Children of the Sea

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Children of the Sea

2019

1h 50m

Adventure

Fantasy

Anime

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Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

62%

Tomatometer

29 Reviews

64%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

When Ruka was younger, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad works. Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora.

Critics Consensus

An animated adventure perhaps best appreciated as a visual experience, Children of the Sea is strikingly lovely if less than satisfying on a narrative level.

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Maya Phillips

New York Times

09/02/2020

"Children of the Sea" finds plenty of beauty and purpose in the watery depths but doesn't provide enough grounding first: It's all too easy to get lost 20,000 leagues under the sea.

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Simon Abrams

RogerEbert.com

09/01/2020

2.5/4

The universe may in fact be held together by dueling perspectives, but the only thing consistent about Children of the Sea is its inconstancy.

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Robbie Collin

Daily Telegraph (UK)

10/31/2019

5/5

It leaves you with the sense that the art form's boundaries have been nudged a little wider as you watched.

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Sarah Ward

Concrete Playground

03/19/2021

Through its vivid visuals, this eye-catching, heart-swelling gem always conveys a sense of of awe and wonder.

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Josh Goller

Spectrum Culture

09/21/2020

2.75/5

Once the kaleidoscopic spectacle ends, we're not left with much substance.

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Lee Jutton

Film Inquiry

09/19/2020

For the stunning animation alone, Children of the Sea is worth watching, but don't be surprised if you find yourself drowning in the film's strange, surreal story.

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Yoav D

@Jamie97 Jan 1

Beautiful animation and water scenes. The most beautiful anime I ever seen, the way the movie portrays the awe and the wonders of the ocean is unmatched. Although the storyline gets a bit weak close to the end, still, a must see!

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Éléonore A

@RT14386159 04/12/2025

So surprised by the lukewarm rating on this stunning visual meditation on connection, human and more than human. I guess not everyone has taken ayahuasca and experienced the oneness of it all!

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Azra S

@RT48934497 07/28/2024

I am so glad I wasn't convinced by the rating as this was one of the best animes I've seen in my life. It whimsically dives into deep questions about existence, nature-human connection with a heartwarming story. Every scene is artfully drawn with amazing details, textures and palettes. Almost all the comments with low ratings mentioned one thing: the narrative and its lack of linearity and closure. Yes, it very beautifully and intentionally lacks these. It is fragmented, it is twisted, it is confusing at times. I don't know how else you can talk about the complex topics it bravely and tenderly undertakes. Yes, you will have to fill in the blanks with your own brain and imagination. That's what great art invites you to do.

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Yashashree D

@RT14730808 01/13/2022

This anime, is so beautiful, the animation, the art- style, the story, the quotes all were like a magic, even the music. I am still shocked how underrated it is and rating this low. For me it's another best I have seen and truly a masterpiece. I hope more get acknowledged of this and understand the beauty of this anime <3

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Jared Z

@RT13587237 06/16/2021

A visual wonder but something of a narrative flop. Children of the Sea tries to cram a lot of content into a single film, and leaves too much unexplained.

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Mark C

06/16/2021

Fantastic, top of the line, hand drawn-C.G.I. hybrid animation, and a story that was so much bigger than I was expecting. I thought I was in for a little story about some kids swimming around with dolphins, and whales. What I got was something more thematically inline with "Tree of LIfe" or "2001 - A Space Odyssey".

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Ayumu Watanabe

Director

Ken'ichi Konishi

Director

Ashida Mana

Ruka Azumi

Hiiro Ishibashi

Umi

Uragami Seishuu

Sora

Morisaki Win

Anglade

Children of the Sea: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

When Ruka was younger, she saw a ghost in the water at the aquarium where her dad works. Now she feels drawn toward the aquarium and the two mysterious boys she meets there, Umi and Sora.

Director: Ayumu Watanabe, Ken'ichi Konishi
Producer: Eiko Tanaka, Masakazu Kubo, Keiji Ôta, Hajime Inoue
Screenwriter: Saku Kinohana, Daisuke Igarashi
Production Co: Studio 4 C
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Anime
Original Language: Japanese
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 30, 2020
Runtime: 1h 50m

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