Children of the Sea

Beautiful tale about nature, magic sea wild connection with humans and universe. Don't try to understand the meaning, just enjoy the mysticism.

I went to see this film, mainly because the French critics were rave and eulogistic. Do I have the right to be honest? I did not understand anything about this overly complex and dreamlike cartoon. This metaphysical fable immerses the audience in the deepest seas, in a stream of visually stunning but incomprehensible sequences. I managed to stay until the end hoping for an explanatory denouement. Thus, I left the movie theater both frustrated and disappointed.

Almost a week after seeing this movie and I'm still trying to digest it, I'm honestly having a hard time placing my feelings for it.

The one thing I can say without a doubt is that Children of the Sea is absolutely stunning to look at. The animation on display here is like nothing I've ever seen.

My main hang up is the story. The characters are likable and the plot is intriguing, but it absolutely goes off the deep end in the last third and that's where my hangups lie. It becomes incredibly hard to follow which makes its ending not quite land the way it should have. Some plot threads don't feel entirely fleshed out, but are simultaneously wrapped around the plot at large to make them thematically relevant.

I think I walked away glad that I saw it, but it's going to be a hard sell to people I know.

Beautiful scenario and great soundtrack. Bring out the mystic feeling of the deep sea. However, the story is quite difficult to understand, a bit obscure. The original comic is better about the storytelling.

As Ghibli studios pushed us into both Anime and Japanese Culture, Now, Ayumu Watanabe has pushed Japanese anime into exploring the meaning of life. Away from the stereotypical anime subcultures. A wondrous and life affirming portrayal of how connected we are with each other and that we are all sons and daughters of the stars. The depiction of inception, the biological miracle that comes with fertilization is a central theme. This is a cerebral film that can be enjoyed purely for its superb visuals.But understanding that science still cannot explain how the universe functions, and dark matter, you have to appreciate that art has a role to play. What a magnificent anime, film and thesis. If you do not understand it, be aware that this is deeper than you think. Enjoy the cartoons.