It’s difficult to review Children of the Sea, because it is hard to explain what actually happened in the movie. It’s dense with imagery and symbolism throughout, but upon first viewing, the plot fails to connect. It’s an arthouse film, through and through.
Children of the Sea is expertly directed and beautifully animated, which is to be credited to director Ayumu Watanabe, as well as former Studio Ghibli animator Kenichi Konishi, who served as character designer and unit director. The film has the feel of a sketchbook come to life, perfectly capturing the appeal of lushly styled Japanese artwork.
Even before the visuals take an experimental turn, every scene is impressively rich with detail. From the subtle details in the character’s body language to the vibrant natural world around them, the visuals reach new heights when the action shifts to the sea. The scenes with whales have an especially immersive impact, thanks to the detailed textures of their bodies and of the water around them.
In the end, however, it was disappointing how the story failed to come together in a satisfying way. The film concludes with more questions than when it started, and even the coming-of-age element of the narrative feels muddled. At what point did Ruka begin to change and grow up? It’s difficult to single out any particular moment in the film as a turning point, but the ending insists that Ruka did in fact grow. Perhaps it happened somewhere during one of the non-verbal psychedelic sequences, which were open to multiple forms of interpretation but had no obvious meaning in context.
It’s a pity to be so down on Children of the Sea, because it’s a beautifully crafted film. This movie might reward those who watch it more than once, but for the purposes of this review, we believe it’s best to go with our gut feeling after an initial watch, and our conclusion is that this film will alienate most first-time viewers. You might want to check out the manga series to decide if this is your kind of thing, before diving into the film adaptation.
Reviewed by Callum Elliss and Jennifer Kelpczarek
Mentored by Jessica Ellicott.