I originally stumbled across this manga in a used book sale at a local library and since I'm a huge fan of anything to do with the ocean, the covers caught my eye and it sounded intriguing so I added them to my $5 bag of books. Unfortunately there were only 4 of the 5 volumes and the one missing was the first one. I intended to buy the first volume new to complete the set, but never seemed to get around to it. That was until I heard it was being made into an anime and I like to read source material as often as I can before watching the tv or movie counterpart, so I picked up the first one and dove in.
I was unprepared for the surreal experience of reading this series. It is far from your typical manga in both art style and storytelling. It weaves a tale that takes its time in the telling, but is worth pushing through to the end. It felt very visceral to read at times. Whole sections are only artwork - and beautiful artwork I might add - and no words, but the art conveys an atmosphere unlike anything else I have experienced. It is immersive and thought provoking in the best ways.
The storytelling does not give away things easily and that may not be for everyone, because you do have to invest some outside thinking to really delve into what is going on. It's very metaphysical, existential even. I also think it is what makes this series so good and so unique.
I highly recommend it if you are tired of the same old manga and are looking for something much more deep and artistic. I look forward to seeing it adapted to the screen - so far it looks amazing - and how much they retain of what makes The Children of the Sea so rare and special.
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