Kaijuu no Kodomo

Breathtaking and seamless animation. I'm glad they translated Igarashi Daisuke's art to the big screen pretty well. The art and the soundtrack is absolutely beautiful and I'm also a sucker for animes with the ocean/summer days/ fantasy aesthetic themes (reminded me of the anime Nagi no Asukara). Seeing it on the big screen gave me that same chest expanding feeling whenever I see amazing animation alongside moving soundtracks.

Honestly, the storyline lost me a little bit but I'm not gonna say I wasn't entertained and absorbed. I would still highly recommend for the imagery. Can't wait until it is released in English to rewatch it!

RIGHT OFF THE BAT!!! THIS REVIEW IS NOT SPOILER FREE!!!!!!!



Not gonna lie I originally posted this review/report in a twitter thread but it's so detailed it deserves to be a review here. Due to this though, it's not in the standard review form.

Report: Children of the Sea (film)

Aaaaaaa I loved the film so so much (non manga reader)

... Overall it was a very solid movie (cont. SPOILERS)

Disclaimer: this is all opinion!!! You can disagree!!! You can agree!!!

Storyline

The story was easy enough to follow but I could tell they'd removed a number of other plotlines in order to fit the main story into a short 110 minutes. The biggest example being the hinted abuse, exploitation and mistreated of Umi and Sora by the oceanographers. This missing plotline then tied in with the science of the boys' deteriorating physical condition, Joe's actions and disappearance towards the end of the film, and Anglade's relation to the happenings of the film, leaving many questions unresolved. The history of the "festival" is also left unsaid, adding more questions. Despite this, the movie still flows well and all of the things mentioned above come from my own observatory inclinations. Much is left out, but not enough to spoil the film for a non manga reader (me). The main story doesn't give quite enough information to become invested in the characters, namely the 3 leads. Sora and Umi (esp Sora) are gone almost as soon as they appear with how the film was paced. (Personal statement but Sora is a little shit and I love him for it).

Animation
Animation was above average but obviously not UBW level. The art (which is adapted well from page to screen) was the real breadwinner for this film. I will note, though, that the use of CG was done very nicely. CG is looking like the next big step in anime and this film is definitely a shuffle forward. That being said it could be thanks to the art and its compatibility to the medium.

Art
It must be said that the artwork and style of the film is absolutely breathtaking. The last 30 minutes of the film showcase some of the most gorgeous, detailed art I've ever seen in the medium, and I'd dare say that Children of the Sea challenged Itou Junji's oceanic masterpiece Gyo more than a few times, namely the deep sea shark that is showcased.

Music (OST by Joe Hisaishi)
Hisaishi composed for greats like Spirited Away, Laputa, other Ghibli classics and This Corner Of The World (drama). Unfortunately, his composition for Children of the Sea failed to capture me like it had countless times before. This was probably due to lack of "That One Track", that one work in the OST that manages to stick with you even after you've left the theatre. The reason for this track not existing within the Children fo the Sea soundtrack is due to Kenshi Yonezu's Umi no Yuurei. Despite this, the soundtrack still serves its purpose, and quite well at that. Subtle changes in tone between land and ocean made all the difference, and really added weight to the characters' movements depending on the setting at the time and scenes where the two tones met were truly majestic.

Theme song
The theme song of Children of the Sea is Umi no Yuurei (ghost of the sea) by Kenshi Yonezu, a song I've been raving about since its release before the film. You can tell Yonezu put a lot of love into the song, and its relation to Children of the Sea is undeniable with the lyrics seeming to be the words of Ruka for Umi and Sora whom she'll never "see" again, yet is forever tied to.It's so hard for me to not go crazy analysing Umi no Yuurei as there's so much I could talk about, but in the end I feel the best way to understand my overflowing emotions towards this song even before watching the film is to listen to it yourself. The one comment I will make it that Thank God Children of the Sea was able to live up to Yonezu's song, I was quite worried after DAOKO and Yonezu sung the theme for Fireworks (not full title), which ended up as a flop of a film, but I'm glad he wrote for such a good film.

Final score
If I had to give Children of the Sea a score out of 10, I, personally, would give it a 9/10 as it hit all my good spots but generally give it a 7.5/10 as it's heavily philosophical and symbolic, which I know peeves quite a few people.

Children of the Sea is a rather strange film. You won't find a gripping plot or compelling characters in it; in fact, they are actually rather simple and barely worth a mention. You will never find yourself gripping the edge of your seat in anxiety or screaming in elation. Because this isn't really a film - it's a mission statement told through an audiovisual medium.

The director, Ayumu Watanabe, and the author Daisuke Igarashi, have managed to express the vastness of our universe and the infinite potential it holds. They show us how they see the world: how we humans are but cells in an infinite ... cosmic being, our roles as stewards of that universe rather than researchers who seek to split it apart down to the last atom; how to live is to communicate and how communication is how we are seen; the sanctity of creation; the beauty and wondrousness of the ocean and by extension outer space. And it culminates in one of the greatest, trippiest pieces of animation I have ever seen.

This film will require a certain state of mind to full appreciate. It is heavy on the themes and symbolism and artistry, and light on everything else that makes a story compelling. But it also conveys an idea so insanely well that I truly believe it to be one of the greatest anime of all time.

This is going to be a very long review of Kaijuu no Kodomo because it is very awesome, hands down, one of the best anime movies that I have seen in my entire life. Even for the people who do not really watch anime, I'm still going to recommend watching this movie. Because for me, this is a masterpiece, with overall 10/10. The review might contain a personal interpretation of this movie, so I would like to apologize or you may correct me if I don't correctly interpret this movie, especially the message contains within it.

[THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILER!]

STORY 10/10: Firstly, there are a lot ... of beautiful messages that this movie has delivered and it is being packaged in such a beautiful and poetic manner. For me, there is no scene that has gone to waste, every movement, action, and conversation is the way of the author to build-up the story. I realize when there is an actual connection with the first scene and the very last scene; the conversation between Ruko, Umi, Sora, and Anglade, which discusses the universe, and conversation with other scenes that lead up to something: the connection between human and the universe; that we are bigger than we think because we are connected to the universe. The story of this movie reminds me of Neil deGrasse Tyson's interview, which he stated: "... It’s not that we are better than the universe, we are part of the universe. We are in the universe and the universe is in us.” It is superb. Indeed, one might argue there are some plot holes, but I believe the author considers to not include several scenes because it will–somehow–distract the point of the story.

ART/ANIMATION 10/10: There is no doubt the animation and the art because it really helps the movie to convey the message of this movie. Every movement and action are well-portrayed in this movie. Can you even imagine a scene where the mc putting a can in a plastic bag and grabbing a pile of sand is animated in a very detailed manner and flawless? Even to the extent of reflection of water, movement of the school of fishes, the combination of colors, and other things that you can visibly see. I literally cannot see any weakness in anything related to the art and the animation, because it is so flawless and close to perfection. Truly one of a kind.

CHARACTERS 10/10: Third, the characters, I personally believe the characters have their own important role to deliver the messages within the movie. Even without knowing that Umi and Sora were actually "abused" it needs not to show that they are abused, but there some scenes that have indicated that they have been "abused" by some people in the movie, in my perspective; for instance, then why they are so far away with the crowd and why they do not really mingle along with the people? Even if, one might say that there are some characters that supposed to have more role, but I think the author has the great control of the character development and try to make everything in control and not disrupting the characters to deliver the story from the very first start. Understanding this movie is not like reading academic books, it is like reading philosophical books like Nietzche that are very abstract or like reading a poem that is very thought-provoking and multi-interpretative. It is actually very difficult to deliver the story when there are a lot of various characters with different directions of developments for us to pay attention to, but the author pulled this off by picking which characters' role that need to be emphasized in the movie so the message is well-delivered. That is why the characters in this movie are the best because their roles have successfully delivered the message as aforementioned.

SOUND 10/10: No doubt with the sound, it is perfection. The sounds definitely help the movie to show which scenes that are intense and which one is not. I don't have much to say and clarify the sound because it is all perfect as a package.

ENJOYMENT 10/10: I watched this in 2020 and I think this is the best anime that I have watched in the past years. I really love thought-provoking animes/movies such as "Waking life (Non-anime)" and "Serial Experiments Lain". So I think it is very interesting to watch Kaijuu no Kodomo and definitely will come back to watch it again!

OVERALL 10/10: Definitely an anime that I will watch it again and again because it really satisfies your eyes, ear, and heart. It needs not to bring you tears but this is still the true definition of perfection in my honest opinion. I totally recommend everyone to watch this movie, and thus, you may share your own opinion and interpretation of this movie!

I love Children of the Sea.

I love its saturated palette. Joe Hisaishi’s atmospheric music. Acid-trip cinematography. Sublime art. A surreal plot that will bend your mind to the ends of the universe, but then back again to return perfectly to its origin, where everything settles beautifully.

This will be a full interpretation of every plot-relevant event. Please use this review as a guide for your own thoughts, rather than a concrete explanation.

Initially, Ruka is a young girl stranded on an island with the entire Pacific sprawling before her, stranded by her frustrations of growing up and communicating with others.

She struggles with communicating her feelings ... and understanding her own wants. She balls up in anticipation for a long, uneventful summer vacation.

Soon after, in her father’s aquarium, Ruka meets Umi, a carefree spirit dancing in his own world. He tells her that “things that shine will always be found,” and Ruka is swept up by her fascination and the beauty of the will-o’-wisps, meteors falling from the sky. She clutches to Umi’s hand as he leads her onward, noticing his incredible warmth.

Umi is a metaphorical representation of Ruka’s connection to others, her own tie to humanity. A physical expression of her desire.

Umi takes her to meet Sora, his brother. We find out that he is sick, and will soon die. The three of them board the aquarium’s boat on a reckless journey out into the open sea, fueled by Ruka’s aversion to seeing her alcoholic mother, apologizing to the handball team, and frustration with herself.

Sora is a metaphorical representation of Ruka’s appetition, her curiosity for the unknown.
When Umi takes Ruka’s hands, she feels warmth and fulfilment. When Sora takes Ruka’s hands, he is pulling her into the unforgiving ocean water.

The sea is omnipresent throughout the movie. The sea, space and the universe are representations of Ruka’s thalassophobic helplessness in a vast and unknowable world.

After a storm, Sora gets lost and Ruka rides with Umi on a truck to a secluded area where she meets Anglade. Anglade is a marine biologist who isolates himself from society to understand the world around him.

Anglade asserts that the sea and the space are one and the same, that we are made out of the same substance, and we are connected to people across worlds. There is an inexplicable vastness in the universe; 90% of it is made of dark matter that we can never observe. Yet, Anglade seems to suggest that we should be content in merely experiencing the wonder of creation. Nothing more.

In a beautiful coalescence of colour, Ruka, Umi and Sora wade through the seawater. Blue plankton light up the world and warmly envelop the trio.

Ruka wakes up in the middle of the night to a feverish Umi. She is surprised by Sora in the darkness, who leads her to the shore.

Sora, before he disappears in a streak of light, kisses Ruka and forces her to swallow a meteor.
The meteor is representative of Ruka’s appetition for the unknown.

For an unknown number of years, Anglade and Jim have attempted to collect data to understand when the “festival” will happen, which will mark the end of the boys’ lifespans. After failing to “save” Sora, Jim deletes his research data and announces that his goals have changed: rather than to prolong the lifespans of Umi and Sora, he now strives to protect them from the interference of arrogant people. Self righteous adults have no place in imposing biases on a child’s self reckoning.

Ruka, drunken and confused with the meteor inside her, rides out to sea with grandma Dede and Umi, where the former gives a speech about how we can never fully perceive things around us. We can only catch fragments of memories in the wind, as if we were sails. Through these fragments, we come to understand ourselves and the world we live in.

Ruka dives into the water, driven by her appetition and curiosity. She is swallowed by colossal beings, constantly reminding us of our insignificance in the presence of the sea, and space. She meets Sora again inside a chamber, who tells her that her job is complete. She begins to ascend through space and the universe and the camera pans out to show galaxies, DNA, primitive life forms, and seemingly the fabric of the universe itself.

Ruka, now a being made of stars, meets a fully material Umi, who drives himself through a shield of flames surrounding her, and grabs the meteor fragment burning in her chest.

Ruka fights Umi for this fragment, as if to say “Umi, this drive is dangerous, you cannot have it.” Umi and Ruka somersault over each other for the possession of this meteor. In this process, Ruka comes to the realization that she must return to humanity, and this meteor will not allow her to do so. When Umi turns into an infant, in an act of her own volition, Ruka gives this meteor piece to Umi. This action represents her maturity; a willful choice to return to reality, now that her appetition has been sated, her job complete. It is her desire for human connection that brings her to chase Umi’s warmth. The two fall into the sea, and Umi begins to disappear.

Ruka fights to hold onto fragments of Umi as his body loses materiality. She screams out “Umi, please stay with me,” grasping for his perfect personification of the warmth of love and connection. As the final piece of Umi bursts into a tiny fragment of the universe far away, Ruka, with tears in her eyes, is met with familiar voices: her parents. What is shining will always be found.

She is pulled out of the sea by her desperately worried folks.

In a conversation with Dede, Ruka tearily asks why she was chosen for this, and remarks that she wishes to see the boys again. Dede, empathetically tells her that she has experienced a beautiful boy by the sea as well. Dede explains that the journey to maturity is a path that all humans trek at some point in their life. “The most important things cannot be conveyed with words.” Ruka, having received solidarity from Dede, and a newfound trust in herself, runs forward into her life with a newfound spring in her step.

Some time in the future, Ruka sloshes through crystalline waves on a golden beach. Under the gaze of the clouds, she is content to kiss the beauty of the everyday. Perhaps longing for days past, she looks toward the horizon where the blues are blurred and recalls an unforgettable time with those who changed her life.

I dove into "Kaijuu no Kodomo" with an open mind and came out truly mesmerized. I've read several reviews where people expressed disappointment with the storyline, but for me, it was captivating. The themes explored in the movie, like the parallels with birth and the poetic notion of us being part of the vast universe, were both romantic and inspiring.

Regarding the characters, I did feel a tinge of longing for more depth in the side characters. However, this might be an intentional reflection of the transient nature of childhood and adolescence – friends coming and going, parents grappling with their children's emotional landscapes. It's a ... thought-provoking perspective.

Watching this movie was like experiencing the sea itself. At times, I felt a peaceful calmness, and at others, I was caught in a whirlwind of chaos and thunderstorms. This film isn't just a visual experience; it's an emotional journey.

I would wholeheartedly recommend "Kaijuu no Kodomo," but with a gentle note that it's best suited for those who are open to its unique storytelling and profound ideas. If you're willing to embrace its narrative style, this movie is a beautiful, thought-provoking voyage.

"At all times, we are connected by a place deep inside us. The most important promise isn't made with words".

I really enjoyed this movie, both visually and story-wise, so in short, do I recommend Children of the Sea aka Kaijuu no Kodomo? YES.
It was a new adventure in a new style, I think. It was one of the best 3D movies I've ever seen on the animation level. The animation was on point though in some scenes you can notice the CGI easily. Where in most of the movie I thought it was a Hand-drawing style. And it turned out to be that the producers ... used mixed Hand-drawing and CGI styles in this movie, which is the style most known in Disney movies.

I can see the effort they made in making this movie present a wonderful work with very detailed cinematography.
Great work drawing characters and designing them and showing the facial expressions. Face zooms are the thing I enjoyed most.
Drawing plants was perfect and realistic, animals though were drawn in a less realistic way.

In the beginning, I thought it was a teen romance film but it was much more than that. The movie is weirder than you think.
I highly recommend being open-minded about what you'll see in the second half of the movie, the movie took a really strange deep turn after chapter 11. It became more mythologic, more like spirited away. It's not something that is outrageous or unwatchable, On the contrary, it was beautiful and breathtaking, and the animation was smooth and seamless the whole movie but comparing the first part of the movie with the second part, it was a big turn-around.

Note: there is a post-credit scene.

[SPOILERS] !!!!!!!
I had one problem with this movie, just one; the movie gave me an open ending and left me with so many unanswered questions. For example:
- Who are Umi and Sora? What's their Origin? Are they actual brothers? Are they even humans?
- We didn't get an explanation of why Umi and Sora are in danger of extinction and why they were dying.
- Why was Ruka the chosen one to succeed Sora in holding the meteorite? Why did Sora have to sacrifice himself?
- And what is this meteorite thing that has the size of a small rock but the power of a universe?

Ratings:

Plot: 7/10. Nice storyline but didn't understand the ending, and the synopsis doesn't really describe the movie perfectly.

Characters: 8/10. Characters were well-written, not just the main 3 kids but also minor characters like Anglade, Jim, and Dede.

Music: 7/10. Good music and sound scoring but what I liked most was the lullaby sung by Ruka at the end.
"Go to sleep little one, little fish born in the sea, it's bedtime for you too, drink your milk and grow, and plant your feet firmly, one day, you'll reach the heavens and hunt for stars, stars that are captured will drop into the ocean".

Animation and Art-style: 9.5/10. The best thing in this movie, Hands down. You will be visually amazed watching this work for sure.

Enjoyment: 9/10. I can calmly say that it's a very good movie, and I Assure you that you will be flabbergasted while watching it.

Overall: 8/10. Very Good.

This movie was... interesting. This is a short review of the movie I watched, and here are the ratings:

STORY: 5/10
The story was decent the first hour, but after that, a lot of weird things started happening, and I still can not figure out what they were trying to tell. If you were to ask me about what the plot was then for the first hour I would say: "Whale is having a party and is inviting people, including some special kids." while for the other hour of the movie, I can honestly only say: "Ruka is all over the place while yelling "Umi-kun!" every 5 ... minutes or so.

ART: 11/10
The art and animation style of this movie is so different from your normal animes. Everything looks stunning and everything constantly sparkles and moves. I have honestly never seen animation this good before, and I don't think I'll ever do it again either.
The climax of the animation is definetly the last 30 minutes of the movie, and allthough I never knew what or why the hell everything is happening, it at least looked incredible. Out of this world, insane.

SOUND: 10/10
Sound was also some of the best I've heard, and it definetly sprinkled on some quality together with the animation. I honestly don't know what more to say about, exept incredible!

ENJOYMENT: 7/10
Allthough I didn't understand what the hell was going on half of the time, I do have to say that the animation alone makes this worthy of watching, try to ignore the second half of the story and just enjoy it for its outstanding sound and animation, if you're more of a story prefering person, then I'd not reccomend it, but in the end it's up to you.

OVERALL: 7/10

Best art I've ever seen in a movie. Every frame is beautiful and the animation is extremely fluid. The only drawback to this movie is that the story lost me a bit especially at the end and the way it tried to wrap it up. Something about the birth of the Universe and being connected to the sea with some festival.

The characters also felt very dull. There's clearly some drama introduced that got placed at the backend or resolved very quickly/abruptly so more time could be put to showcase the more surrealistic parts. Because of that there isn't really a satisfying ending and left ... me somewhat confused. But I would keep that in mind and still recommend watching just for the art, just don't expect too much from the story.

This Anime is breath takingly beautiful with a deep story line filled with so much meaning but its over shadowed by a jumbled plot and story that could go over anyone head.


Story: 7/10

The story over was confusing to me a bit, I mean I got what some of the story meant and was about it felt rushed and for that alot of the story kinda gets lost for sure.

Plot: 6/10

I have to say this is where i got the most lost. I did understand some of the issues going on but we had a side plot with Ruka's parents that wasnt very clear, And than ... the higher up people that the marina was working with and their greed plot that didnt really come to a clear conclusion either. You dont really end up understanding who Sora and Umi really are and why Ruka had anything to do with this whole thing. I feel like I have tons more questions than answers and the mean behind the film cant be something as simple as she needs to say sorry for hurting the girl in her class...seems a little much for her to go through all that for just that simple of a message?

I have to at least give it something tho, I was so focused on know that answer and hear more and more about what was going on that it kept me there till the end...I just feel like the questions i had still werent answered by the end so with all its beauty and meanings it did kinda sour the movie a bit for me.

Animation: 9/10

I gave it a 9 because though the animation were so well done in some area and felt so really and was really nice for the most part, i felt like some of the animation at the beginning of the film looked a tiny bit off in some places, as the movie progressed tho I didnt see anything.

Characters: 8/10

Main three characters were nice. Ruka felt very realistic as the she were a really person dealing with teenage problems. Umi was super cute tbh, i just wanted to hug him. Sora although harsh and kinda a blunt jerk, I feel like that tried to make a polar opposite to Umi and thus he was the mean jerk characters.

however with all the personality they gave too the main characters i felt like other characters like Anglade, Jim and Ruka's parents had no personalities at all? Anglade maybe had a few little moments where i could feel them trying to bring it out but like why does that rest of them feel blank.


Music: 10/10

Whimsical and magical, felt every note had feelings, but what can you expect from a great composer like Joe Hisaishi who has done music for ever the famous Studio Ghibli films.

Enjoyment: 8/10

I feel like despite the confusion and flaws I did enjoy the film, I wanted to see more tho and I felt like I didn't get what I wanted out of it, but maybe you will feel Different when watching it.

overall: 8/10

My conclusion is, maybe it was just me, but I feel like they were going for a deep mean here, and maybe there was a deep meaning. If there was it went over my head like a wave at the beach. The Main characters tho relatable and charming were over shadowed by a plot that lead to no real CLEAR conclusion. So unless your someone who looks into things deeply you might not understand it. It felt rushed like they could have explained more but because its a Manga adaption movie they had to squeeze everything into two hours. I think I may revisit this and make another review in the future after i re-read the manga, to see if any views have change on this matter, maybe the manga might make me less confused as well.

Rewatch Value: 10/10 I really actually want to try to re-watch this again, to see if maybe I could figure out more of the deep meanings and such.

As a lover of the sea, I enjoyed this film so much, it brought tears to my eyes. I’m also a sucker for symbolism and stories with philosophical and existential themes which this film wonderfully delivered.

The animation and art style are absolutely GORGEOUS and the atmosphere is pretty immersive.
There are just some scenes and elements that felt out of place for me, and some scenes that are really good but could have been an absolute masterpiece if it managed to completely pull you in.
The small details in the film illustrated the reasons why I love the ocean so much, and showed what makes ... me afraid of it as well.

The story has depth and the dialogue is insightful, but I felt like the delivery was a bit messy which created a sense of disconnect. It can be vague and cryptic, drawing a thin line between purposive storytelling and clumsy execution, so it’s either you like it or hate it. It has the kind of story that you need to dive in deep (pun intended lol) and reflect on to truly appreciate. I personally liked it but then I learned that this was a manga adaptation. I can’t help but imagine that in the manga, the beautiful message of the story will have a greater impact. I want to check it out and hopefully I’ll be able to understand the story better.

As for the characters, Ruka is someone whom I both relate and connected with, Sora is enigmatic and draws me in, but Umi just wasn’t as appealing to me as the other two.

Overall, this film has a lot of potential but fell a bit short in leaving a lasting impression to me. Which is really frustrating because I felt like it really could have been exceptional. It’s honestly more of an 8.75 for me, but there’s no option like that here so I rounded it off to 9 lol.

This film was adapted from a manga in which I have not read. Any issues regarding story clarity may stem from film run time limitations and direction/production decisions and, from what I've heard, are largely not present in the source material. I'll give the movie a little leeway here. Similar issues appear to be present in Akira, also adapted from a longer manga.

So, story. As I and many other reviewers have mentioned, the plot gets much more confusing at some point during the movie. The whos, whats, and whys are left mostly unexplained and make for a confusing experience. But i definitely enjoy the ... concepts that were thrown out there.

Art. By far the best part of the movie. This is not meant as a bad thing. The visuals are extremely impressive. It's one of the most (if not THE most) well animated movies that I have ever seen, and I appreciate the work that was put into it greatly. The art really saved the more confusing parts of this movie, because although I wasn't sure what was happening, what was on screen looked phenomenal.

Music composed by Joe Hisaishi, so you know it's gonna be great. Good enough to pull you out of the movie a bit to think about how nice it is.

Characters were enjoyable but I felt like many of them weren't as fleshed out as they could've been so I was left questioning some of their motivations. The reasons for this probably tie in closely with why the story is unclear.

I got a fair bit of enjoyment out of this movie, even though I didn't completely understand it. (Personally I just have a hard time understanding movies in general anyway...) Unless you can't stand unclear plot in movies, I think you will be thoroughly entertained the whole way through, even during the vague parts. And, if you are a fan of animation (or just have functioning eyeballs) the visuals are sure to leave you stunned and will make up for a few of the movie's other shortcomings. If there is ever a screening in your area, go see it on the big screen.

I understand if you are hesitant to watch the film, but I still definitely recommend it. It's a nice way to spend a couple of hours, and if you'd like more clarity, it might inspire you to read the manga source material. (Which I am tempted to.)

Introduction:
• Kaijuu no Kodomo is a movie about the circle of life and the sea. Strange things happen and the characters are at the center of it all.

Story (7):
• I'll be honest, I don't know what the f*ck was going on half of the time, but it was still very enjoyable nonetheless.
• There was a major shift in theme around halfway through, where the story turns philosophical and spiritual. Similar to the End Of Evangelion.
• Aside from that, we have a main character that is in love with the sea and finds companions that share her interest. Overall it is a wholesome and trippy ... story. You won't find yourself bored while watching this at least.

Art (10):
• The main draw of this movie, the absolutely beautiful animation and effects. The effects are nothing short of eye candy. It is colorful, expressive, and fluid. On the other hand, the animation switches between 2D and 3D sequences which keeps things interesting. In both scenarios, it looks very fluid and realistic. Things in the background are constantly in motion as well and the use of CGI does not stand out at all.

Sound (8):
• Great sound design. Every little detail contains the appropriate sound and the scenes have good OSTs to compliment them. Pretty much as expected from a movie. Nothing in particular stood out to me, but I would still say this category is above average overall because of the abundance and quality of sound effects.

Characters (6):
• Weakest part of the movie, depending on if you think the story is good or bad. In my opinion, the story was a lot better than the characters.
• There are 3 main characters and a few side characters. The side characters don't have anything interesting about them and aren't really developed at all aside from two of them.
• The main girl is pretty average and doesn't really have anything unique about her, besides loving the sea. She is the type of character that is constantly yelling the main boys name in stressful situations, which can get annoying. One of the main boys does have a unique personality and seems to develop as a character. Starting off from edgy, he begins to open up slowly. On the other hand, the other main boy isn't interesting at all. He's always just running around everywhere and swimming.

Enjoyment (9):
• My personal enjoyment of this movie is a 9 even in light of the issues listed above. Mostly this score is due to the amazing animation and trippy scenes, which I thought were interesting.

Overall (8):
• Due to the issues with characterization and the story making little sense, I cannot give this more than an 8. The animation is definitely carrying most of the score in this case.

Conclusion:
• I recommend giving this movie a go. It won't bore you and will captivate you with the unique animation style. You might have to watch some type of analysis video to actually understand the entire story though.

Out of 100 Nobles watching…
83 were impressed!
10 would have liked more dialogue and substance from the books
7 had minor complaints about the visuals

Kaijuu no Kodomo is one of my favorite Manga and was quite possibly the impetus to me writing reviews about media I consume. I made a MAL account because of manga like Kaijuu and Made in Abyss and I really couldn’t believe that something that felt as obscure as this got a full movie adaptation. In my eternal struggle with Studio 4°c I was hesitant to pick this one up, but after seeing the official AMV I determined if the movie was poopy ... at least we got a great single and music video out of the ordeal. Pleasantly to my surprise Studio 4°c seemed to hit a good mix with this one and I found this movie to be “good enough”.

The visuals were overall a gorgeous adaptation of the inky realistic style from the original work. The animators worked a perfect stylistic adaptation of stills from the manga over the 3d scenes with only a few cg turtles and odd tracking sequences breaking immersion. Say what you want about their work but I feel like the studio really give it their all for each property they get their hands on.

The sound work was also excellent. Whale sounds, loud booms, and tasty synth vocals were all great creating an experience deserving of the original work. Despite the beautiful additions of the audio element, I do feel that the story perhaps worked best in a purely visual format.

The story was glacially slow, and a lot was left out. Characters like the oceanographer Jim had a much bigger role in the book and without the long narration from supporting characters like him and side stories between chapters the viewer is left in perfect empathy with Ruka when she says at the end of the film “I didn’t understand anything”.

I feel sorry for any average viewer who went to this film in theatre’s expecting a “Your Name”, “Koe no Katachi”, or a Ghibli film. Without the context from the already relatively sparse manga dialogue this film probably will only appeal to the “arthouse” types. Still, I am one such individual and fishy fun will always be in my wheelhouse. Watch this movie. It’s pretty good, but more importantly purchase yourself a copy of the Manga.

First of all the movie is visually fantastic. I wouldn't think twice if you told me that clips of the movie can be seen in a museum.

The problem of it looking like an art showcase is that the story feels like it's just there to somehow tie different pieces together. Don't get me wrong, the story is not horrendous or unimportant in scope, it's just that it delves too much into surrealism that it feels contrived and unimportant. At a specific point you will ask yourself "what is happening?" and let me tell you going back and rewatching some scenes won't help you.

That's the ... thing with this movie, you ask "what" but not "why is this happening" because they basically keep on saying "why" it happens. My statement may not make sense now but it will after you watch it.

Although I cannot say that the movie is gonna bore you or something, which with its kinda long run time (at least relative to its.. thin story) is actually really impressive. I may be parotting my words but the visuals really do keep your attention to it.

How about other aspects of the film? The sound design would be the next best element of the film. I almost regret watching it with my headphones on because the sounds of underwater and the visuals are reminiscent of my worst nightmares of being underwater and being approached by a gaping mouth. For those with fears such as mine the film has scenes like that so yeah good luck! Honestly if they made this into a horror film I would reckon it will be really effective, with its very surreal artstyle and themes will certainly invoke some existential nightmares within you.

Overall, the film is a highly recommended watch, if this is how the technical aspects of future anime films be like then we got a good future ahead of us.

The animation and musc were wonderfully done but I gotta say the characters and story was a let down. We didn't learn a lot about the characters and many of them seemed one dimensional as the movie emphasised one trait and the story lost me in the last third. Ruka, Uma and Sora were the main characters but i didn't care about them as much as I could have. You could feel that a lot of it was cut out from the source material. A good experience nonetheless. The visuals and sound truly carried the film. Probably won't rewatch tho. A light seven.

The story starts off as a coming of age, fairly standard intro but quickly turns into a beautiful whirlpool on confusion. Although the character visuals can seem off putting at first, they end up working wonderfully with the breathtakingly fluid and unique animation which is the highlight of this film. Simple scenes of the characters in the ocean can make you forget what the actual ocean looks like. The score greatly amplifies the immersion and the unique atmosphere that it creates. If there was an anime film to trip to, it would be this one. The story itself is confusing and I am not going ... to pretend like I understand it, as it was condensed from a manga that I have not yet read. This is not a title that should be scored or maybe even understood but simply experienced.

I'm aesthetically confused about every part of this movie.
It's confusing and I can't really grasp the storyline of it.
Everything's a mystery. But that's partly why I like it.
The story progresses really... fast and it kind of feels rushed, but as I said everything is a mystery. It gives a spark in our imaginations.

The faces look way too realistic for my tastes but the eyes are on point.
Also, I love Sora, and that's all I can say. He's so beautiful.

Also, the art and animation are amazing I could literally use every single scenery in this movie for a background picture. I actually have a portfolio ... just for this anime's aesthetically pleasing visuals.

If you're looking for a slow, easy movie to watch, then this would be perfect for you.

!SPOILERS!

Story - 4
Tbh, I was very confused about the story. Maybe I'm just dumb, but at first, I sort of had a clue about what was going on, but for the rest, I was just feeling muddled. The story begins with introducing two boys to this young girl, and the boys were apparently raised in the sea, and therefore aren't exactly humans. Throughout the movie, the three kids are trying to find a meteor rock or something to make a sea festival happen, and when this happens, one of ... the kids dies and turns into multiple galaxies?? I'm sorry, but this was just too confusing for me.

Art - 10
Story aside, the animation was just outstanding. I would definitely say the art was very unique - but I also feel like the directors were just using the animation as a way to distract the audience from the confusing storyline. But nonetheless, this movie has one of the most beautiful animation styles I have ever laid my eyes upon.

Sound - 10
I feel like the directors put a lot more money into the music and animation, but I would still like to congratulate the sound producers for the amazing music. They did a really good job with the whale songs, and the background music really was on the same level as the animation.

Character - 4
Honestly, the characters were boring. The only reason I didn't give them a 1 for the character writing is that I kind of thought Ruka was pretty interesting. I could at least relate a tiny bit with her, but with Umi and Sora, they were just bland as uncooked pasta. It is pretty cool that they added a black character and actually portray him with a nice art style, but they were just too boring. It felt like they could have had a chance at being interesting characters in the beginning, but it just seems like that was too hard for the directors to do.

Enjoyment - 6
I know I talk really bad about the character writing and storyline, but I really did enjoy the animation and music, so I would say I fairly enjoyed this film.

Overall - 8
This is the type of movie you can put on in the background for your kids, or if you just wanted to watch a movie without having to really use your brain. The animation really does capture the beauty anime can hold, and I believe this movie was very good - characters aside.

Alright, that's my review! Hopefully, it shed some light on your opinion, or not lol. Thanks for reading this though! :^D

Let's get this review started with the ART. The art was absolutely phenomenal. It was different than most other things I've ever seen but it was absolutely beautiful. The animation was also just awesome. Then comes the MUSIC, Joe Hisaishi... need I say more (It's amazing). Also the Theme song called Spirits of the Sea by Kenshi Yonezu is sooo good it gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it. The CHARACTERS were interesting, personally wasn't too attached to any of them but I was interested in all of them. Then we get to the ENJOYMENT. I don't think there were many dull moments ... in the show, I was always invested and interested in the movie and I was just starstruck by the amazing visuals and sounds. Finally the STORY. It has the tags: drama, mystery, supernatural. It was all of the above. The last 30 mins or so of the movie I was pretty clueless at the time, there was a lot going on, but I did enjoy it all. The visuals in the end were just intense, it was a great experience. It's not every day that I'm confused and just thoroughly enjoying it all. I'm not too picky when it comes to some anime like some people, I don't usually dive too in depth and nit pick things that I didn't enjoy. All I'm going to say is I thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful art and animation throughout the movie and the sounds and music were so fitting and really well done of course. The story is also pretty interesting and the characters were very unique. A very good movie that I would say is a hidden gem that deserves more loving.