It's not unusual to see shrine maidens in manga, but Kuma Miko has a special kind of shrine maiden: one who hangs out with a talking bear.

In fact, all the bears in 14-year-old Machi's rural village are able to talk. They trace this back to a kind of squeamish legend between a bear and a human, and now the bears and humans here have an alliance. (While the legend is squeamish, nothing in Machi's interactions with her bear friend would fall into that category. They're innocent and comfortable with each other like friends or family.)

Read the full article here:
http://www.otakuusamagazine.com/Manga/News1/Kuma-Miko-Manga-Lives-a-Peaceful-Life-with-Bears-8181.aspx