Kumamiko - Girl Meets Bear

Description

In the deep regions of the Touhouku area, the comedic story of the miko of bears, 14-year-old Machi, and her childhood friend, the talking bear Natsu takes place as Machi struggles to qualify for city-life with Natsu's assistance.

Type

Manga

Related Series

Kuma Miko Koushiki Anthology (Spin-Off)

Kumamiko Chang (Spin-Off)

Associated Names

Kuma Miko

Kuma Miko: Girl Meets Bear

Kumamiko

Жрица и медведь

คุมะมิโกะ คนทรงหมี

くまみこ Girl meets Bear

当女孩遇到熊

熊巫女

Groups Scanlating

Overload Scans

Sniper Joe

Latest Release(s)

v.3 c.17 by Sniper Joe 9 years ago

v.3 c.16 by Sniper Joe 9 years ago

c.15 by Overload Scans 10 years ago

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Status in Country of Origin

20 Volumes (Complete)

Completely Scanlated?

Anime Start/End Chapter

Starts at Vol 1, Chap 1

Ends at Vol 3, Chap 18 (abridged). The 2nd OVA jumps ahead to Vol 5, Chap 25.

User Reviews

N/A

Forum

0 topics, 0 posts

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User Rating

Average: 7.7 / 10.0 (54 votes)

Bayesian Average: 7.19 / 10.0

20%

13%

24%

20%

11%

Last Updated

November 7th, 2025 11:30pm PST - 1 month ago

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Genre

Comedy Seinen Slice of Life
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Categories

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Category Recommendations

Kamisama-Biyori

Doku no Ou Saikyou no Chikara ni Kakusei Shita Ore wa Bikitachi wo Shitagae, Hatsujou Haaremu no Aruji to Naru

Ryuujin-sama to Miko Hanayome no Chigiri

Ryuujin no Saiai Kon - Suterareta Hime Miko no Koufuku na Yomeiri

Kaijin no Hanayome

Recommendations

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

Kyoukai Senjou no Rinbo

Author(s)

Artist(s)

Year

Original Publisher

Media Factory

Serialized In (magazine)

Comic Flapper (Media Factory)

Licensed (in English)

Yes

English Publisher

One Peace Books (8 Volumes - Ongoing)

Activity Stats (vs. other series)

Weekly Pos #755

(-16)

Monthly Pos #1678

(-133)

3 Month Pos #3476 (No change)

6 Month Pos #5799 (No change)

Year Pos #5843

(-2200)

List Stats

On 419 reading lists

On 242 wish lists

On 12 completed lists

On 16 unfinished lists

On 126 custom lists

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Forum Posts Click to view the forum

User Comments [ Order by usefulness ]

This series is fine

by iris_19
1 month ago

Rating: N/A

I will start in saying the series didn't deserve all the disgrace it had thanks to the anime adaptation's ending's kerfuffles, in 2016. But, what would you expect when the anime in question was mostly used for "promotion" purposes. The "liked what you watched? keep with the manga!" kind of anime adaptation. And I think some of the elements felt more maligned in purpose than the manga itself.

And that's the thing - the early manga chapters do give this impression of the characters (like Natsu and Yoshio) being more "toxic" towards Machi, who is definitely a girl raised in the mountains and grew up with a certain dose of naivety and ignorance because, I can imagine growing up with a miko grandmother that may have been strict in her teachings, and Machi being entirely in her comfort zone following up all her grandma taught her (and expectations of others as the sacred miko of the village)... while also depending on her talking bear handling the "difficult" things of technology and the like.

That being said, Kumade Village is also one of those small Japanese towns lost in the rural side of the country, and the mountains, that is suffering of gradual abandonment while a certain generation is moving out to the city. It's very on the background, not going to lie, but you then start understanding why Yoshio is so persistent in rising the tourism of that small town... except, you know, it's also a very devout village with sacred talking bears, and not many can go there and all that.

But, at the same time, Machi finding out her foot, wanting to be able to be a "normal" and "modern" girl is where the slice of life and comedy hits (not as much as the relatability her anxiety struggles due to expectations found in fictional manga and such in what is a "country bumpkin" and not fitting in), and you also want her to improve. And Natsu, adamant in letting go of his best friend, almost sibling, almost daughter, also has to learn that Machi wants to grow up and live as "normal" as possible (as it is within a fictional series where your ties are in a town with talking bears).

The series gets slightly better after volume 4 (which was more or less where the anime left into). It's a shame that "due to lack of interest" the English release from One Peace Books has stopped criminally under vol 8, last released in April 2018 (tbf, volume 9 was the latest at the time in Japan, released in late 2017), but I also kind of wonder if the lack of promotion? the reception of the anime ending in 2016? also made the series get out from the conscience of the people...

... Last updated 1 month ago

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So cute.

by drunkguy
11 years ago

Rating: 9.0 / 10.0

Country bumpkin girl who is friends with a bear wants to go to the city. Bear teaches girl common sense about said city. It is all quite entertaining.

The art is good is a bit rough. The pacing is a bit slow but that is par for the course when it comes to slice of life manga. The bear is just adorable. It's like a variation of Calvin and Hobbes.

... Last updated 11 years ago

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