Sea Princess Azuri
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Sea Princess Azuri is an original English manga distributed by Tokyopop and created by Erica Reis. It is the story of Azuri, an Orcan (human/orca hybrid) bethrothed to Prince Unagi, the leader of Eels, as part of a peace offering. Things complicate, however, when she falls in love with Thalo, her Orcan guard and childhood best friend.
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[edit] Official summary
(from Free Comic Book Day Tokyopop Sneaks) Azuri is the mermaid princess and the only royal heir of the Orcans, a race of whale-merpeople that lives in a fantastic world deep within the ocean. Azuri is betrothed to Prince Unagi, leader of the Eel people. Their marriage is arranged as a means to bring peace between the two kingdoms. But when Azuri falls in love with Thalo, her best friend and royal Orcan guard, and her world falls apart!
From the Sea Princess Azuri website...
Far beyond the wave swells of the tropical seas, past the last archipelago islands to the south of another world, on the bottom of the cold antarctic waters there lies the kingdom of Orca.
Orca, the greatest kingdom of all the mermaids, is home to the Orcans, a fearless race of killer whale mer-people. Bodies sleek like a dolphin, patterned in striking blues, blacks, purples and whites, they rule the southern seas with a strong fist and a friendly nature.
Queen Onyxis has a single daughter, the princess Azuri, next in line for the matriarchal throne. Princess Azuri is subject to something that hasn't been heard of since the olden days, an arranged marriage. Betrothed since a young age to the Prince Unagi of the young Eel kingdom of Gillenok, fifteen year-old Azuri's marriage is fast approaching. She goes into this wide-eyed and open-minded, happy to do her part to end the long history of warring between their two peoples.
Prince Unagi is due to arrive at the capitol city of Orca any day now, the reality of the situation is settling in. Princess Azuri confides in her best friend since childhood, a young Orcan boy named Thalo, now a member of the Royal Guard. If she's going to marry a complete and total stranger she needs the support of someone she trusts, but just how far does that trust go?
The love blossoming between two young Orcan teens is obvious to everyone, that is, except themselves. It is only a matter of time before Prince Unagi notices.
[edit] Cast of characters
Princess Azuri The "Pale Princess," only daughter of Queen Onyxis, and next in line for the throne to the powerful Kingdom of Orca.
Prince Unagi Son of King Anago, the first king of the Eels, Prince Unagi is heir to the kingdom of Gillenok.
Queen Onyxis Current queen of the great Orcan people, Queen Onyxis is wise, intelligent, and independent. Princess Azuri's mom ...
Thalo A talented young Orcan who has a passion for aquatic martial arts ... and Princess Azuri!
Mica Thalo's best friend from the Martial Academy.
Awa Awa was orphaned at a young age when her parents were killed by a Jellysquid. She's a Sealicorn and Azuri's faithful pet.
Scample A young four-armed shrimp mermaid, Scample is Unagi's faithful servant (and #1 fan).
Cinnabelle One of Azuri's chambermaids, cool and aloof. She is a squid mermaid.
Gibbi Gibbi is one of the many merfolk immigrants in the Orcan kingdom. She's always there to counsel and encourage Azuri when she's feeling down. She is a catfish mermaid, complete with cat ears.
The Coral Sisters The Coral Sisters are a guarded secret of the Orcan monarchy. They are essentially one being: three bodies connected to the bottom of a large round coral. They possess abilities handed down by the gods to create and manipulate DNA, and are the foundation upon which the entire Orcan scientific knowledge is built.
[edit] Plotline
Azuri is to marry Unagi, and despite Thalo's efforts to remain indifferent, Thalo isn't happy. He does, however, "stand by" while the Eel Prince courts the Orcan Princess, all the while he and Azuri try to convince themselves that they are not actually in love. At the ball to celebrate Unagi's arrival to the kingdom of Orca, Azuri performs an ancient Orcan Bridal Ritual. With her Breath Blast Attack, she shatters the ceremonial ice platform on which she danced with a single note.
In Volume 2, things heat up as Prince Unagi notices the sweet nothings that Princess Azuri and Thalo are unable to hide. He sets in motion a plan to drive Thalo out of the kingdom, by setting him up to take the fall for crimes the young Orcan didn't commit. His servant Scample sabotages the Great Ballroom to collapse in on itself while Thalo and Azuri are on top of it, so that Thalo will take the blame.
In Volume 3, Unagi's real reasons for setting up the marriage between himself and Princess Azuri become clear. He intends to marry the princess and murder the queen, thereby assuming rule of both kingdoms. Azuri finds out and runs away before they can be married, stalling his plan. She seeks out Thalo, who was turned into a human and banished from the kingdom to live on land -- a cruel joke to any mer-person.
