Children of the Whales, Vol. 3

クジラの子らは砂上に歌う [Kujira no kora wa sajō ni utau] #3

by Abi Umeda

In this post-apocalyptic fantasy, a sea of sand swallows everything but the past.


In an endless sea of sand drifts the Mud Whale, a floating island city of clay and magic. In its chambers a small community clings to survival, most dying young from the very powers that sustain them.

The Mud Whale is in dire trouble. In four days, the imperial apátheia soldiers will return to destroy all its inhabitants. But the Committee of Elders would rather kill everyone on board than wait for the “mercy” of the empire, and the fighters of the island will do the elders’ bidding without a second thought. Now Chakuro and the other children are forced by circumstance to rebel against the adults in order to save their home and their lives.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Shojo, Fiction, Young Adult, Graphic Novels Manga, Graphic Novels

200 pages, Paperback

First published September 16, 2014

About the author

Abi Umeda (native name: 梅田阿比, Umeda Abi) is a Japanese manga author.

Reviews

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out more manga and graphic novel reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...

As the 3rd volume of a manga this volume continues the storyline started in the previous volumes. THERE WILL BE MINOR REFERENCES TO PREVIOUS VOLUME - read with care... See my review of volume 1... and my review of volume 2...

In an endless desert floats the Mud Whale, an island city of clay moving by magic, containing a small community where most die young their life spans cut short by their own magic. Chakuro diligently chronicles their lives... This all changes when he meets a young girl and they are suddenly attacked by an Empire! What will be the citizens of Falaina do?!

Okay I'm going to start with why this is only 4 stars... I was a little bored during this volume. The plot was really tight and a very short period of time was covered. They knew how many days they had to prepare for a second attack and the political aspects had to be taken care of... There wasn't enough oomph for me because of that. It does get BACK ON TRACK by the last couple chapters...

This build up to the boarding of the other ship seemed to be about building tension for that cliffhanger ending... and it did work!! I was SOOO tense by that point... I just wish I was a little more compelled getting to that point. This is where the great volume of characters was a little bit of a weakness. Still with that final frame of the volume I was ripped up about those same characters, so I wouldn't give them up for a swifter pace!

One of the things I LOVE about the series are the festivals and rituals that happen in the course of the story. This particular one really highlighted what the mud whale has already given up... it showed us why they fight and what makes saving the whale worth it. These kind of chapters are so very important!! This series is ultimately about community, about the collective as well as the individual, the leaders and the workers and the powerful and those needing protection... It's quite a unique but totally authentic heart!

I didn't forget the art, I promise! It was gorgeous, as usual... Especially the boarding of the ship and the storm... The art is so moving to me... It really gives the world its foundation... I love the contrast of the mud whale and their people to the other ship and the harlequin army they are pitting themselves against... In its own way that contrast is a foreshadowing to the cliffhanger... I LOVE when the art contributes to the story.

Yes, I was a touch disappointed with the middle of the volume... but you know what that made that cliffhanger ending so, so powerful!! I am SO going to jump on the next volume STAT! I love all these characters and have to see how the results of this volume play out.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⋆ ⋆⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art

BOTTOM LINE: This dystopian fantasy war JUST GOT REAL!! You'll want to check it out STAT...

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.

______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews in a special feature called Saturday Morning Cartoons...

[Seb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm amazed at the level of emotion transcribed in such a pure way. It seems overflowing but with gentleness.

[Victoria ✮⋆˙ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah this series isn’t for me, the art is absolutely beautiful but I just can’t get on the with the story, it’s boring me, think I’m stopping here

[Marius Paulsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

this series has really blown me away and I cannot recommend it enough! Both the manga and the anime adaptation is stunning and so cool :)

[F.D. Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again. Another surprise ending so soon? Excellent art and nice two page spread graphics of the mud Whales. Those giant full scales really give you a sense of the vast sand ocean they’re adrift. The survival of the mud whale rests on a band of young warriors sent to take out the empires ship as it approaches, undercover, to use their thymia for the first time in offense. Now having read the third volume of this unique manga, I will say there is an overall sense of sadness that harbors the series. The heat of the sand. The dying of so many innocents. An interesting fact learned in this particular book is that the inhabitants of the Whale have stronger affinity to thymia than the empire does. But they don’t know it yet!

5 out of 5 stars. I’ll keep reading this series. Maybe watch the anime.

F. D. Gross

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating relates to my ability to follow manga rather than the actual quality of the book.

I'm still interested in the story, but I really struggle with graphic story-telling, where being face-blind to a decent degree is a definite liability. I want to know what's going on, but I know I'm missing huge amounts.

Part of me is saying that I'm not getting enough of the story to keep going, while another part wants to grasp as much of the story as I can. I haven't decided yet, but it's good to know the library carries the books so I can take the chance without needing to pay lots of money.

So basically this review means nothing. Make your own decisions.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 ★

Another fantastic volume! I'm slowly falling in love with this manga. The world building is really interesting and I'm loving the developments in this volume that help us learn more about the Mud Whale and its past. There are still so many questions that I need answers too though, so I'm really excited to read on and find out more. As always, the art is stunning and the characters and fun and likeable (which isn't always a good thing considering how many deaths there are in this manga...). Can't wait to read the next one!

[Nico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh I love this world and I adore these characters and nothing more that's bad is allowed to happen to them. I said so.


...a lot more bad stuff is going to happen, isn't it?

Sidenote: I'm getting a little obsessed with Ouni. His character is so interesting.

The artwork continues to be astounding. Regularly I just stop and gawk at the imagery. It's creative and gorgeous and I want it on my wall. I couldn't imagine this with colour, not that it feels at all lacking in B&W. Worth the read for the art alone.

[Pflanzis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die Melancholie und Grausamkeit der Geschehnisse zusammen mit dem sanften Zeichenstil und den fröhlichen, hoffnungsvollen Charakteren macht diese Mangareihe so besonders. Durch die wundervollen Bilder wirkt der Schlammwal irgendwie idyllisch. Ich finde es faszinierend, dass die Autorin es schafft alle Zeichnungen irgendwie sandig wirken zu lassen und so eine ganz besondere Atmosphäre schafft.

[Silberfederling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional, interessant und slightly abgefuckt.
Der Band hat es mir wirklich sehr angetan. Die interessanten Informationen rücken näher, man beginnt so langsam die Motive und Handlungsweisen der Menschen außerhalb der Mudwhale zu verstehen.
Außerdem ist der Zeichenstil weiterhin wunderschön.

[DonutKnow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warrior characters are so cool 💪💪 My favourite at the moment is Ouni and the Commander 😍😍

[Khadija · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Carver Booth · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 slow but good art

[Steph_d · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm enjoying this manga, it is however very slow paced and I'm 3 volumes in and jot much has happened.
I like that we are learning more about the world and the characters as i go and think I will probly get attached to them in the next few.

[Ami 乁⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠o⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠ㄏ (written by Jane Austen) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much pain :')

[Shy Kuzonoha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children Of The Whales Volume 3 gave me goosebumps of excitement, and opened so many doors to questions and added possibilities. With every passing volume, Children Of The Whales world building gets better and better through its masterfully paced narrative. I've fallen terribly in love, and grown attached to its lovable cast of Characters, that watching something bad happens to any of them, brings tears to my eyes. I'm looking forward to the next installment, and the future of the city, known as The Mud Whale.

[josephine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit upon reread: I just had to reread this one before I continued on because omg I'm obsessed but also I'm not ready 😅

4.5 stars.

This series is going to hurt my heart more than I expected...


I'm sorry for the spam, guys, but this story is a. ma. zing. and I can't stop...

There's only one more volume before I'm caught up and I'm scared because it's so good and how am I supposed to wait another month for the next instalment and also I'm scared because I don't want my babies to die and I'm worried for them 😭😭

Seriously. This is an amazing series. And there's an Anime too! And it's really really nice, but I do prefer the Manga 😍😍 So I suggest, if you want to get a taste of this series, that you check out the first two episodes on Netflix (which basically corresponds to the first volume), and if you like it you'll definitely enjoy the Manga!

[Lucie Royer · Rating 4 out of 5]

« Je ne t’oublierai jamais. »

Ce troisième tome approfondit davantage les enjeux déjà présents dans les tomes précédents. On assiste à un élargissement des mystères qui entourent le monde des Enfants de la Baleine, avec des révélations sur l'histoire de ce monde et sur la nature même des personnages principaux.

Les relations entre les personnages gagnent en complexité, et les émotions sont mises à rude épreuve. Le conflit entre les habitants de la baleine de glaise et ceux du monde extérieur prend une tournure plus intense.

L'écriture d'Abi Umeda se distingue par sa poésie et sa profondeur. Les dessins continuent d'être un atout majeur en capturant l'essence émotionnelle et en enrichissant l'expérience globale de lecture.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can a manga started in a more hopeful tone and ends with such a devastating way? It is still a very good manga and the art style, aargh!! So intricate and detailed. Love it so much!

[Janelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really needed more time with these characters to form an attachment and distinguish between them. There are too many blonde white people tbh

[Lissie Lamb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lol I give up on this series I'm bored

[AltLovesBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plot advancement! The people of the Mud Whale, being given a brief reprieve by the apatheia troops sent to eradicate them, set about defending their home against their eventual return. Because these people are pacifists by nature, there's a lot of soul searching in these pages as they each decide what the Mud Whale means to them and what they'll do to defend it. During the assault, the Mud Whale residents split into two groups, with the main group defending the noncombatants, and a smaller group sent to infiltrate the enemy's ship and disable it. It's a race to see if the Mud Whale's meager training is enough to withstand the imperial apatheia invasion!

This really is a super unique series! I like the role that emotions evidently play in this world, and how the people of the Mud Whale are seen as criminals and deviants for having them. It's also pretty sad, and the writer doesn't pull any punches in the feelings department. I can absolutely see the problems people have with it being a slow plot and it being kind of complex, but personally I'm not having any problems, and I actually like the ambiguity as we move along.

[Nadina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume left us on a cliffhanger, noooooo! But it was good. I like the pacing of this manga, including this volume specifically.
I like the attitude of the inhabitants of the Mud Whale, despite impending war they celebrate an annual festival the day before anyway.
Flashbacks are done well, being clearly defined by grey paper rather than the whitish color of current happenings.
I continue to enjoy the artwork, and continue to get distracted by the detail of certain pages.
Again we have a plot/character summary at the beginning of the volume, and a fun afterword/bonus content at the end.
Unfortunately I will now have to wait to read the fourth volume, which is sad because this series is really quite good.

[Stergios · Rating 2 out of 5]

"- Ch.9 Lykos manages to change the people's minds about killing the Falaina. That raptures their trust to the Elders. Suou becomes the new mayor and Ouni offers to help. Lycos informs them that the Allied Empire sees them as criminals.They have 4 more days until Skyros attacks."
"- Ch.10 Lykos makes friends with some girls her age. Suou lifts everybody's spirit by permitting this year's Day of the Sand Festival."
"-Ch.11 Aíma, Neri's twin, first appears in front of Chakuro and promises to reveal the secrets of the Mud Whale to him if he survives the upcoming battle, and then grows wings and flies away. While the citizens of Falaina prepare for Skyros' attack, Suou has assembled a team with high efficiency with Thymia to secretly infiltrate the enemy ship and destroy it's Nous. Nibi, although not sellected insists to join them as he does not want to leave Ouni's side. A violent storm helps them to go unnoticed..."
"-Ch.12 The attack has started. Liontari is on the Mud Whale and kills elder Hakuji. As he is ready to kill mayor Suou who had come to the aid of the Elder, he is stopped by Shuan-The Commander. Half of the infiltration team heads deeper inside Skyros to find the Nous but they are ambushed..."

[Drine Psylook]

Beaucoup de blabla dans ce tome-ci. Gros plus pour moi qui adore le personnage de Ohni, on en apprend un peu plus sur lui, son passé et sur ce qu’il pourrait être. Ça colle avec les souvenirs que j’ai des deux premiers et les déductions que j’en avais faites.
Les dessins sont toujours aussi beaux, j’ai aimé m’y attarder et rechercher les moindres détails.
J’ai adoré ce troisième tome et je lis dans la foulée le quatrième qui m’a été offert à mon anniversaire (avec le cinq et le six).
https://psylook.kimengumi.fr/2021/08/...

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

That last page, when you see the titular children of Children of the Whales and realize the dire situation they are crowding into for the “future,” is a real gut punch. We get a heavy dose of heartbreak in this volume but light on hope. I expect either Ouni or Chakuro are going to reach some unfathomable depths with their thymia to pull the Mud Whale’s fat from the fire... or maybe that’s the hope I’m looking for...

[J.a.e._Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un 3e tome où beaucoup de choses se passent, un peu est dévoilé mais restent beaucoup de questions sur le passé et le pourquoi de la situation actuelle (bon dans un 3e tome heureusement que tout reste à découvrir). L'histoire reste assez sombre et est servie par un graphisme très fluide et très beau.
J'ai pas mal de difficultés à reconnaître les différents personnages mais je pense qu'au fur et à mesure des tomes cela peu s'améliorer

[MariaStefania - Маша · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
Il festival della muerte prosegue imperterrito. Mi chiedo se giungeremo a un cambiamento totale del cast di personaggi prima del quinto volume causa stermino a opera dell’autrice.
Scherzi a parte, spero che avvenga un cambio di ritmo e che certe strutture narrative non vadano più a ripetersi, altrimenti il destino di tutti è inevitabilmente segnato.

[Joseph Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

The people of the mud whale reject suicide, and decide to fight! This volume goes in depth in much more areas, such as the relationship between Ouni and Nibi, the relation of Falaina to the empire and other unknown countries, and Falaina's religious ceremonies. The mystery of the nature of the nous expands, as Umeda continues to build this world elegantly.

[Book Prisoner · Rating 3 out of 5]

An art in this manga is really beautiful but I can't believe in the created world. It's something with this story what makes me difficult to go into it deep. Maybe an idea about the world is something different and I appreciate that but it's not that interesting to keep reading this. Anyway I will try.