Pichi Pichi Pitch 1: Mermaid Melody

Lucia is a cute high school student—but she is also a mermaid princess. She and her fellow mermaids, Hanon and Rina, draw their power from magical pearls, which give them "pichi pichi" (lighthearted) voices and transform them into rock stars in kick-ass schoolgirl outfits with stars, glitter and matching microphones. Just a few lyrics ("Love Shower Pitch!" Lucia shouts) can defeat any enemy. That's a good thing, too, since the evil Gackto is bent on kidnapping the princesses so he can rule the seven seas. Meanwhile, Lucia pines over the surfer Kaito, who is helplessly in love with a mysterious mermaid who once saved his life, unaware, of course, that Lucia is that mermaid. Pichi Pichi Pitch is a mermaid version of Sailor Moon with a little Hans Christian Anderson thrown in for good measure. A few cardboard villains, a recycled love story, eyes so large they take up half the page, several glitzy transformation sequences and abundant fan service (cheesecake) make for an industrial-strength shojo. It's been adapted into a very popular anime in Japan, and fans of this kind of hyper-cute tale should find this manga to their liking. (Apr.)