Yumi Nagumo is a girl with a dream: Become the president of the United States of Amerigo! Unfortunately, she has no foresight and has no idea about Amerigo's culture. So, the second she lands in Amerigo, she needs help. In steps a group of vets in a Southwest diner who tell Yumi the best way to become president.
Join the Marine Corps.
Thus begins Yumi's adventures in the Marine Corps. Joining her are Linda Crawford, Donna King, and Rita Fernandez, as they enter boot camp and ready themselves for the Marine Corps.
Marine Corps Yumi is a manga drawn by Takeshi Nogami of Strike Witches and Girls und Panzer, and written and translated by Marine Anastasia Moreno. The series shows remarkable accuracy thanks to Moreno's former experiences.
Sadly, after a long battle with cancer, Moreno Died During Production away on July 12th, 2015. The series was continued by Nogami as he was given the whole plot by Moreno before her death and the English translation was to be continued by Dan Kanemitsu. However, those English translations never appeared so Hyakuro Translations
translated the rest of the chapters in April 2018. On June 20th, 2017, Takeshi announced that he had finished all the stories of Marine Corps Yumi for a total of seven volumes.
One can read the English version here or here.
This series contains examples of:
- Alpha Bitch: Donna King shows shades of this, to the point where she enlists in the Marine Corps simply to prove herself away from her family name.
- And the Adventure Continues: The story ends with the main characters carrying on with their chosen careers.
- Art Shift: Officers in a very high position of authority (ie. Generals) and more serious characters tend to be drawn in a more realistic style.
- Artistic License – History: Based on Yumi's birth year of 1984, the events of the story must have taken place around 2002 to 2004, while the story itself was written in the 2010s; some parts of the story are current at the time of writing rather than the supposed time frame, such as Yumi visualizing Barack Obama as the US President even though he entered office in 2009.
- Artistic License – Military: Mostly averted in the series, thanks to the experiences of writer and translator Moreno.
- Happens during the Marine Corp graduation when the Eagle, Globe and Anchor is not depicted properly. This is justified as that symbol is a trademark of the USMC and the authors opt to not use the actual one in the comics.
- Moreno also points out any flaw in the depiction of the military in the summary below each page. Such as DIs not being as touchy as depicted and etc.
- Happens during the Marine Corp graduation
- Bloody Hilarious: Let's just say that sand midges' bites effects on Rita were a little bit too exaggerated.
- Bluffing the Authorities: A recruit has had enough and tries to escape the island, but Yumi (who was on night watch duty) catches her outside the barracks. When confronted by the DI, Yumi covers for her by claiming she got lost on her way to the head. The DI lets it slide, but the next morning they're reminded that Barris Island is isolated, in case somebody "got lost" again.
- Cerebus Syndrome: While the manga is mostly light-hearted, in the later parts it takes some serious mood turns when the story delves into more sensitive issues surrounding the Marine Corps such as controversies of the US military bases in Okinawa. This is especially the case during the Iwo Jima arc for obvious reasons.
- Chekhov's Classroom: Back in recruit training, DI Sergeant Garza explains how the Marines use the MAGOF concept (Marine Air Ground Operating Force). When Yumi becomes an interpreter and the JGSDF Chief of Staff is confused on the MAGOF concept that even his own interpreter doesn't know, Yumi delivers an explanation word-by-word identical to what Sgt. Garza taught her. This impressed General Gentry enough that he gives her a promotion to Corporal not too long after.
- Child of Two Worlds: Yumi is unknowingly a dual citizen of Nippon and Amerigo due to the latter's citizenship by birth policy. She had to give up her Nipponian citizenship in order to join the Marines, though.
- Classified Information: Stories about the Intelligence department are full of red redaction bars.
- Creator Cameo: Both Moreno and Nogami are present in the audience during the Marine graduation ceremony.
- Distaff Counterpart: It could be compared to Terminal Lance, albeit in manga form and with a more consistent plot.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?:
- During the Hokkaido Joint CPX arc, when Donna tries her hand at technical translation, the result reads more like a yaoi fan fiction.
- Yumi is a natural-born American citizen of color born in Hawaii who spent her childhood in an Asian country, like Barack Obama.
- Drill Sergeant Nasty: Subverted. The DIs show that they actually have a reason for their madness, from how the recruits sit to how they hold their canteens.
- Eagleland: This series as a whole is a definite America The Beautiful example.
- Fictional Counterpart: Among others, we have the United States of Amerigo, Nippon, and the Barris Island boot camp.
- Five-Token Band: The four main characters are from different races and ethnicities that makes up for the majority of American demographic compositions, Yumi being Japanese turned American citizen, making her an Asian American, Linda being White American, Rita being Hispanic American, and Donna being African American.
- Gas Mask Mooks: CBRN defense trainees are required to wear gas masks at all times, even when sleeping.
- Groin Attack: Linda doesn't appreciate free balls.
- Going Commando: A male PT decides to go without underwear under his silkies, which Linda doesn't appreciate.
- I Call It "Vera": Since the focus is on female Marines, this time the rifles are given boy's names.
- I'd Tell You, but Then I'd Have to Kill You: Rita's answer when the others asked about her work in Intelligence.
- Knockout Gas: Yumi has a very mild reaction to tear gas, which might be why she is assigned to CBRN defense.
- Loophole Abuse: During their final test as recruits, Donna gets around the obstacle course by sticking to the edge of the pit as there's no rule saying she wasn't allowed to.
- Mistaken for Servant: Or in this case, "Mistaken For Civilian". Yumi is brought along as an interpreter for an USMC General who is visiting his JGSDF counterparts after their regular interpreter is unavailable and thanks to Donna's suggestion, chooses Yumi as their replacement as she can speaks Japanese. But since she came with the delegation in a business suit, the JGSDF Chief of Staff assumed Yumi was a Civilian translator before meeting her again when she's wearing her MARPAT Utility Uniform and realizing that she is a Marine as well.
- Punny Name: The Japanese title Marinko Yumi can also mean "Marine Child Yumi".
- Reused Character Design: Yumi's beloved school uniform design is reused in Girls und Panzer: Ribbon Warrior as the protagonists' school uniform.
- Running Gag: Yumi saying she wants to become a Marine so she can play with dolphins. It is later revealed that her mother is a dolphin researcher.
- Semper Fi: This manga is about the United States Marine Corps after all.
- Tall Tale: Yumi's birth on April 23, 1984. Her mother went into labor at Hawaii and apparently President fricken' Reagan and Nancy Reagan helped her give birth to Yumi, where Marine One helicopter transported her and her family to the hospital. Yumi (and whoever was there to listen) is not sure about this claim from her parents. But Reagan was actually on Hawaii on April 23, 1984...
- Title Drop: Done here upon Yumi getting her Globe and Anchor.
- Tears of Joy: Everyone has these upon finally completing the Crucible and becoming full-fledged Marines
- Unmoving Plaid: The MARPAT camouflage on characters' Combat Utility Uniforms, both the Woodland and Desert pattern variants.
- Up Through the Ranks: By the end of the story, Yumi and Donna have graduated from officer school and become Second Lieutenants, and Rita has become a drill instructor. Linda chooses to leave and get hitched instead.
- Yanks with Tanks: Aside from the Marine Corps that are the main focus of the story, the later parts of the series also features members from other uniformed service branches of the US Armed Forces, particularly during the Hokkaido joint exercise arc. Interservice Rivalry included.
