Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau

If you asked anyone to describe Children of the Whales, they would probably call it a tragedy. The people that enjoyed it would say it’s a heartbreaking tragedy filled with death and agony, a show packed with emotion. The people that disliked it would call it a tragedy in a more literal sense, and personally I agree with them. With boring and unexplored characters, predictable and badly paced drama, and a dollop of plot armour to top it all off, Children of the Whales manages to mess up almost every part of what could have made it an interesting watch. Our MC for the show Chakuro feels like a misplaced side character given a slight power boost. He doesn’t do much but survive the whole ordeal and worry about everything, making him completely irrelevant to the story. Our converted enemy Lykos is only around for plot progression, occasionally rising up to be important and then shrinking back into a somewhat empty cast member. The real MC Ouni is the one that holds the most importance and gets explored more than every other character, but for some reason, the show continues to brush him aside so our two less interesting mascots Chakuro and Lykos can take over. The rest of the cast are only around to create drama, make stupid decisions, and die when needed. I can’t count the amount of faceless blobs of mass that have lost their lives in a desperate attempt to suck out some fragment of despair from its audience. It tries to make us feel attached to people while making no attempt to actually allow us to get to know any of them. There are a few people that the show deems to be of some worth for whatever reason, so it keeps them alive with the wonderful power of plot armour and convenience. Instead of enemies killing them instantly like they do with every other unlucky soul, they take their time to have a little conversation to reveal some plot points, allowing our good guys to make it out alive so they can again be unimportant. Talking about dying, the drama is a collection of the most predictable situations I have ever seen. You can see almost everything coming from a mile away, and when the show does try to surprise you, the horrid pacing stops you from giving a single shit about each lacklustre episode. Add in the already mentioned plot armour and character stupidity and you are left with massacre after massacre that carry no meaning other than to be a cheap emotional scene for us to sigh over. The only parts that carry any impact are centred around Ouni dealing with his history as a mole rat and him trying to protect his friends. However, the pacing and plot armour still brought it down quite significantly. The story could have made a comeback if it had just played its cards right. To make it even worse, the story ends right when everything is building up for a major arc, just to throw the cherry on the mess that was supposed to be a cake. Now the two biggest problems I have with this anime are the plot holes and singing. The show states that the Allied Empire, the antagonists of the show, is a country filled with emotionless citizens for reasons explained in the show. Emotionless characters are a tough thing to write so many opt to go with characters that start off emotionless and slowly learn to have human feelings, with even Children of the Whales trying (and failing) this with Lykos. However, the supposedly blank slates that our good guys fight against sure seem to be pretty human to me. Showing signs of fear, desires, and ambition, it’s really frustrating having the show keep telling you that they are emotionless when they are clearly not. And the bloody singing. Why does the show think it’s alright to break out into songs during the middle of a battlefield? Are they trying to make the show seem more deep and dark with a random sad musical playing over some the serious scenes of the anime? I’m trying to find a reason to like this show but it decides to make up for its terrible drama by distracting us with a little singalong. What the legit fuck? It annoys me so much to see something so out of place in an already bad anime. Children of the Whales is a show that deserves little praise. It is a massive disappoint that it’s only redeeming point is that it looks nice. No one cares about how good a show looks if the story going alongside it is subpar. Avoid this show, move past it and find something that’s actually worth putting your time into, because this show is just a waste of time.

Watching shoujo fantasy adventures these days feels like taking a dive into a video game world. When Kujira no Kora Wa Sujou ni Utau (Children of the Whales) began airing, I had a strange instinct about the show. It felt like an anime that really wanted us to really embrace its ideas but fell short on capitalizing on all of them. Created by Abi Umeda, few people probably heard of the author’s name. Taking a close look at their resume, some of their work consists of horror genre series. Crafting a shoujo fantasy adventure sounded like a challenge. However, I will say this: the author decided to mold a variety of themes together that felt different from some of the other shoujo fantasy series I’ve seen in the past. To be clear, I think this show is suited for an audience beyond just the female demographic. Are you the target audience? Let’s test that theory. Do you enjoy watching a show with colorful world fiction? How about a show with a large cast of characters? Or conflicts involving a utopia certainly thrown into turmoil? If any of these are on your bucket list, then definitely give it a try. That being said, the main attraction on paper is so far the setting. Mud Whale is really a unique dynamic that will draw attention. In an endless sea of sand of the Sand Era, Mud Whale is a moving vessel composed of an unique civilization. There are the “marked ones” who are individuals with psychokinetic powers but have a short life span. On the other hand, there are the “unmarked ones”, individuals who possesses no powers but have longer life spans. It’s interesting to note that these people live in isolation so they know nothing about the outside world. The plot involves a mysterious girl named Lykos as she changes the lives of everyone on Mud Whale. As a 1-cour adaptation running for 12 episodes, I was a bit worried. Before even watching, I had to be less optimistic because it meant the likely event that the show will omit content and also leave questions for the viewers. Unfortunately, that came to be the case after this series ended. It felt like an advertisement of the manga and wants the audience’s hunger for more. As a manga reader, I am thankful that the anime adapted the story consistently with what the overall tone of the setting. But for the overall story, it really felt lacking. My early impression of the show kept me wanting for more though. The first few episodes established the setting and really gives a feel of a shoujo fantasy adventure. We have the characters living their lives in harmony as part of a utopia. Despite being isolated, they behave like humans and have their own system like the council, battle platoons, and recreational services. That changes after Lykos makes her appearance with Mud Whale while bringing attention from outsiders. It transformed the show from a harmonious story into one with dramatic conflicts. This elevates into bloodshed, pain, and even death. Now as I watched more of this series, I accepted that only the main core characters will get their spotlight. The ones you see on the key visuals includes Chakuro, Lykos, Ouni, Suou, Ginshu, Ryodari, and Sami. Chakuro is the main guy who bears a gentle personality. This is a contrast to characters such as the emotionless Lykos and cold hearted Ouni. While I can’t say Chakuro is an impressive protagonist on paper, he is able to influence others such as Lykos throughout the show. The two forges a unique bond after the two begins to understand each other more. However, the anime doesn’t go too far into developing their relationship nor does it explore them individually as characters. It’s sad to realize this but I think omitting characterization makes the characters harder to accept. For the others, they play a variety of roles such as Suou becoming a leader, Ouni as the rigid combatant, or Ginshu as a guard of Mud Whale. It’s also noticeable that even deceased characters in the series has some influence on the present story. This is especially true when applied to characters like Chakuro as death affects his mentality. Meanwhile, I can’t say the antagonists of the series are appealing. The most noticeable one to point fingers at is Ryodari, the pink haired child soldier. We only see a glimpse of his past but it’s shown that he is clearly unstable and has a thirst to kill for the thrill of it. It lacks any depth in characterization and really doesn’t make him feel believable as a character. Indeed, the characters in the show is a mixed bag. As I watched more and more of this series, it felt like the creator didn’t really put too much thought into making them. On the other hand, the experience I got from watching this anime felt rather memorable at times. The drama brings a reality to death and there’s a sense of tragedy that can send chills down the spine. While character chemistry isn’t always meaningful, it does have a way to express itself and evoke emotions. The vulnerability of the characters is clear and it shouldn’t take long for viewers to discover how death affects them. While it is also a shoujo, don’t expect romance to actually develop though. It serves more as a genre to carry the style of the story. The mystery elements develops more and more as the story progresses but don’t expect answers to everything. It’s explored through some background storytelling but will still leave viewers to their imaginations. Adapted by J.C. Staff, this anime really stood out in the artwork department. A utopia like Mud Whale is depicted as a perfect society and before the events of Lyko’s encounter, it really does look like one. From the simple character outfits to natural spectacles, it’s a sight to feast eyes on. Mud Whale itself is also decorated with colorful features such as the sand particles, atypical structure, and natural aesthetics. The world fiction gives the impression of what a fantasy shoujo should be with the endless sand. It feels like a vast open world video game. Character designs also makes quite an impression as a majority of the cast are children. It gives off a sense of innocence, vulnerability, and youth. There’s also violence so do expect action to pick up once the conflicts really gets going. The amount of blood isn’t presented as shock value but more as a way to illustrate the reality of death. Fan service isn’t explicit but does also exist with bath scenes so be on the lookout for that. Beautiful and harmonious. That’s how I’d describe the theme songs of the show and overall tone of the OST. The technical elements of the soundtrack is outstanding to fit with the genres of this anime. Sound director Jin Aketagawa (known for his work on some other fantasy series) impressed me with the overall direction. The synchronization of the soundtrack with some of the more emotional scenes made them feel impactful. Not to mention, there’s also harmonious singing in the show that really took my attention. Character voice mannerism can be a mixed bag at times. Lykos is too emotionless to be memorable while most of the younger characters all sound the same. Ryodari takes his personality often too far to be declared impressive. Adapting a shoujo fantasy adventure isn’t easy but the final product that came to be felt like it’s missing something. Whether it’s the weak characterization or underdeveloped plot is up for you to decide. It definitely has visual splendor though and sells its setting convincingly to viewers. I just wish they took more time to expand the story and characters to really capitalize on this series as a whole. To me, this is a show that needed more passion to bring audience for appreciation.

This anime is so unique it could be one of a kind Not really anime, not really Chinese cartoon, this story sail between being weird and great. Children of the Whales is a story which could not be for anyone. It appeals and please quite a niche group of people. Nevertheless it did really please me with its unique story and world. §§§§ STORY §§§§ So I cant really go deep in the story without spoiling it so I won’t. That would lessen the fun of watching it yourself. Children of the Whales is told form the perspective of Chakuro who occasionally narrates some of his thoughts. It gives the feeling like you’re being told an tale or good story by the mc himself. For just 12 episodes this anime feels deep and convinces me that there is a lot of lore behind the real storyline. They have funerals, festivals, laws, culture. It all adds up to interesting world building while simultaneously laying the foundation for future events. It really conveys a story rich world and shows that the Whales is more than just a plot device. It is something that lives and breathes. Something where obviously more happened, before we got to see it. I feel it was unjustified to be just 12 episodes and feels like it could have been easily 3 seasons long with the amount of lore unexplored. The characters aren’t abused up to the point they will just be for tear jerkers or comic relief. They have more purpose, like in the real world. It makes each of the characters stand more out, even if they don’t get much screen time. I’ve got to say that the pacing is fast but well justified. It doesn’t go in to deep in the history of the Whales, what was disappointing, but it does create a new story for us to be a part of. Luckily it doesn’t drag out unnecessary parts as it feels like you will always move along the story while watching. The fast pacing does leave some information left desired. §§§§ ART §§§§ The background felt like Chinese art style with anime characters popping in. It felt so fresh. The easy-going background gave my eyes plenty of rest while still being appealing. I would say that it is one of the strong points of Children of the Whales. I noticed some CG was used for sand and some other effects, but it was blend in so well that it made the anime better looking, rather than an abomination (like most CG scenes). The character design was simple yet attractive. It fulfilled the role of “simple looking” on an island without too much tech. The way thymia was handled was very beautiful. A simple depiction of power while still being very appealing. The rules are simple, more thymia means more power. Luckily there is no stupid thing like instant powerup with mad effects. It was simple and appealing. §§§§ CHARACTERS §§§§ We see multiple characters developing and adapting to a changing world. Reactions and actions were taking accordingly if you would think about how the characters were before the invasion. Emotion plays a big role, but that doesn’t really seem prominent at first. It gradually evolves and opens up. You might re-watch it for the sake of understanding the first few episodes. Because I didn’t really understand the world and the characters yet, their reactions ticked me off and I was almost ready to drop it. But when I look back, I think it was really well done. Im happy the characters don’t act “out of character”. The characters have their own treads and their own strengths and weakness. We get to see Chakuro evolving from slow mc to better mc. Suoh/Souo changes his thinking and decision making, but still remains kind and gentle. Ouni stays badass. I’m a bit puzzled by Lykos, she wasn’t really easy to read and the story didn’t really support her choices and motivation. I guess she is a nice addon but I feel like she wasn’t really needed. To bad she had to replace a character. Because the story deviates real quick I’m not discussing the characters in detail, as that would spoil most moments. I would say that they won’t be new characters at the end of the season, but you get to see what makes them move and what moved them. On the other hand, if this would be 24 episodes, they could flesh out just a bit more of character. §§§§ MUSIC §§§§ The music is beautiful and does a great job at expressing scenes, guiding the pace and supporting the art in general. The ambient tones fluently changes to upbeat battle style with each changing scene. The scene where Neri (purple lil girl) sings and dance was beautiful but very alienated from the story. It felt theatrical and soothing. It did add some element, yet I puzzled what it exactly added. The music felt in a way nostalgic, reminding me of something spacious, worldly, yet very close and cozy. I don’t know if this is personal, but I liked it. §§§§ FINAL THOUGHTS §§§§ This anime sails between being good and mediocre. Some moments were bright and other were really frustrating. As mentioned earlier I was ready to drop this anime on episode 3 but something etched me to really finish the story and I’m glad I did. It wouldn’t be an anime for many people but in a way it is really artistic. I had some moments where I could see the skill of the story writer, how things turned out or how things are handled. It didn’t feel like there was plot armor and most things played out very natural. Sacrifices are made and somethings are gained from it. I would ship Chakuro and Sami and I hope they will be happy together. If you would love unique painteresque anime with unique premise and a beautiful evolving story, I would recommend you Children of the Whales! If you like mc who do crazy ass pulls and always push through or clear and predictable story, this isn’t your call. I hope for a sequeal.

Evil exists, this is a fact ... Children of the Whales is simply a stupide tragedy with superficial characters, seeing their friends and family killed in front of them, and they simply keep calling for peace and they do their best to not revenge, I really hate when the creators try to show that humans should not treat violence with violence, these fake morals made me want to vomit. Protecting your beloved once is something I will consider one of the Holy morals. Being weak and uncapable of protecting your family and being happy with it should not be promoted at all. Of course, in our developed world there are police and army to protect and apply rules so they will judge evil, but in a savage world like the Children of the Whales, it's just showing how fake the writer is.

Children of the Mud Whale is a beautiful show with an interesting world that is a complete waste of time. Most of us watched it for the pretty background art and fascinating concept, but it fails miserably to deliver on these. Story: 3 3 is a bit generous and is there solely because of 1) a death early on that caught me by surprise, and 2) the world building. Mud Whale has an interesting world, with whale/ships powered by grotesque monstrosities on a sand ocean. There's an evil empire and other kingdoms scattered around, it all seems like it should be really entertaining but it just isn't. The direction is awful, it feels like they didn't take their episode numbers into account at all. A third party that intends to ally with the Mud Whale shows up at random in one episode and just hangs out with them for the rest of the series, not affecting anything. Information is doled out whenever the show feels like it and characters are introduced and killed off in bulk. Art: 8 The art is where this show excels. The background art is beautiful, the world looks interesting and fun. You want to learn more about the unique society on the mud whale, their specific customs that they've developed from their years in isolation, the world they inhabit. Where it fails is the action direction. Emotionless enemy soldiers wait their turn to attack the helpless and allow themselves to be mowed down for no reason. There is a scene where a weakened old man is able to kill two soldiers by stumbling into them off a cliff, after they'd already cut a gash into his chest. Why they didn't get out of the way is behind comprehension. The show doesn't look bad necessarily in motion but it's nothing impressive. It'll get you some nice screenshots though. Sound: 8 I've got a terrible memory when it comes to background music and OP/ED themes. There is, however, a memorable scene in one of the episodes where a character sings a song amidst a battle and it's genuinely beautiful. It briefly revived my hope in this series before it was beaten back into the sand. Characters: 1 The characters are the worst part of this show. Chakuro - the main character who doesn't feel like a main character. He's described as an archivist but this aspect of his personality is so underdeveloped that I genuinely forgot that that was his job until a character referred to him as "Archivist of Falaina." On top of that he's a weak, ineffectual crybaby who, unlike better crybabies like Deku from My Hero Academia, never gets better. Lykos - she literally had the emotions sucked out of her prior to the series and it shows. She's quiet and mopey, refusing to give potentially crucial information until the end of the series despite having it the entire time. Ouni - The only decent character. I think he even exhibits character development, but my god is he not enough to save this section of the review, let alone the entire show. The main issue is, as I mentioned before, that they introduce characters at random. "Oh this character's going on a potentially dangerous mission? Give him a best friend who wants to come with." "Hm... there's not enough internal strife, let's introduce two new characters who literally explain away their absence with a 'we've stuck to the edges of the Mud Whale til now' as if that excuses their delayed introduction and have them stir things up" They're reluctant to kill off important characters so they invent new characters whenever they want and throw them in the story, hoping to eke out some emotional payoff. Enjoyment: 2 There are just enough pretty moments to edge this series above a 1 for enjoyment. It's not fun to watch, it's really boring even during the action. The fact that they introduce new characters just to kill them off destroys any tension once you know who's going to survive. There are about 2 deaths with any real impact, and even then only the first one is felt by the viewer. The penalty for the magic system that the characters have is short lifespans, which is a totally ineffectual penalty. Sure the older characters are likely to die, chances are it won't affect anyone you really care about for another few years, and it's difficult to care about these characters anyway because they just don't do much. Overall: 3 Children of the Mud Whale is a bad show. It's a pretty show, but it's bad. The art and sound keep it from being a 1 or a 2 but they are not enough to give it an even passable score. This is, after all, an anime, not an art book.

(This review has been adapted from my blog/reddit thread. Spoilers ahead!) Whales are intelligent, majestic creatures. Rulers of the sea by size and by power. In comparison, Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau has no size. It has no power. All it really rules over is the bottom of the ocean – right where it belongs. STORY Credit where credit is due: Kujira no Kora (as it will be shortened to from here on out) contains a neat premise what with its expanse of sand, an inexplicable titan, and the cultural norms it creates. It at least has the footing necessary to get the ball rolling (or, in this case, get the “boat” rowing). But as a narrative, as a story, this whole venture sinks rather than swims. Major issues reveal themselves swiftly and without remorse. For instance, the bad guys have a weird tendency to just not really do anything in situations where they clearly have the upper hand, turning specific events into an excuse to push the plot in a certain direction rather than into intense moments that allow it to develop naturally. Moreover, hardly anything is known about these adversaries since the show will go long stretches without talking about them or at least referring to them, missing out on crucial exploration of their side. The trading of information also encounters trouble. Characters like Lykos will hold onto vital clues for very little reason other than to obstruct the narrative. Then, in complete opposite fashion, someone like Aima will descend in front of Chakuro to give him her umpteenth example of deus ex machina so that the plot at least “makes sense” when going to its next part. Quotes must be used there since Kujira no Kora often treads into nonsensical territory. Random characters, such as the older elders, appear and disappear out of nowhere. Certain interactions, such as Chakuro speaking with one of the Nous directly, involves incredulous logic. Important changes, such as Ouni’s newfound powers, have miniscule impact in the aftermath of their discovery. This systemic plague within the writing festers and oozes its way into the more fundamental aspects of the show. An excessive amount of exposition bogs down the flow, and pacing can get too quick which hinders events. There’s also the intermittent comedic relief. It stilts the tone since people are literally dead or dying and such jokey asides clash hard with the serious morbidity. Even disregarding the comedy, Kujira no Kora breaks apart with its drama and its action, the areas that make up the bulk of its story. On the drama side, it’s tough to care about the loss of life which occurs. It tries to be emotional insofar as those who perish usually represent major figures in the lives of those nearby, but the lacking presence of these people to begin with prevents the drama from landing. On the action side, not enough happens to justify the skirmishes. Those who are Marked have essentially magical powers, but their abilities and their usage rarely (if ever) aim for an interesting angle let alone reach memorable status. Problem after problem hounds this story nearly every step of the way. It’s largely incompetent, and its premise simply cannot carry the glaring mishaps and the ludicrous inadequacies that weigh it down. This vessel doesn’t just sink; it implodes. ART & ANIMATION While the show may not recover from the damage to its narrative, Kujira no Kora at least dazzles with the artistry at its disposal. Chief among its wonders is the color palate. The anime opts for a watery fade to achieve its softer hues, coinciding with the sea motif and forming the watercolor looks for many of its visuals. It also chooses much lighter colors in general: pinks, teals, yellows. They add a vibrant contrast not only to the darker blues and purples but also to the overall darkness of the mood at hand. The rocky outcropping the characters call home also gets attention. Craggy walls and earthen stone encase their lodgings. Rudimentary holes act as rough windows. Quaint amenities line their rooms. Vegetation on other floating islands and the regal cities of the “normal” people have a place, but this monolith of mud and clay captures the rustic intent of the anime. Combining the colors and the setting provides the show with ample opportunities to highlight the beauty of this world. Again, it almost never leaves the static ruins of their roaming giant. Yet, when a sunset casts light on their abode or dancing lights flicker in the nighttime air, it becomes easier to forgive the stale variety and to appreciate these gorgeous segments. While the art and the artistry often impress, the more nuanced, technical side of things isn’t as captivating. Cinematography remains standard for many of its scenes, and the actual animation during bouts or as they go about their daily lives stays relatively straightforward. Kujira no Kora prevails with other details, though. The designs for its characters fit the scope and the lore of their era and their culture as loose clothes, accessories, sandals, and other simplistic garb invoke a native feel to their looks. And above them, a painted, almost canvas-esque sky stays aligned with the painted vibe of the art, granting an awe in all directions. Overall, the anime contains some rather good artistry. One can’t complain too much here. CHARACTERS The characters within Kujira no Kora, however, cannot evade complaints. Chakuro takes the helm of this “ship” as the lead star and the narrator, speaking of his account aboard their home and his knowledge of the Falaina people (i.e., his people). However, he’s entirely too passive to be considered a worthwhile character within the anime. Not that being passive is inherently a problem; it’s that that’s all he is. He’s a writer at heart, so it’s understandable that he stays on the sidelines during fights (even if he’s apparently a very strong thymia user) since he has little in the way of battle training. But he contributes almost nothing else. He watches events play out, and he cries a lot, yet he just laments the situation and goes along with nearly everything that happens around him. Deaths of dear friends do affect him, so he’s at least attuned with the gravity of their dilemma. That’s not saying a whole lot, however, when he won’t speak up even if he knows the causes behind it. Worse yet, Chakuro will constantly talk about wishing to record the stories of his people for historical purposes episode after episode, but his progress on this front must be minimal because Kujira no Kora rarely showcases him doing as such. I.e., he talks the talk but does not walk the walk. Chakuro is so bland and so useless that it’s a miracle to see him connected to this story whatsoever. Lykos is a walking blob of a character, too. She begins as a blank slate of sorts, harboring almost zero emotion when Chakuro and the others find her. Meaning, the anime primes her for an interesting arc to follow throughout the season. True to its trends, though, Lykos succumbs to the same problems of overt passivity and minute contributions. She receives a tiny bit of backstory near her introduction, and she’s related to the main baddy, but the extent of her presence stops there. She barely says or does anything meaningful despite her growing emotions. Lykos maybe-possibly develops feelings for Chakuro, indicating her recent changes on a psychological level. Sadly, their relationship neither goes anywhere meaningful, has a resolute foundation, nor is challenged to any significant extent. That is to say, just as they are individually depleted as characters, the bond they share turns hallow as well. Besides these two leads, Kujira no Kora includes side characters who likewise fail to meet a proper spot. Shuan, the eyepatch guy, is the outlier amongst everyone insofar as he cares not for anything, including (apparently) his own wife. But he’s almost too much of an outsider, leading his small asides to register as inconsequential moments …

One must truly understand, to a profound degree, the duality of the nature of life to fully appreciate this anime and all it has to offer this world. If this is you, as it is me, then this will likely become your favorite anime. I sincerely hope it comes back for a second season, though certainly not at the expense of the delivery of its message. Truly a masterpiece, as it stands. There is nothing more that needs to be said. Though when I hit submit it says; "Please enter a longer review" So I'll repeat; There is nothing more that needs to be said.

Kujira No Kora is beautiful anime in all senses! I realize not everyone will like, because it’s quite a sensitive story; it’s that kind of story which leaves you, at the end, with lots of tears. The story is quite interesting too – it’s filled with a magical world and mysteries; so, I’m sure if you start watching it, you’ll end up watching all episodes in a row, considering how much addictive the show is. I need to be sincere with you guys: the show is really interesting, but the story has some inconsistencies; it’s a shoujo show, but, as far as I’m concerned it ends up being too shoujo – to the point where the story becomes unrealistic, at times, because the show follows rigorously the “shoujo criteria”. Everything said, you’ll love the show, so don’t hold back and just watch it right away! It’s on Netflix, after all, come on, guys! [Story: 7/10] [SPOILERS ALERT] There are minor spoilers ahead, otherwise it’s really hard to write this review: but don’t worry, they’re not anything which will make a difference when you’ll watch the anime. Also, review big AF ahead. Kujira No Kora has a marvelous universe construction, you’ll be dumbfounded by how well constructed it was. The story is based in a utopic island which moves around a sea of sand – and, yes, in the story the sea is made of sand: it’s not a figure of language. The island has a small community living within it; to them, that’s their entire world, for they have no idea of the world which exists out there. It seems that utopic island Thomas More wrote about: everything is beautiful, everyone is an equal (well, almost everyone) and all of the people live their lives with no worries and no violence (it’s almost as if they don’t know what violence is). That said, there’s something which divides people in two groups: the ability to use a power called “thymia”. Ninety percent of the people can use it – being known, then, as the Marked; the other ten percent can’t use it – being known then as the Unmarked. A board of Unmarked elders hold the political reins of the island; however, the work is divided equally among everyone – even among the Unmarked. So, in this sense, is almost as if that island represented a communist system (if not for the difference in political power among the Marked and Unmarked, but the Marked have super powers; so, I guess that makes them equal lol). The people who live in the island are different from the people from their ex-homeland: while they can feel such stronghearted, tear dropping, breathtaking feELiNgS, the people from the outside world don’t have feELiNgS. Now, I can begin to show how incredibly intelligent the show is: I see as a portrayal of our world if it were to become a dystopia (in a way it already is if we stop to think about it). And it’s really interesting how you start the show thinking it’s a utopia but, in the end, you realize it’s a dystopia. In this universe, it came a time in human history when humans deemed emotions could only get in the way, so it’d be better to live without them; therefore, they became heartless soldiers. The people in the island can only live this perfect, utopic life in the island, because they ignore the outside world. And it’s really interesting to see, as the show progresses, that some people in the island, who have emotions, can be really cruel at times – so, they are just hypocrites pointing their fingers to the outsiders, who don’t have emotions, and calling them “monsters”. Regarding the outsiders, it’s exposed how far it came the human stupidity to think it’d be better to live in a world without emotions. So, the brilliance of the show lies this portrayal of us, of how far the human stupidity can go and of how deluded we can become, unable to see our own hypocrisy. Also, the brilliance lies in the way the show can demonstrate emotions in such a stronghearted, tear dropping, breathtaking way. It just kills me how I ended the show soaking wet with my tears. I’d give a 10 for the story, if not for the inconsistencies; nonetheless, it’s an amazing show. [Art: 10] The direction of art is splendid! The island is so beautifully constructed visually that it only can aid the understanding that is a little perfect world! The art is so well done that it really makes you think that island is a utopia. The art is so good that I’d watch the show just for the art. That’s how good it is. [Sound: 10] It’s rare to watch an anime with an orchestrated soundtrack; just that considered makes the sound of the anime incredible. But besides being orchestrated, the melodies are heavenly, really, they’re heavenly! When you hear that beautiful music, you’ll believe that island is not only a utopia, but it’s heaven. Not to mention the few songs in the show, sung by the own characters, have such a good lyric and carry such a huge emotion that when you start listening, you’ll cry immediately. [Character: 7) As I’ve said above, the show can be really, really shoujo – which, on one side, make it amazing to watch all of those guys with emotions blurting out of their skin acting so passionately around other guys (and girls); but, on the other side, it makes the show unrealistic: Suou and Chakuro, for example, are so kind and passionate that their behavior, at times, is just ridiculous (though, most of the time is just tear dropping). Many characters lack depth while some are really deep and well-constructed; so, if you forgive that and the inconsistencies, I can grant you’ll have a great time filled with tears watching the anime. As I’ve said above, this kind of show is not for everyone, but, in my opinion, the best shows are the ones filled with passion, I’m sorry not sorry. [Enjoyment: 10] and [Overall: 8.8] I’ve spoken so much about the show in this review that I guess it’s enough (and obvious) to say, with all of its faults, you’ll love the show. It’s like a son or a daughter (I imagine, for God’s sake I don’t want one now): you’ll love anyway, so just watch the show. I’m sorry for the long review, believe me, I’m tired of reading it as well, so I get you.

This anime is the definition of "Trying too hard." Lets start with the story: On the surface its actually a decent concept. In fact, if there was more world to explore it could be quite enjoyable. Instead, the first two episodes are 25 minute expositions that end up doing nothing for the story overall. From that point on the story attempts to pull heart-strings by delving into the debate of logic vs. emotion, and exploiting the death of children to really drive home the point of how gut-wrenching the story is. All in all the story ends up going nowhere while attempting to paint itself as some kind of amazing piece of art. In short: skip this anime if you can. Its not worth it. Art; I will say that I did enjoy the background art. I do enjoy a unique look, but its completely thrown off by the same-face animation style that has taken over anime in the last 10 years. Netflix itself has a bad habit of using sub-par animation, and this is no exception. While I can't get past the animation of the characters, I will give credit to the background images. They were well done and really gave the world life. Overall: Abandon the mud whale. Not worth the time or energy that went into it.

A bizarre world building ended a tragic and epitome of disjointed plot As referring set of tragedy events behind the story which lies under the beneath catalyst breach of such unspoken some more less detail never detain an interior crappy edgy tone vibes. In depths between an example of Dante's Comedy but with a common poison A structure which bases on an imagining contents in a form of writing directs unnecessary gibberish drawn out of context grandiose tale without based to the point of existentialism behind the drastic factual and careful disregarded recyclable setting. Not only it has a shallow mediocre material, but tells neutral status rather than taking some components on every aspects that depicts on a massive downgrade fantasy series. Such as political struggling issues on the deaths between set of characters for having a severe breakdown. The writing in this book is decent for the most part. It struggles in the dialogue department at times, coming off as rather clunky in a few areas when it introduces a character and awkwardly explains what they’re about to characters who already know (see Suou’s introduction). Otherwise, I found the dialogue pretty decent enough. It presents us with a redeeming setting wrapped in a coat of luscious, beautiful artwork that is an eyed candy to our eyes, But It lacks a strong cast currently and its pace may be more of a hindrance than a benefit to some horrifying, but fascinating to look at and ponder. Not bogging you down in the detail and bringing them in one at a time. The pacing is quick and while I find that hurts the story, it can be a benefit for those who just want to get straight to the point. Plus, things are easy to follow and never feel that confusing even despite the characteristics, It felt cringe enough to width the amount of parts by being left in a mark. From the verge of the existence in between the stellar art and beauty intertwine a vision had caught in a blink state of morality. And was also left a complete anticlimatic attempt as it never reach to it's mere type of conclusion. Stereotypes are never felt biased and failed to deepen a crucial focus on what's life is normally like on the Mud Whale. This doesn’t necessarily hurt the series much, Neither pacing didn’t do its justice, by showing characters, or plot any favor. It probably would have been more essential where exploiting a desirous on began challenging the unbearable of living and anticipating the less aesthetic human nature.

I am in despair. For the first time in a long time I am actually sad that an anime has gone this poorly. I had hopes that Children of Whales (KujiKora for short) could be a little gem of an anime. JC Staff are an animation studio that have probably been the most consistent studio in all of Japan and have given us some incredible classics like Nodame and Hachimitsu as well as some great contemporary works like Sakurasou and Raildex. I had hope that this anime would be able to join their echelons. Fantasy is a genre that I have hardly explored but this show had so much promise to introduce to me a whole new, wonderful world with a smooth, slow, purposeful story that took you in with beautiful imagery and charming characters. That was my hope. And it was shattered. WARNING: DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE ANIME, THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS. KujiKora is set in a world with a gargantuan ocean of sand. We follow the experiences of people living on a large ship made of mud which is called a "whale" which is where our title comes from. The story is told mainly through the eyes of Chakuro - a young archivist living on the ship with several hundred others. Some people - our MC included - possess telekinetic powers called Thymia and are "Marked". In exchange for this power they live relatively short lives, rarely going past 30. The ship and its residents have been aimlessly adrift for nearly a hundred years and have never encountered any other people. Whenever another mud ship drifts into view and range, they send people to see whether there is anyone on board as well as to scavenge. There is never anyone on board these rarely encountered foreign ships but, one day, the scavenger group - our MC included - find a girl who turns out to be a soldier for a large empire who sent their own ships to attack and sink their mud ship for reasons that are explained latter into the anime. Thus, begins our thrilling adventure of drama ad suspense while figuring out the secrets of the world. Problem #1: Too many characters There's a lot of characters in this anime. And I mean a lot. There are about thirty or so named characters in the show. It isn't an inherently bad thing that a show has a crap ton of characters in it. Shirobako, for instance, has about twice as many named characters in twice as many episodes and turned out great. Kujikora, however, struggles to juggle between all the characters. A lot of the characters have way too much screen time despite hardly being tertiary characters. It gets so bad that the actual main characters of the show have almost no screen time despite them being the point-of-view characters of the story. The anime does kill of quite a lot of its characters and these are often the characters the anime pushes us to try and form an emotional bond with despite us hardly even knowing them. The anime is simply inept at trying to develop these characters since most of them have one-note personalities and only last around two or three episodes if they're lucky. This makes their existence feel so shallow and I could hardly muster up the energy to feel anything for them. It just feels so cheap. So high is the frequency of the show killing off characters that you just know who has a death flag on them. There's a lot I can list - more so than I want - but one of the most egregious is in the beginning where they kill off the MC's "love interest". We hardly know anything about her and her entire character is that she loved the MC. That's it. But the anime constantly brings us back to her and her sad story - especially in the first half - that she got annoying fast. Another egregious example would be Ouni's friend who gets offed simply to become a plot convenience to "unlock" Ouni's power as well as to give some cheap backstory which I hardly cared about because he was introduced literally 2 episodes prior. Trust me, these characters might sound like big deals but they really aren’t since so many of them pop up. That's another part of the problem: new characters are often introduced seemingly on a whim and they constantly do this throughout the very small number of episodes. A lot of them either end up doing nothing, do very little to further the plot, or and up making the whole thing a lot worse simply by their existence. I understand that this anime is adapted from a manga and that these characters will probably become relevant latter on in the story but in the anime it just feels intrusive. One of the most egregious examples of this happening occurs in episode 8 where two blokes whom we were only introduced to a few episodes prior, and whom were never alluded to – nor had more than 5 minutes of screen time, suddenly came out looking all important and demanding a rebellion of the Marked against the Unmarked. Not only was this conflict never expanded upon or alluded to in any previous episode (something I’ll expand on latter), but these characters were incredibly one-dimensional. The anime expected me to somehow invest myself in them and the conflict but I just cringed throughout the scene. This haphazard and disregard of characters ruins the pacing of the show. It also makes it so that hardly any of the characters have time to develop past their shallow personalities. This ties in with the second problem I have with the show- Problem #2: Poor character writing As I’ve explained, none of the characters are particularly interesting. This extends from the most insignificant of side characters to the main characters as well as affecting the whole spectrum of bad guys to good guys. The anime’s attempts to make characters be multi-layered and complex end up doing it more harm than good since the show struggles with timekeeping. There are 3 main characters listed on the MAL page for this show but I swear that Suou has the most screentime and he supposedly has a supporting role. The MC is (supposed to be) Chakuro who did have some decent scenes in the first half and had a lot of promise to develop into a stronger, more assertive character after going through all the shit he’s been through. Unfortunately, he hardly changes from his meek attitude he displays at the beginning of the show. This is likely because the creators of the show wanted to contrast him with our other male MC – Ouni. This guy is supposed to the be sort of an edgy anti-villain protagonist with the big power and only helps out the other characters begrudgingly. He unfortunately has very little personality to speak of. His character is reactionary and he never seems to do things on his own violation. Instead, the anime seems to be forcing him to go through with almost all of his actions all for the sake of furthering their shaky plot. This saddens me since he’s the one with the most motivation in the story. He has a bond with a group of friends whom he considers dear to him, he desires to get off the ship and explore the world, and he has huge power which can have a whole arc built around it. Any of those things could have served as the main driving point for his development but the anime flip flaps between them and never gives him any solid ground on which to build his actions upon. To be fair, his group is made up of a bunch of boring, bland characters who, as explained in problem #1, take up far more screen time than necessary. So, like our first main character, he never really develops at all and seems to be there for the sake of being there. Our third main character is Lykos – the girl who was found on the abandoned ship. She’s kind of alight. She has the second most motivation (and potential) in the show and she doesn’t waste all of it. She serves as the emotionless foil to the emotion-driven people on the mud whale as well as providing a lot of insight in to the world of KujiKora. Her development is the most natural but (I feel like I’m saying “but” way too many times in this review) the anime writes her in such stupid situations it’s sad. In any other anime she’d be forgettable bu…

Warning possible Spoilers Children of the Whales was incredibly close to being dropped from me, it starts off poorly and yet it somehow manages to make me watch it till the very end. This is thanks to a alright yet very familiar story. Story (6/10) The story concentrates on the people of the Mud Whale, an island drifting an ocean of sand. They discover a girl who turns the whole world of the Mud Whale upside down. The first two episodes really didn't do much for me and almost made me consider dropping this show, the artstyle, music and the world of the Mud Whale itself had me interested. The characters were the main problem, they were just bland as hell, thankfully the ending of episode 2 kept me on board and I don't regret it too much. Episode 3 and beyond changed everything, it's development changed the show from being mediocrely sweet to surprisingly dark. The fact that a new human civilisation had come to destroy the people of the Mud Whale was pretty hectic and seeing characters, who I thought would have a big role, die was also surprising. However once you get past the initial battle and the people on the Mud Whale try to recover and build up for another attack it does slow down again. Then it picks back up again once the next battle arrives, I was entertained for a good while as the battle got more and more brutal for the Mud Whale people, plus there were some pretty cool battle scenes between certain characters. When we reach the final episodes though, the direction of the show shifts immensely as other human factions are introduced and we see the scope of the world itself, which leads us to our cliffhanger end of the series, although with the way things were going this seemed inevitable. I did like the emotional split between the human factions, as having emotions was a bad thing and not having them was good. I enjoyed this aspect and gave more weight for the opposing sides, however this setup felt way too familiar to Attack on Titan. I mean think about it, a secluded bunch of humans being attacked by a larger faction of humans because they have a specific trait that is wrong to the rest of the world sounds very familiar. Despite this, I am a little surprised how this anime managed to narrowly escape me dropping it. Characters (5/10) The main problem of this anime, is the characters, true there is a whole emotional war going on, but when you can't make your characters feel interesting then whats the damn point of them. Chakuro is the male MC, an expressively emotional guy who is very interested about the world he lives in, Chakuro just didn't do much for me as a character. Sure he has an adventurous spirit, but most of the time he actually doesn't do a whole lot. He just points out certain things and obtains certain things, because story plot I guess. By the end of the series I felt barely any different of him than I did at the beginning. Lykos is the female MC, ok I get that she is from a race of people who have discarded emotions, but come on she was another boring character. Although not as bad as Chakuro since you see her slowly develop emotions again over the course of the show, which gave her some development, but she didn't do anything either. She just felt like a character for Chakuro to hold hands with. Ouni felt like the only character, who was actually worth a damn in this show. He already seemed like an emotionless person from the get go, but as he starts fighting against the enemy and starts losing the people he cares about, you really see the devastation erupt from him and he starts to care more for the people of the Mud Whale instead of being an outcast. True his overpowered legacy is a little cliche, but I'm willing to put that aside since he was an actual badass character. I'll also talk about Suou since he felt like a major character, I thought he was alright since he had the difficult job of being the new mayor of the Mud Whale when the previous one died in the first attack. He tries his best to find peaceful solutions that will keep everyone alive and even when this doesn't happen he still stand up to the enemy so he can protect the others. Suou was a very respectable character compared to others. There was a lot of supporting characters, but they don't seem worth the mention since they were only there for a specific role and that was it really, however it did surprise me with certain characters who ended up dying. Art (8/10) I have to give credit where credit is due, because Children of the Whales was a beautifully made show, there was barely any notice of CGI apart from a few cases, but the detail put into the Mud Whale and the scenery was applaudable, it looked fantastic. I also liked the roughness of the characters look too, it gave off a unique feel I haven't seen for a while in an anime. I think the artstyle is what kept me watching the show mostly, as there were so many scenes you could look at and pick apart how good the animation and background was, like for example the scene where Ouni sees one of his friends die and he sees his spirit sail away or when Chakuro receives a weird object from one of the enemies creature thingies. These are just a few examples, but it proved how good looking the show was. Sound (7/10) The sound was also done pretty well too. The OP felt like it was made to fool you into thinking this was a happy show, sure there are moments where you see certain characters arming themselves for action, but you don't know what for and the happy tune the op has along with the scenes being shown helped really well with covering the true nature of the show. The ED was also really nice too, it had a calm, but sad feeling to it and this definitely fitted for the later episodes when everything gets brutal with the battles and everything. I also liked how it just showed the ocean of sand like there was an infinite bleakness to it as well. The ost also felt magnificently done too, the scenes where it felt calm, sad or something amazing was happening the music just kicked in at the right moment and had some really powerful stuff. Extras: The fantasy setting this anime has was pretty interesting, seeing people on an island that is endlessly drifting an ocean of sand until another human civilisation comes and destroys everything they knew, however this is a little ruined when you compare it to Attack on Titan, but I'll give it points for coming up with a fairly unique setting. The mystery element in the show, kinda falls short as we get a lot of stuff thrown at us, but not a lot of it is explained. Like for example the weird creatures we see that take human emotion or don't in the case of the Mud Whale, these creatures are a big part of the show, we just don't get a lot of exposition of them which is probably being saved for the sequel. Enjoyment (6/10) I'd say this is a fairly mixed show, but it felt more positive than negative. The characters are really what lets the show down, but it had it's moments of surprise. Overall (6/10) Overall this show had something, but didn't really do a whole lot with it. We get an interesting world, but sadly it felt strangely familiar to another anime, however I am interested in where the sequel series will go.

Beautiful art, intersting story, some cool characters, AN AWESOME OP¡¡¡¡¡ i love it, the guitar was epic sad and happy at same time...it feels so good. the story is so fast and good until chap 10 then ...it feels incomplete, this anime needs a second season the art is colorfull pretty well done, not astonish but feels so warm the sound is decent, but the OP is lovely the characters, well need more time to learn about them, this is the weak point I rate 7 because the lack of development of some characters and the incomplete story...maybe after another season it will get an 8. Is not a masterpice, is not so original, but it´s decent whit nice art and a cool vibe. my favorite character....maybe SAMI ...you know after chapter 2.... whats the worst...well maybe the bad guys ...they dont feel "real" need more time screen more development, but I repet It´s decent at least

Going through the reviews, the major complaint seems to be the complete lack of romantic relationships and the hardly fleshed out characters. While there is indeed much to be desired, the anime does not pretend to be about either of these things. In a word of magic and gifted children who are ruled by elders without similar abilities, Children of the Whales does not pretend to be about childish friendships or silly moments growing up. Instead, they dive right in with a character who is misinformed yet eager for proper answers. And a system set up to ensure he is constantly shielded from them. The anime is gripping, not only because the bright colours (might I add here that each character on the Mud Whale is named after Japanese colours) contrast almost sickeningly to the content, or that the theme songs, especially the closing one, is haunting and written to perfectly fit the mood one feels after an episode. The anime tackles how these children respond and are affected when they must decide: allow their home to be taken and destroyed or fight a war. With characters representing almost every viewpoint that may fit this topic, Children of the Whales presents a story where children are called on to make sacrifices, are harmed, grow and develop with one another. Quick warning though, don’t get too attached to any character. The anime is not afraid to remind its viewers that war is a nasty game and on the Mud Whale, not even the children are safe.

I believe that this is a great anime, with some of the most spectacular visuals and fantastic musical elements I have seen and heard in a while, coupled with a story that will get you hooked in from the first episode. While my opinion of the visuals and the music is shared by others, the storyline seems to have received a lot of unjustified, in my opinion at least, criticisms. This is where I would like to do the show some justice. This anime is the tale of the descendants of a group of people who refused to become the mindless puppets of a central authority. For this, they were banished from their homeland, and sent into a prison they could not possibly escape. What is more, their rebellion against the central power has been demonized in the historybooks of the mainland, where they are presented as fiendish brutes. (an oddly familiar way of treating the voice of dissent) All in all, I think the premise of the show is set quite spendidly. While later on other elements, like the importance of emotions (i feel that the quote from Hamlet is quite pertinent here: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take Arms against a Sea of troubles, And by opposing end them: to die, to sleep No more), become important as well, the story does not neglect its original aim of depicting how a repressive authority works. Into this grand setting embedded is a magical place with its unique characters and laws of nature. I personally liked the characters, they were just as 'colourful' as you would expect humans to be, with their uncertainties and internal struggles, along episodes of heroism and courage. I think the show addresses some very interesting topics, which will surely have those thinking who have the desire to do so.

Children of the Whales was a beautiful, soft story about discovery, loss, and magic. While a great deal was never explained outright, enough was explained that I felt moved by the story, and Chakuro and his friends were brilliant characters that I was rooting for the entire time. The colours and lighting in this show are part of what makes it so good. It's a very emotional story that relies on silence, emotional beats, and what is left unsaid, but it works rather well. Not only that, but the concept of the magic, as well as what it does to the people of the Mud Whale, was incredibly unique and something I enjoyed watching and seeing. And I will freely admit that Ouni is one of my favourite characters in the entire thing. Really hoping we get a second season for this.

I am quite new to reviewing anime series, although I am certainly not new to watching them. I will try to write a brief review that does not divulge anything essential. I was intrigued by the dystopian promise of this series (other reviewers have called the series "utopian," but "dystopia," I think, describes better the world the anime presents). The main problem for me at this point (Season 1 being over) appears to be twofold: 1) the series does not handle well the emotional excess it piles up rather quickly and all too abruptly and, as a result, often blends melodrama with bizarre farce that seems quite out of place; 2) The changes in plot direction are too sudden, leading to patchy characterization and to some alarming inability to make characters find/fit their environment. At best, it is as if the 12 episodes were used to create a basis for sequels that are supposed to do all of the/most of the work. Having to wait considerable time for a sequel to come, I find this approach unsatisfying. The premise of this anime series, by the way, is very familiar, although its setting is somewhat unusual. Without revealing too much, I hope, I will mention that it shares plenty of similarities with a long line of dystopian narratives that have shaped our experience of imagining an altered and troubled Earth, living a life of illusion and false nirvana. From the works of H.G. Wells, Zamyatin, Wyndham, and Orwell through Lanier and Brosnan, there is a strange world out there that carries precarious beauty which comes with an awful price to pay. The creators of クジラの子らは砂上に歌う, however, opted to reveal the ugly face of brutal reality way too soon and, in my opinion, sabotaged the promise and the enchanting/mysterious qualities of the early episodes. Rather than building a world where characters can grow and acquire depth, they tried to shatter all and rebuild from there, but in doing so resorted to farce, to haphazard inclusion of newcomers and non-engaging characters, and to some strange pacing that alternated between apathy and frenzy. Overall, I am disappointed with this series. Its premise was familiar, but suggested a somewhat unique angle of the "After Earth" narrative; its absence of a strong protagonist, its tendency to mix up innocents and psychopaths, gore and prayer, chant and mania, spoiled most of the fun for me. Its visuals are good but not exceptional, and they are also a tad too curious: static, almost sketch-like landscapes clash with the colors/tones used for the inhabitants and their actions. Having said all this, I have certainly seen much weaker series, but expected a lot more from this one. Final grade: 5/10.

Imagine you are walking up a staircase of your memories and on top of those stairs lies the exit to real life. There are many memories that you wish you forgot, there are those that are bittersweet, funny, ridiculous; an amalgam of emotions and thoughts. You are going on a journey of enlightenment with patience and endurance for whatever comes in the way. Suddenly, the staircase ends and you are not even close to the surface. You start pondering whether your quest of reaching the top was fruitful or completely for naught. You consider waiting for the rest of the staircase to appear and keep on the manner with which you started. However, you realize that no matter how much you wait, you will never escape. That is my impression of Children of the Whales in a nutshell. It is rare that I find anime that I was genuinely disappointed with. Usually, my disappointment is attributed to anime that seemed from the beginning that they were not planning to go anywhere and even in that case, I was still expecting it. Unfortunately, there are some that have the potential to make a difference and stand out from the norm in their own way, such as shows as Shinsekai Yori which came out at the worst time possible. But, it managed to leave a mark in the industry and surpass the mediocre and its concurrently airing mainstream anime. Unfortunately, this was not to be the case for Children of the Whales, which although started with a lot of promise on its original concept and lore and development on certain characters, ended on the worst point possible in a story. I was surprised by the implementation of greek in the names of people outside of the island and how much effort was put into building up the lore surrounding the Mud Whale and the rest of the Unknown World. But, the moment Rochalito introduced himself, I stopped taking the use of greek seriously due to how ridiculous it is to give a character the name "Snore" and how the mangaka ran out of animals to name people. Otherwise, Children of the Whales was building up to be a war drama and then it changed tangent to an adventure anime with soap opera drama. And that is the first issue with the story: tonal shifts. The show did not know how to handle emotionally heavy moments and blend them well with calmer and comedic ones. It is not as bad as the tonal whiplash was in Akame ga Kill! but it was still really jarring at some moments. Also, that had an effect on the pacing of the show, which started going a lot faster from episode 4 onwards and after episode 9 it became slower than molasses. The ending itself was a representation of what the whole show was: a hot, messy Sloppy Jo sandwich; tasty, but still messy. This is also a qualm I have before watching 12 episode anime series: they are usually too short and towards the end, they get even messier than they started. Frankly, the lore behind the actual plot of Children of the Whales is innately rich. It explores how people could use Thymia and why it has specific effects, the truth behind the hearts of the lands called "Nous". In the anime, all of these concepts are explained and revealed in a rather subtle manner instead of being bombarded to the audience with symbolism and/or in a preachy manner. But, even the lore, in the end, is incomplete, because the show is cut short and everything feels just like a small introduction. If the lore had not been so interesting, I may have quitted the show before it ended. Yet, it still feels like wasted potential. To make a long diatribe on the characters of the show short, most of them are archetypical or underdeveloped or uninteresting with the worst being Chakuro, the main protagonist of the show. He is your typical Xerox Kaneki protagonist who does nothing useful and he does not change at all as a character. He remains the crybaby he was despite having to go through horrible events at such a tender age of 14 years old. I swear that if Lykos was not a character in the show, the characters would mean nothing to me. Thankfully, she is easily the best character of the show, since she starts as your typical apathetic killing machine and she evolves to a caring and emotional person who is mindful of the people she wants to protect. But, Suou, Ouni and the rest are just not interesting and too underdeveloped for me to sympathize with or remotely care about them. The only areas that the show stands out without a lot of stuff to talk about are the art and the soundtrack. The show is breaming with style and the directing is spot on as expected from the director of other anime series, such as Occultic;Nine. The CG sand and thymia fit the show mostly seamlessly but there are a few moments where the characters feel like cardboard placed on top of the screen than actual 2D figures. There were many risks taken with the art style and animation of the show and luckily it mostly paid off. There were a few moments in the show and in the OP where I was impressed with how beautiful it looked. Overall, it is shown how J.C. STAFF with the right directors and animators can pull off high-tier productions better than other studios, such as A1 Pictures. From the soundtrack, only the song found in the preview stood out the most, but it is just a decent track. The OP and ED songs attached to the show are beautiful and easily one of my favorites for the Fall season. They remind me of what the show could have been; emotional, dramatic, suspensful and meaningful as a journey. In its entirety, Children of the Whales is just a decent sci-fi that screams potential with its rich lore and good production values, but decides to end as another short adverisement for the manga with more questions than it could handle. I am still glad that I watched it, but the journey made it sure unworhtwile to reach the end which was unsatisfying and aggravating.

"Children of the Whales" or "Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau" is a precellular anime, it has an interesting premise, complex world-building, and decent animation, yet despite all that it constantly felt as if it was coming up short. Depending on what you like in a show, this anime might either be really enjoyable for you or not enjoyable at all. One thing that is really appealing about Children of the Whales is its setting and world-building, it's hard to explain without giving too much away, but there's this whole complex story of this sea of sand with various islands called "whales" with the inhabitants on them being divided between those who have special power and those that don't. For each society there is a different drawback to having these powers called "thymia", for the protagonists it means that their lifespans our significantly shortened, for others it cost them their emotions. I'm not going to divulge what the cause of this is of course, but there were plenty of surprises, twists and turns that kept me hooked the whole time. While the premise and background are the anime's biggest strength, the writing is its biggest weakness. Children of the Whale is surprisingly brutal at times, with a body count among its main cast rivaling many popular war anime, but it seems that the writers of the show were uncertain of how much they should showcase. A lot of the brutality and character deaths were muted and ruined by pointless melodrama, and it seemed as if the show kept trying to cover up how dark it actually was. Pacing was also an issue, some episodes felt overly rushed while others were far too slow. Also, the show relied way too much on exposition, especially in the early episodes. Another aspect of the show negatively affected by the writing were the characters. For its runtime Children of the Whales has a surprisingly large caste, especially among our protagonist's society, but their development is haphazard at best. Chakuro is built up to be the main protagonist and Lykos is kind of the poster child of the show, but there were some episodes were neither of them were in it for more than a couple minuets. It is clear that the vigilante Ouni is the most dynamic and complex character in the show, and this is reflected by the fact that he is by far the most popular character, but his development too was uneven at best. Another issue was how unbelievably stupid a lot of the characters acted, aside from the aforementioned Ouni it rarely seemed as if any of the other characters had two brain cells to rub as they were constantly making boneheaded decisions to further the plot. The art for the show was alright, I guess. The whole environment of these islands and people floating on a sea of sand was well conceived of and animated, and the main caste's character designs were surprisingly complex. The side character's designs though at times bordered on overly simplistic and it was hard to tell them apart, as well as sometimes the background art and the characters seemed to contrast too much, making it look like the characters had simply been pasted on. The music also had its highs and lows, the op and ep didn't strike me as overly special at first but they both grew on me over time, to the point that I consider the former one of my top favorite openings now. On the flip side there is this tune one of the characters sings which is really annoying, and there were a few times the music did not gel well at all, there was this one moment that was supposed to be sentimental, but the directors chose to have this upbeat, almost goofy song playing which ruined the moment for me. Children of the Whales touches on some important themes, such as the inevitability of mortality, how complicated morality can be, the fact in war the bad guys sometimes win, and the power of emotions. Yet despite that and its interesting premise, I personally never felt as if the anime ever fully delivered. In fact, there were a couple times, especially after the horrendous episode 10, that I wanted to drop this. Personally, for me it's the one anime I feel most conflicted about, and I feel that I like it more for the show it could have been rather than what actually came out. Perhaps it's because the anime is a Shoujo and not the Shonen, but I really didn't connect with how the themes and ideas were being expressed. Despite that and all the issues I have with Children of the Whales, it did get me interested in the manga, and I am hopefully looking forward if this anime (though unlikely) ever gets a sequel. I very tentatively recommend this if you appreciate intriguing fantasy anime and complex stories, but if you're offput by bad writing or missed opportunities then you probably will not enjoy it.

I'm actually shocked to see so many people dismiss this show as just a "pretty looking anime" with little substance-- or at least, from the skews of negative reviews, that's the interpretation I got. In my opinion, this is an amazing show, especially if you're a Hayao Miyazaki fan. From the absolutely stunning production value to the mesmerizing music to the soft-spoken narrative, it's the quintessential Ghibli-esque experience you can ask for in an anime. The key difference, I would argue, is that Children of the Whales is a very sad tale-- quite possibly a tragedy if you look at it in a certain way, where it offers more mature and dark themes than Miyazaki's work. Basically, Children of the Whales' atmosphere is comparable to Miyazaki, but the takeaway message is not. This anime was also a breath of fresh air as its magical realism is something I've never seen before. Again, comparable to Miyazaki's works, there is a paramount of magic and whimsical worldbuilding without adhering to the technicalities of how and why things work. You simply get immersed in this wonderful fantastical journey. The characters, while nothing groundbreaking here, are likable and serve their purpose. They have satisfying arcs and they all feel like well rounded, 3-dimensional people. They go through your typical internal conflicts (ex. questioning the world around them and their individual identity) in a very gratifying way that highlights impressive character development in only a short span of 12 episodes.