Children of the Sea , Vol. 2 (Children of the Sea (Viz Media)) [Paperback]

Daisuke Igarashi (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Children of the Sea (Viz Media) | Publication Date: December 15, 2009

The sea has a story to tell you, one you’ve never heard before… R to L (Japanese Style). Umi and Sora are not alone in their strange connection to the sea. Forty years ago, Jim met another young boy with the same powers. As penance for letting the boy die, Jim has been searching the world for other children with those same ties to the ocean. Anglade, a wunderkind who was once Jim's research partner, lures Sora away with the promise of answers. This leaves Umi severely depressed, and it is up to Ruka to help her new friend find his brother. But time is quickly running out... When Ruka was younger, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad works. Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora. They were raised by dugongs and hear the same strange calls from the sea that she does.Ruka’s dad and the other adults who work at the aquarium are only distantly aware of what the children are experiencing as they get caught up in the mystery of the worldwide disappearance of the ocean’s fish.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; Original edition (December 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 142152919X
• ISBN-13: 978-1421529196
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,005,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars beautiful black/white art, refreshing unique manga, February 1, 2010

By 

scottsrim (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Children of the Sea , Vol. 2 (Children of the Sea (Viz Media)) (Paperback)

this isn't so much of a review as it is an attempt to start some conversation about this book. i couldn't really find any forums that discuss this at length. i have no idea how many people read this book, but its pretty unique. really interesting story about magic, myth, and science and the creator really takes his time to flesh out these ideas. sometimes to a point where i'm a little lost as to where the story is going, and despite the pace, you never get bored because the pauses give you time to think and really appreciate the artwork which is definitely stylized with big beautiful buggy eyes, but the artist also captures alot of really tender moments, a full range of human emotions, draws great hair, environments, weather, and of course sea creatures.

now i was hoping some other readers might help me out with a few questions:
-how is professor anglade a MAN? i had to reread a few parts, but i'm pretty sure anglade is referred to as a he, him, mister, etc... sometimes sora looks like he could be mistaken for a young girl, but i think he's supposed to be a little asexual looking. but anglade just looks like a very attractive female who dislikes shirts. i just have no idea why an obvious she is referred to as a he. and no explanation is given. any ideas?

ok, so that was more like ONE question...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing Originality, August 20, 2010

By 

samuraikatana1 (Roanoke, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Children of the Sea , Vol. 2 (Children of the Sea (Viz Media)) (Paperback)

Beautiful artwork, compelling characters, gripping story, and meticulous attention to detail. What more could you ask for?

In all seriousness though, this is an outstanding series that should not be passed up by any manga fan.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing and Unique Manga, March 3, 2010

By 

Nicola Manning (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Children of the Sea , Vol. 2 (Children of the Sea (Viz Media)) (Paperback)

This incredibly unique story picks up where Vol. 1 left off and after reading the book I'm still left without any evidence on whether to call it fantasy or science fiction at this point. The fish continue to disappear but that aspect of the story fades to the background as this volume both takes a closer look at certain characters and propels Umi and Sora's plot forward. We are taken into the past and shown Jim's backstory which explains why he is the boys' guardian. A new character, Anglade, appears on the scene who promises answers to Sora. Sora's disappearance leaves Umi depressed and physically ill and Ruka helps him on his search to find Sora.

A few exciting reveals are given in this volume adding more mystery to the nature of the boys' existence. The shocking ending is unexpected and will make for a major change in plot for the next volume, if all is as it seems to be. I love the science presented in this manga, the information on marine life and specific to this volume the tsunami's natural place in the ecosystem. I really enjoy the artwork, a lot of attention is paid to the background scenery in many frames and the characters are nicely drawn. One thing that did irritate me though was the new character Anglade. So far in this book, the men have been drawn to look like men, something I appreciated and had come to expect from the series. But along comes Anglade who is obviously an attractive female and referred to by name only at first then all of a sudden Anglade is referred to as he and him all the time.

Otherwise, I'm finding this series incredibly intriguing and unique. The science setting of the aquarium, the involvement of marine biologists keep the possible science fiction angle open while the fantastical events are happening all around them. At over 300 pages these volumes include a lot of characterization and I've grown attachments to certain characters and found a few I'm not fond of as well. After the system jarring ending I'm really looking forward to the next volume due out this summer (2010).