Les Enfants de la mer, Volume 3

海獣の子供 [Kaiju no Kodomo] #3

by Daisuke Igarashi

Sora a disparu dans les vagues de l'océan, laissant au bord de l'eau une Ruka qui a assisté à toute la scène. mais la jeune fille sent que quelque chose a changé en elle : Sora est toujours là, à travers la minuscule météorite qu'il a glissé dans le corps de la jeune fille. Depuis, Ruka se sent irrémédiablement attirée par le grand large, les profondeurs sous-marines, et c'est accompagnée de Jim et d'Umi, tout aussi intrigués, qu'elle embarque sur l'océan...
Sur un ton résolument naturaliste, dans une ambiance plus captivante que jamais, Daisuke Igarashi nous régale donc en nous invitant dans un voyage qui n'a pas fin de nous étonner, comme le laisse entrevoir une fin de volume ambitieuse.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Seinen, Young Adult

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2007

About the author

Daisuke Igarashi (五十嵐 大介, Igarashi Daisuke) is a Japanese cartoonist, acclaimed for his refined art style and philosophical themes. His manga often use sci-fi or magical elements to touch on the relation between mankind and nature.
Igarashi began his professional career in 1993 on the pages of the magazine 'Monthly Afternoon'. Therein, he published the stories composing Hanashippanashi (1993-1996), a few other shorts collected in the volume Sora Tobi Tamashii (2002), as well as his first minor success, the series Little Forest (2003-2005).
In 2003 the author started a fruitful collaboration with the alternative manga magazine 'Monthly Ikki', in which he serialised his most famous works to date: the anthological Witches (2003-2004) and Children of the Sea (2006-2011). Both series were awarded an Excellence Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival, respectively in 2004 and 2009.
Igarashi's latest works are Umwelt (2017), collecting short stories appeared in various magazines between 2004 and 2014, and the 5-volume long manga Designs (2016-2018).

Reviews

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first two volumes of Children of the Sea but then had to wait months for the next two to arrive at the library. In that time, I’m sure I’ve forgotten many of the details of the story, so picking up volume 3 was a more impressionistic read—which I think is the right way to take in this story, anyway. I’m really enjoying how this series brings together elements of all sorts of mythologies, mostly centered on beliefs about the sea and the origins of the world and humanity. Anglade talks at length about how these ideas are starting to become connected in his thinking, as Ruka dives beneath the surface and begins to live out a mythology of her own.

There are also some intriguing discussions (mostly between Jim and Dehdeh) about the limits of scientific knowledge.

We still don’t know anything. We still haven’t discovered anything about the world. So much is still unknown. We still can’t see the big picture, let along know what it means. The only thing we can do is gather and classify things. That’s about as much as we can do. . . . And if we do discover something major . . . then all our classifications up to now will become totally meaningless. (206, 208)

I don’t agree that we know nothing about the big picture, but I love conversations like this about the different kinds of knowledge, and where we place our confidence.

[Kogiopsis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find volumes of this series sort of randomly at the library at such strange long intervals that to be honest, I have not the first idea what the plot is anymore. The art - the watercolor covers and the gorgeous depictions of ocean life - keep me coming back; what I can pick up of the plot in a given volume keeps me entertained even when there aren't sea creatures on the page. Someday I'd like to find all four in one place and just read them straight through, to see if it makes sense that way; for the time being, I'll keep my eye out for the last just for the prettiness of it all.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up randomly for cheap at a used book store and didn't realize it was part of a series until I started reading. I enjoyed the fish, some of the drawing, and the concept of being connected to/coming from the oceans, but the plot didn't really engage me enough to want to hunt down the other volumes.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something about this series is really quite thrilling. I am not a big ocean or water person but I love marine life and I love learning about other creation myths.

I also like that we get to see people from other pacific island cultures. And the hard SF part is to die for. I have been dying for more speculative fiction that uses real science and it's so hard to come by.

I will say that anime and manga do a much better job of including the world in its world building. The same cant be said for American media, on any level in any capacity.

[auma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beaucoup plus scientifique et soporifique, c’est parfois tiré par les cheveux donc dur à suivre… j’espère que les deux derniers tomes vont tout clarifier!

[osoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

История включает в себя множество тем, соблюдая баланс между мифами и реалиями сегодняшнего дня. Вот рассказ о душе, что может отделяться и со дна морского наблюдать за происходящим, в то время как ее владелец проживает две полужизни. Вот долгое путешествие троих совсем не случайных путников, у каждого из которых свои цели, но одна точка приземления. Вот обреченные на неудачу попытки группы ученых понять место детей моря в картине мироздания. Вот метеорит, что говорит голосом растворившегося в море друга. А вот поющие киты - и тебе не хватает самой малости, чтобы их понять.

Каждый персонаж что-то ищет, и для кого-то эти поиски стали целью жизни, а кто-то еще не до конца осознал, что течение занесло его дальше чем ожидалось. Тут нет разделения на стороны, только если скрытый конфликт, что неизбежно возникает между двумя фундаментально несовместимыми видами. Для большинства слепой страх перед неизведанным выходит на первый план, но отдельных людей больше страшит их собственная ограниченная способность к познанию. Эта история - о них.

hisashiburi

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The standout element of this series for me is the artwork. Gorgeous sea/deep sea illustrations, sea life, etc. Igarashi also does a great job of working some pretty interesting facts about various ocean-related elements without it being preachy or heavy-handed. The series is just a beautiful sort of spiritual work that makes me wish I had become a marine biologist so I could explore all that is still unknown about the world's oceans...

[Child960801 · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are getting weirder. At the end of the last book, Sora died. Now, Ruka is traumatized by the event and she and Umi and Anglade go out to sea to continue to research the strange events that are going on.

This volume had more weird mystical stuff in it that the previous ones. This one also has flashbacks about what it was like when Sora and Umi were first found and other testimonies from the sea.

[Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

We get closer and closer to getting some answers. I am absolutely in love with this mix of science and magical realism tying into ancient creation myths and spirituality. The esoteric nature of the narrative is absolutely not for everyone, but for the right reader this story will be a truly unique and meaningful experience.

[Coke Fernández · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/10.
Demasiado místico y con poca emoción... No sé si seguirla.

[Em□ma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best I've read so far. Lots of phylosophical reflections and stunning art as always, but it definitely hit harder than the previous ones! The mysterious narrative is developing perfectly.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume has more science--the far edge of marine biology and speculations about how much it is we do not know--and even more cosmic mysticism about the planet and the sea in particular. There's some speculation about whales and their songs and their superiorly-developed cerebral cortexes that points to questions we as humans need to answer. There's more and more wordless drawing of the wonders of the ocean in this volume, and some back story for marine biologist Jim… where we meet Anglade as a younger person, and a mystic named DehDeh… and so there's also plenty of philosophizing in and through DehDeh and Jim's conversations…

This volume is both confusing and intriguing as we are in the middle of a five volume trip through the mysteries of the universe. Mystery is where we are and I suspect will still be in the end. If you like the ocean and are intrigued about what answers it may hold for our future, this might be for you.

[Crystalclearwpg · Rating 3 out of 5]

We have some backstory with Jim and the boys in this one. It was a bit hard to follow and I found this one dragged out for me. I like the development of this story and see the creation of time and the flow is consistent but some information takes a bit to process.
2.75 ⭐

[Daniella Butler · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m going to stop reading this series here. Not very much happens in each volume to drive the plot forward. The author wastes a lot of panels on a character with an open mouth saying, “Oh.” The central mystery is not very compelling. There’s something dreamlike and mysterious about this series, and there’s lots of pretty artwork - but it’s not enough.

[Sherrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️: The artwork is stunning and beautiful. However, the story doesn’t move much farther than where the previous volume left off. It mainly looks at the past, which was interesting, but I was hoping to figure out what happens to Sora and more of the meteorite with Ruka. I’m hoping the next one will answer some questions.

[Ken Martin Tvedt · Rating 1 out of 5]

The artwork in ths series is absolutely wonderful. Igarashis sketchy lines is very expressive, his use of greys in combination also. The story however, seem to be going nowhere. The nature mystery theme and messiah / blood secrafice motif has become tedius at this point. Sadly.

[jamie-ashton fabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

artwork- simply breathtaking. story- intricate and gorgeous. a unique tale of spirit and mystery, unraveling and intriguing as it continues. the most incredible artwork I’ve ever seen in a manga, easily my favorite.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series would make a spectacular movie; reading it in one volume increments, however, I'm always left wanting for more.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember liking this series more before, but it's still good.

[Henry Hikawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very sad.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very visual, mysterious and mythic...unlike anything I’ve read.

[baileys.bookshelf__ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, this book has left me with more questions than answers. As soon as I feel like I understand, it then slips away.

But hey I’m am still intrigued enough to keep reading!

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so surreal and beautiful and just magical...

"Sometimes, I get the feeling that someone's watching me... Maybe someone from the future is looking in on us... We become like ghosts at times like that. There are different types of ghosts. Ghosts of the dead. Ghosts of objects. Ghosts of things. The things we say, the things we do leave a mark on the world just the like the wind creates ripples in the water. It changes shape as it spreads out. It changes into a segment of whale song as it's passed on through the vibrations of elementary particles. Things we've done, marks we've made are immortalized forever somewhere in the world. And sometimes they're called "ghosts." We come across them unexpectedly. Someone's memory from the past or future.
...
Light and water seeping into my body... At this moment, the sound crashing off my cells is the song of memory. The memories are transmitted to me and my emotions are added in return as they are transmitted back... How much memory is stored in the water? I just have to follow this memory... Deeper... Deeper? The sediment on the bottom of the ocean is created from countless less dead bodies that settle there. They are time and memory itself."

[Marko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dobro je ovo i malo mu fali da bude vrlo dobro.

Širi priču autor i likove, ali vrlo nekako bojažljivo. Kao da pazi da ne uplaši ribe i da ih ne rastera, a crta kitove i ajkule. Dobije priča neki ozbiljniji zaplet, ali mnogo nekko kruži. Volim kada ima mini priča ubačenih između glavnog narativnog toka, ali nekako ovde suviše odvlače pažnju od njega.

Stavio je ovde autor i mitologiju i simboliku i neku filozofiju koju ili ja ne razumem u potpunosti ili je sam autor nije zaokružio u potpunosti. Nadam se da će se u naredna dva tankobona to i desiti.

Sreća je možda što sam zaljubljenik u more i morski svet pa mi je ovo sve mnogo prijemčivije, ali za nekoga kome ta tematika nije bliska verujem da bi ova tri tankobona bila poprilično naporna.

I deifnitivno fali boja da bi to sve bilo odlično. Video sam trailer za anime po ovoj mangi i mnogo je drugačije kada je u koloru, ne mislim generalno, već u okviru tematike. More i morske dubine jednostavno traže te nijanse plave i kontrast unutar mora. I more samo po sebi nema efekat koji ima na ljude bez te neke tirkizne boje na vleikoj površini koja deluje meditativno na ljude, a posebno kada nastanu nijanse u dubinama.

[Shivangi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I'm in …. love?!
this was confusing, lovely, educational, serene, calm, tense and a myriad of different things. and YET, despite jumping around timelines, switching characters here and there, I'm actually more than invested in the story like this was only supposed to be a light read but now I might wanna have to base my entire personality on this volume alone?!!
this has become such an intimate favorite of mine I can't seem to function anymore

[Zuha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decent trauma representation and really good gentle horror aspects. The plot logic is making a lot more sense than the movie, the connection to theology and mythology of particularly the Indian subcontinent is being explained much more explicitly than it was in the movie. The strings of the story are really coming together and the character’s placement seems intentional and very interesting.

[Zaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another weird volume presenting some myths and also giving insight about when Jim and the boys were younger. If the overall story wasn't really my cup of tea, I loved the chapter with little Umi and Sora living in the water, it was cute and peaceful.

[Geraldine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say that the scenes in this volume was very weird to me. As if the previous volumes were not. First, Sora gave Ruka the meteorite by spitting it in her mouth. Secondly, Sora disappeared into the ocean. I wonder what's next, I can't wait to read the next volume.

[Thandersan · Rating 4 out of 5]

N’étant pas ultra fan de l’univers marin, je ne pensais pas autant accrocher à une histoire parlant de la mer et les créatures qui y habitent

Mais au final on rentre dans l’histoire et on a envie d’en apprendre plus sur les légendes et les créatures marines

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one really makes the story interesting! I love the focus on the aquarium and on the philosophical and spiritual nature of the sea! Really cool. And the art is seriously fantastic. Not sure what else Daisuke Igarashi has created, but his manga art is sketchy and beautiful