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Daisuke Igarashi

Children of the Sea, Vol. 1 (1) Paperback – July 21, 2009

by Daisuke Igarashi (Author)

112 ratings

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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 as 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 oceans' fish.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

VIZ Media LLC
Publication date

July 21, 2009
Reading age

16 - 17 years
Dimensions

5.75 x 1 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

1421529149
ISBN-13

978-1421529141
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As a young girl, Ruka sees a fish turn into light and disappear at the aquarium where her father works, but no one believes her. Years later, the mystery of the ghost of the sea unfolds before Ruka and a pair of mysterious young boys, Umi and Sora. Both boys were raised in the ocean by dugongs and can hear the same strange calls from the sea that Ruka does. After being suspended from her handball team, Ruka becomes caught up in the boys' world, which seems to ease her feelings of loneliness. This gentle tale of oceanic adventure reveals itself slowly, building upon the inherent mystery of the sea, as the kids become involved in the worldwide mystery of disappearing fish. Igarashi creates characters that are interesting on multiple levels and relatable for both young and adult readers. The art style is simplistic and almost delicate, but it's fitting for the overall feel of the story. Igarashi is an award-winning mangaka whose work is much in the mood of Miyazaki, and this nature-centered tale shows why. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* When she was little, Ruka saw a ghost at the aquarium—a fish that disappeared in a wave of light—but no one would believe her. Now that she is a teen, fish are disappearing from aquariums all over the world and mysterious children are found living in the oceans. Together with two such children, Umi and Sora, Ruka begins to wonder how all of the clues are connected. Just what is the sea trying to tell them? This oversize manga mostly sets the scene for the series, but that doesn’t make it any less striking. Ruka is a strong main character, caught between being a child and becoming a woman, and between a father who loves her but left her anyway and a mother who isn’t cut out for parenthood. Igarashi’s storytelling is quiet, thoughtful, and thought provoking, but it is his drawings that make this manga so amazing. Extremely detailed settings turn panels into mini-masterpieces, and the ocean scenes are so vivid that readers will feel that they are underwater themselves. VIZ’s handsome packaging does justice to Igarashi’s stunning work, making this a beautiful, must-have addition to any graphic-novel collection. Grades 7-12. --Snow Wildsmith

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ VIZ Media LLC; Illustrated edition (July 21, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1421529149
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1421529141
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 16 - 17 years
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #78,155 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #306 in Mystery Manga (Books)
- #710 in Science Fiction Manga (Books)
- #1,139 in Media Tie-In Manga (Books)

Customer Reviews:
112 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		90%
4 star		7%
3 star		3%
2 star 0% (0%)		0%
1 star 0% (0%)		0%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Mary H.

This book is the best!

Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2011

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I had learned about Children of the Sea at a comic store, just by picking it up. I'm really attracted to manga with good artwork, and this fit the bill. Daisuke Igarashi is not only a fabulous artist, but an incredible story teller. This book really is amazing and sets you up for the entire series. It has really great characters and the images show the beautiful sights of the waters around Japan. The book also hints of folk lore and stories about the sea from around the world. Unraveling the tale of Umi and Sora will really capture your imagination right away.

One person found this helpful

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Naomi J.

Love it!

Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2018

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This is a great, original, creative, beautiful series. All three of my boys and I loved it.

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Mark

Fantastic art

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2019

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Fantastic art

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Yours

Beautiful artwork. Slow intro. Interesting story.

Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2013

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As I read this graphic novel (my first), I realized that I am not a graphic novel person. Perhaps, if I had started reading graphic novels and manga earlier in my life the process might be more enjoyable.

I can appreciated the art and the story of "Children of the Sea" although I could not enjoy it the way it should be enjoyed and savored. As I was reading the book backwards, and reading the panels right to left, I'm sure that more than once I read the panels out of order. Silly me, but I really wanted to read it from left to right.

Plot: I am used to more words in the stories I read. I was too anxious to get to the story, to get answers, that I read as fast as I could. Not a great thing.

The first half of the book builds up the story-line. I prematurely gave it 3 stars. The last half was more interesting and so I gave it 4 stars.

--The last page of the book basically says that this story (part 1) was just to build up to the real story: in the next book! I already have the second book so if I ever want to figure out what is going on I'll have to read the next book.

One person found this helpful

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Gustavo Herrera

Love it!

Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2019

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Beautifull art, the story It's really interesting.

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zac

children of the sea

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2013

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5 stars but just one problem, the writer tends to focus on the artworks rather than writing so not much of the storyline is covered in this volume

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Jade Jardstrom

This is what comics are for

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2017

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Daisuke Igarashi uses manga in a way that truly exercises the strength of this medium. His use of words blends in with the visuals which help communicate things that are beyond words.

One person found this helpful

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Ellen W.

The Sea Has a Story to Tell...

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2009

When Ruka was young, she saw a fish in the aquarium disappear in a cloud of lights. Now a tomboyish young girl, she has mostly forgotten the incident. Then she meets Umi and Sora, two boys who were raised by dewgongs. Having spent their early life in the sea, Umi and Sora are different from most other kids. They're both incredible swimmers, and their bodies have adapted to living in the water. Most incredible of all, they can understand the messages of the sea, and they have seen Ruka's "ghost" fish before, too. It is happening more often, and fish from all over are flocking to the coast. As the three children investigate the phenomenon, Ruka begins to remember how to hear the voice of the sea.

The story in "Children of the Sea" has a surreal tone. The setting is a small but normal coastal community. The supernatural occurrences fit right into the natural world, and this lends them a sense of realism. It's the kind of magic you might expect to find in the real world, if you only knew where to look. The pacing is a little slow, but this is one case where it's appropriate. It reflects the lazy summer days of a small sea-side community, far removed from the bustle of modern life.

Igarashi's art is simple but beautiful with its thin, strait lines. It's a little rough in places, but the sketchy feel of it gives it a careless, natural feel. The environments are heavily atmospheric, and I love the way Igarashi depicts the small coastal town Ruka lives in. There are empty beaches alongside highways, showing nature and civilization existing side by side. The underwater scenes are beautiful, with good lighting effects and detailed marine life. I especially liked the rough, oldish feel of the town with its small wooden buildings and traditional shops. It has a rustic atmosphere, a place inhabited by humans but still in touch with the natural world.

The character designs match this tone. They look more like real people than the thin, big-eyed characters of most manga. They dress casually in simple school uniforms and T-shirts. The characters' personalities show in the artwork, especially in the eyes. In one glance you can see Ruka's quiet nature, Umi's cheerfulness, and Sora's sharp intelligence and awareness.

The characters themselves are realistic and likable. Ruka is a tomboyish girl who has always had problems making friends. She tends to be agressive, but part of her problem is that she just doesn't know how to relate to other kids. Although it's never stated, you can tell that she's different from her peers. She's a little lonely, but she's thoughtful and knows how to be alone. Ruka loves nothing more than running and playing, which makes her feel like she's flying. Umi and Sora are similar to Ruka. Umi is more cheerful and Sora more mature (and sarcastic), but you get the feeling that the three of them are similar. They are all outsiders with a keen awareness of the natural world around them.

Viz has done a top-notch job on the publication. This is a thick, over-sized volume. It has a sturdy, textured soft-cover with inside flaps. The color artwork in the beginning is included, and the paper is higher quality than that of most of Viz's other publications.

"Children of the Sea" is a surreal, atmospheric manga. It's got an original plot, interesting characters, and fine artwork. It's a thoughtful tale that reminds us of the things we might hear if we'd only stop to listen.

14 people found this helpful

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LEITURA DIFERENCIADA

Reviewed in Brazil on April 4, 2019

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Para você que quer sair das mesmices de Shonen porrada atrás de porrada, Children Of The Sea é a opção correta. A princípio você pode chegar a se frustar por não estar entendendo nada, mas dê tempo a si mesmo e para a obra te mostrar seu potencial. Leia com calma, os detalhes, na maioria das vezes, passam despercebido por aqueles que leem apressadamente, vá com calma, Igarashi é muito capaz de te surpreender e dar profundida na simplicidade do cotidiano da vida humana.

14 people found this helpful

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Marcela

Mangá precioso.

Reviewed in Brazil on December 8, 2020

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Diferente de tudo que leitores de mangás tradicionais estão acostumados. Lindíssimo, poético e etéreo. Nos traz questionamentos sempre, e respostas quase nunca (num bom sentido).

2 people found this helpful

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Noryuken

Bellissimo, ma c'è un errore di stampa

Reviewed in Italy on September 16, 2013

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Il fumetto è bellissimo, disegni accurati e storia molto poetica, edizione curatissima...finché non ho scoperto un madornale errore di stampa !!
Da pagina 128 si passa di colpo alla 161, dopodichè si prosegue fino alla 192 e poi arriva la parte saltata, cioé dalla 129 alla 160 °_°
Veramente fastidioso mentre si legge, e un vero peccato perchè per il resto l'edizione, con pagine a colori e sovraccoperta, merita tutti i soldi che costa.
Spero non ci siano errori simili anche negli altri volumi della serie, che ho acquistato in toto, ma bisognerebbe farlo presente all'editore o perlomeno nei dettagli del fumetto, se si sta valutandone l'acquisto.

One person found this helpful

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Massimo

Muy buen arte

Reviewed in Mexico on December 8, 2018

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Muy buen manga, el arte es increíble la historia va bien es entretenida y te engancha fácilmente, hasta el momento solo e comprado el tomo 1, espero pronto adquirí los que me faltan .

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Isabela

Tudo lindo

Reviewed in Brazil on August 26, 2019

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Estou completamente apaixonada pela arte e pela
história mas gostaria de agradecer e enaltecer o envio do meu produto, chegou super rápido e em perfeito estado! o atendimento é impecável, recomendo e vou voltar a comprar com certeza!

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