dandyish boy crush (Misaki) forces Koume to perform a sexual act on him - she desires him, but is traumatized by this act of sexual violence, and is too embarrassed to tell even her closest friends. She tries to regain a little bit of control over her own sexuality by starting a secretive sexual relationship with quiet outcast Keisuke, a former classmate who is dealing with the trauma of his older brother's death by suicide, which he blames himself for. Koume and Keisuke's relationship evolves from her using him as a way to regain her sexual power after being rendered powerless by Misaki, to Keisuke finding his own confidence, power, leading him to confront the bullies that tormented his brother, and ultimately to move on from Koume and the pain of being stuck in the prison of his own depression and self-hate. Resolutions aren't so neat for Koume, but you get the impression that she's learning to open up to those who care about her, and that the kid will be alright with time and experience. The most difficult part of the story for me was how Keisuke becomes physically abusive to Koume towards the end of their relationship, and its heartbreaking.

it was such an interesting read and me still being in my teens and being able to relate to both sides it really made me interested in reading it was very good but yet after reading it i did indeed have the urge to burn it haha (it’s because of how relatable)

It arrive in perfect condition and very fast , I loved the story and the artwork of it too. This is my first manga I read from Asano and I can tell that he is a genius at making you feel empathy towards his characters, might buy more from his work.

You are not going to get a pretty, fluffy, idyllic life of Japanese adolescents here. There is no hero or heroine, there is merely a rough, harsh and sad existence of all these characters. They're not cute, they're not handsome. The artwork is exceptional in depicting young people in all their awkwardness, their blemishes, their process of development, and without many words we see ourselves, just from another land. Koume is a strange, conflicted girl, who is struggling with an image that her parents see, but no one else does. Her female friends are a clique of social climbers and followers (more of the latter). Through her eyes, we see sexual predation, desire, and a wanting of something without having any idea of what that is. I remember all too well in my own life. The male counterpart also is scarred by what he won't talk about. His "Girl on the Shore" is not Koume, as we think. He too battles with what he wants, he experiments and while he and Koume don't seem to care for each other, they're united by releasing a tension that no one can deny. I'm reminded of "In Clothes Called Fat," where Moyocco Anno paints the pictures no one wants to see, because they are us. The artwork is fantastic; yes, it is at times graphic (this is not your slice of life manga, folks). If I had kids, I probably would have a long talk with them before letting them read this, but I think they would get it. This is a form of literature that shows us the raw emotion of our growing up years, and those who struggle with abuse, exclusion, loss and loneliness will identify.

Lindo

Nice book

To start off A Girl by the Shore is certainly written for mature audiences. To start off there is soft core p*rn in this manga. But please don’t let that take away from how brilliant this manga is drawn and written. The story is so genuine and different from anything I’ve read so far. It will make you hurt all the way through, but it teaches you a lesson. The last manga that made me truly think was Orange (which I also recommend). I believe as long as you’re of the appropriate age you should definitely buy this manga. It’s one that you’ll never forget. (I’ve been thinking about it ever since I read it a couple weeks ago.)

I don't know why people say this is traumatic or world shaking. This is the story of a young girl learning what actually love is and a young boy who will do so much for those he loves