Review by Frank Plowright

Umi and Sora are two young boys believed to have been raised in the sea. They certainly have an affinity for water, can’t remain out of it for long, and definitely weaken when away from it. As seen in Children of the Sea 1, they’ve befriended Ruka, spending the summer at the aquarium where her father works and where the boys are resident. Sora, though has disappeared and even Umi’s skills can’t locate him.

There’s a quiet reflective nature to Children of the Sea, which is integral to the mood and mystery avoiding the usual action thriller tropes, but also means some readers may find the series just too slow. Although definitely serving up adventure, Daisuke Igarashi is also a keen teacher, passing on information about marine creatures via the aquarium’s shore location. For anyone wanting to learn this can be fascinating. An explanation of typhoons for instance, isn’t supplied as the inconvenience it is to humans, but stresses the benefits to sea creatures.

These are drawn with care and precision by Igarashi, who lingers on whales swimming through the sea, and on the effects of a typhoon. It’s all very accomplished and very attractive, and equal care is taken with the people.

Igarashi also feeds in a spirituality, relating ancient myths and long held beliefs, starting the volume with Umi and Somi’s supervisor Jim Cusack’s younger days in the South Seas, and what he learned there. This is combined with present day marine research, as even though he’s spent so much time with them Jim really has no idea who Umi and Sora are. Anomalies within humanity are frequently mentioned, stressing people who’ve adapted to an environment by developing efficient sight underwater enabling them to fish.

For all the concentration on what Umi and Sora take for granted, Ruka’s gradually learning that their responding to her is no random coincidence or a reaching out for friendship. Because she’s never thought to understand what she can do she’s taken it for granted, and despite being unable to swim she also has an affinity for water. Igarashi also stresses how little humanity knows in some respects, referencing both dark matter and the seas.

There’s considerable food for thought for those who prefer character-led fantasy, and it seems by the end of this volume there’s been a great change. Children of the Sea 3 will be needed to verify that.