O My, O My, OOOO MYYYYY, DragonCats!

This. Was. PERFECT!

First I would like to thank NetGalley, the Author and Artist and the Publisher for this ARC.

This is a "What If" story.
What if the curse never died?
What if the Little mermaid got reincarnated?
What if the curse was never a curse?
What if trauma and pain and suffering could last for lifetimes?
What if Love could last for lifetimes?

That's what this is.
A Love story.
The fear we had in our previous lives taking over in our current life and freezing us in place.
This is a true love story.
One that has you giggling and crying at the same time.
It is heartfelt and has depth and is gorgeous.

I loved it!
And if I could give it all the stars in the world I would.
💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙

I really enjoyed this fresh, gender‑bent reincarnation retelling of The Little Mermaid. The illustrations are gorgeous—Aito’s character design is especially striking, and even the more unsettling figures, like the Sea Witch, are beautifully done.


Aito’s past life and curse haunts his memories both mentally and physically- cursed to lose his voice and unable to use his legs whenever he falls in love. As a result, a decade ago he made a promise not to fall in love again.

But everything begins to unravel when a friend posts a karaoke video of Aito singing. The clip catches the attention of Toru, who wants Aito’s vocals for a soundtrack in his college film project. Unfortunately, being around Toru triggers Aito’s curse but thanks to modern technology, the two are still able to communicate through messaging.

One of my favorite moments is the swimming scene, when neither has their phone and Aito gently traces letters into Toru’s palm so they can “talk.” It’s intimate, sweet, and beautifully illustrated.


During the group trip when Toru is asked about his dating life he admits he likes someone and is waiting for their answer, everyone seems disappointed by his answer wanting him for themselves. When alone Toru reassures Aito he will continue to wait for his answer.
The story ends with a heartfelt HEA, and the final panel is absolute perfection.

As a millennial, I've come across many retellings of The Little Mermaid, but this one may be my favorite one yet. Korato's version of the story is a much darker approach, closer to the Hans Christian Andersen's original, but deviating from the source with a much happier ending. In this world, Aito is a human but was a mermaid in his past life. This makes his "curse" something completely out of his control, and he sees no reason to fight it. While he's resigned to never fall in love, Aito is living a pretty fulfilling life. He attends school, has a best friend Mizuki (who is amazing!!) , and enjoys himself singing. I loved this realistic approach to someone who is still carrying a big burden, because life does go on no matter what you're going through.

Then Aito meets Toru. This guy is cute and wants to get to know him. While everything in his mind and body is screaming "No! Runaway!" Aito makes the decision to move forward. This decision isn't one to be taken lightly and that's what really stands out to me with this story. Aito is so afraid of love and pain, he doesn't believe it's worth even trying. But Toru changes that. Voices in the Sea Foam hones in how much the act of loving someone is an act of bravery. It's a choice to follow the unknown and accept the risks of love, against all fears. Voices in the Sea Foam is a beautiful take on this tale, with a message about love that is sure to last.