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Title:  Children of the Sea Vol 1

Author: Daisuke Igarashi

Publisher: Viz

ISBN: 9781421529141

May Contain Spoilers

Ruka is a young girl who is having trouble getting along with others.  She has a reputation for being a trouble-maker, and when she plays a little too rough during a game of handball, she’s kicked off the team.  Upset, she hops on a train to Tokyo so she can see the ocean.  Once there, she meets Umi, a mysterious boy who has an affinity with both Ruka and the sea.  As Ruka gets to know Umi and his friend Sora, her world changes forever.

Children of the Sea is an almost lyrical look at Ruka’s life as she starts her summer vacation with high hopes of fun and excitement.  She gets kicked off the handball team the very first day, and suddenly a long and boring season stretches out before her.  She impulsively takes money meant to purchase a new pair of gym shoes and takes a spontaneous trip to Tokyo instead.  Remembering a ghost she saw in an aquarium, she longs to discover its secret, and instead meets Umi.  Umi was raised in the sea, and Ruka is drawn to him and his friend Sora.  Like the ghost, they glow with a mysterious light, and Ruka longs to discover the cause.  With fish disappearing from aquariums around the world and deep sea fish washing up on shore, it looks like she’s going to have an eventful summer after all.

This is a very unique book, and it was hard to put down.  Ruka, Sora, and Umi are all so alike – they have a hard time fitting in and don’t easily get along with others.  While Umi and Ruka hit it off right away, she and Sora have a more abrasive relationship.  The boys were raised in the sea, and they become ill if they are away from water for long.  Umi is the stronger of the two, while Sora is in and out of the hospital due to his weak constitution.  As the long, hot days of summer stretch forward, Ruka and the boys search for a  reason for the perplexing events that are taking place in the ocean and the effect they are having on sea-life.

Mainly about exploring the relationship between the kids, Children of the Sea offers a highly intelligent and emotional story. You feel so bad for Ruka, handicapped by her inability to effectively communicate with others.  She doesn’t have any friends, and her relationship with her mother is strained.  She doesn’t really have anyone until she meets Umi and Sora.  The three misfits manage to mesh and find a common ground between them.  While Umi and Sora are strange and seems wise beyond their years, they are unmistakably young boys trying to puzzle out the world around them.  I want to know more about how they came to be raised in the ocean and more about their background.  They are occasionally creepy and fascinatingly intriguing at the same time.

The only component of the book that I’m not totally enthusiastic about is the art.  I just don’t find the rough and scratchy illustrations appealing.  Viz did include color pages at the beginning of this volume.  Also included are cover flaps and a  pleasantly sturdy cover.  Clocking in at over 300 pages, it is worth the $14.99 price tag.

Grade: A

Review copy provided by Viz