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Children of the Sea (film)

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For the manga, see Children of the Sea (manga).
Children of the Sea
Theatrical release poster
Japanese name
Kanji海獣のこども
Transcriptions
Revised HepburnKaijū no kodomo
Directed byAyumu Watanabe[1]
Screenplay byHanasaki Kino
Based onChildren of the Sea
by Daisuke Igarashi[1]
Produced byEiko Tanaka[1]
Starring
Edited byKiyoshi Hirose
Music byJoe Hisaishi[1]
Production
company
Distributed byToho
Release dates
  • May 19, 2019 (2019-05-19) (Tokyo)
  • June 7, 2019 (2019-06-07) (rest of Japan)
Running time
111 minutes[1]
CountryJapan[3]
LanguageJapanese[4]
Box officeUS$5.09 million (worldwide)[5][6]

Children of the Sea (Japanese: 海獣の子供, Hepburn: Kaijū no Kodomo) is a 2019 Japanese animated film directed by Ayumu Watanabe and produced by Eiko Tanaka, with animation production by Studio 4°C. It is based on the manga of the same title by Daisuke Igarashi, who also wrote the film's screenplay. It is Watanabe's first theatrically released film since Space Brothers #0 (2014), and the first animated film adaptation of an Igarashi manga.[7] The film stars the voices of Mana Ashida, Hiiro Ishibashi and Seishū Uragami. Set by and in the ocean and themed on the mysteries of life, it depicts the connections between humanity and nature. It was released in Japan on June 7, 2019.[8][9]

Plot

[edit]

After a falling out with both her mother and the other members of her school club, female lead and junior high school student Ruka finds herself with nowhere to spend her days during summer vacation, and so she ends up hanging out at the aquarium where her father works. While there, she meets a mysterious pair of brothers, named Umi ("sea") and Sora ("sky"), who her father tells her were "raised by dugongs," and are being observed for their aquatic abilities.[10] The three teens share some sort of connection to a series of supernatural phenomena that have been affecting the world's marine life, such as a comet falling into the sea and aquatic life from around the world gathering in Japan.[11]

Voice cast

[edit]
  • Mana Ashida (Japanese) and Anjali Gauld (English) as Ruka Azumi.
  • Hiiro Ishibashi (Japanese) and Lynden Prosser (English) as Umi.
  • Seishū Uragami (Japanese) and Benjamin Niewood (English) as Sora.[a][12]
  • Win Morisaki (Japanese) and Beau Bridgland (English) as Anglade, a genius marine biologist who pursues the mystery surrounding Umi and Sora.
  • Goro Inagaki (Japanese) and Marc Thompson (English) as Masaaki Azumi, Ruka's father who works at an aquarium.
  • Yu Aoi (Japanese) and Karen Strassman (English) as Kanako Azumi, Ruka's mother, whose relationship with both Ruka and Masaaki is strained.
  • Tohru Watanabe (Japanese) and Wally Wingert (English) as Sensei, the coach in charge of Ruka's handball team.
  • Min Tanaka (Japanese) and Michael Sorich (English) as Jim, a former friend of Anglade and a marine biologist who now takes care of Umi and Sora.
  • Sumiko Fuji (Japanese) and Denise Lee (English) as Dede, a mysterious figure who watches over Umi and Sora.[2][12]
  • Marina Otani and Miyuna Kadowaki of STU48 as handball club members (cameo; Japanese).[13]

Production

[edit]

On 16 June 2018, animation production company Studio 4°C announced that it was producing an animated feature film adaptation of Daisuke Igarashi's comic Children of the Sea.[14][15] On February 27, 2019, the main voice cast and production team behind the movie were announced. Joe Hisaishi was also revealed as the composer for the film.[16] On March 13, 2019, the remaining main voice cast for the film was announced.[17]

Marketing

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On April 8, 2019, the first trailer of the film was revealed on social media, previewing a minute or so of footage and the voice of Mana Ashida as protagonist Ruka Azumi.[18][19] On May 9, 2019, the second trailer for the movie was released.[20]

A special talk was held at the National Museum of Nature and Science's exhibition Mammals 2 – Struggle for Life on April 17, 2019, after the museum closed. Daisuke Igarashi and Ayumu Watanabe attended the talk and discussed the dangers and threats wild mammals are facing due to environmental change with a researcher from vertebrate research group of the museum. The short-term exhibition also displays the original manuscript of the Children of the Sea comic and special unused images which were cut out from the movie.[21]

Release

[edit]

The film had a special public world premiere screening in Tokyo, Japan on May 19, 2019, at Iino Hall[22] and another advance preview screening on May 30 at Toho Cinemas Kinshicho Rakutenchi, both with appearances by staff and cast, before going on general release across Japan on June 7.[23]

Internationally, it had its French premiere on Monday 10, June at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, competing in the Contrechamp category.[24]

In English-speaking countries, it has been licensed for Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment, who gave the film its Australian premiere on June 15 at Sydney Film Festival,[4] and for the United States and Canada by GKIDS.[25][26] The film also received a UK premiere at Scotland Loves Anime on October 13, 2019, and would later be picked up by Anime Limited. Following an awards-qualifying run in 2019, a US theatrical release was planned for April 2020,[27] but was postponed due to the closure of theaters during the COVID-19 pandemic.[28] The theatrical release was rescheduled for August, but was ultimately canceled due to the pandemic.[29] The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on September 1, 2020.[30]

Music

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Theme song

[edit]

On 24 April 2019, it was announced that Japanese singer-songwriter Kenshi Yonezu would be in charge of the film's theme song.[31][32] The single, titled "Umi no Yūrei" (海の幽霊, transl. "Spirits of the Sea") is written and produced by Yonezu and was released on 3 June 2019.[33][34] To commemorate the release of the song, a free lottery was held for 100 people to attend the premiere of the song's music video on 27 May 2019 at a secret location in metropolitan Tokyo, which would turn out to be Enoshima Aquarium; the video was then released online the next day, on May 28, 2019.[35]

Score

[edit]

The original musical score of the film is composed by Joe Hisaishi, a long-time collaborator of Studio Ghibli. When talking about the film, Hisaishi says "What's interesting about this movie is that it has things you wouldn't expect as story… I stuck to a minimalist music style for the entire picture, so it has been quite a challenge as a film score. The film inspires the viewer's imagination of the universe's memories and the effervescence of life."

This film, together with Ni no Kuni, released two months later, mark Hisaishi's first two scores for animated feature films since 2013's The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, directed by Isao Takahata,[36] and the first non-interactive animated productions not produced by Studio Ghibli with music by Hisaishi since the release of Venus Wars in 1989.[37]

Reception

[edit]

Children of the Sea grossed $2,892,603 during its worldwide theatrical release, with more than $2.2 million of the total earned in Japan.[6]

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 62% of 29 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The critics consensus is: "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."[38] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 74 out of 100 based on 8 critic reviews, signifying "generally favorable reviews".[39]

Anime-focused website Anime News Network featured responses from four reviewers. Kim Morrissy gave the film a C+ rating, with praise for the visuals and criticism of the "obtuse" nature of the plot.[40] Reviewing the home-video release, Theron Martin rated the film a B−, highlighting the "spectacular visual sequences" but criticizing the film as "too long" and "aimless."[41] In a joint review, Steve Jones and Michelle Liu praised the film, with Jones calling the film "a contender for the best-looking animated film I've ever seen," and Liu heralding the film as "a masterpiece" and "an incredible experience."[42] In his review for Variety, critic Peter Debruge praised the film for its "splendid attention to detail and seemingly boundless imagination," for composer Joe Hisaishi's "lovely" score, and for director Ayumu Watanabe's "stunning adaptation" and exploration of the "age-old tension between those who recognize a rare and fragile being that they wish to protect and the callous impulse to experiment."[43]

In the United States, the home-video Blu-ray of Children of the Sea was released on September 1, 2020, and debuted in 18th place on The Numbers weekly sales charts, with 12,260 units sold for a sales total of $183,777; the ranking was the third highest among titles newly released that week.[44] Subsequent sales brought the home-video total to $644,661 as of December 2021.[45]

Accolades

[edit]
Year Award Category Recipient Result
2020 Mainichi Film Awards Best Animation Film Children of the Sea Won[46]
Japan Media Arts Festival Awards Animation Division - Grand Prize Won[47]
Buncheon International Animation Film Festival International Competition - Feature Film - Grand Prize Won[48]
Music Prize - Special Mention Won[48]

Notes

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  1. ^ Airu Kubozuka was initially announced to play Sora. However, he dropped out of the role since he had trouble with his voice changing due to puberty.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "JFDB – Children of the Sea". Japanese Film Database. UniJapan. 2019. Archived from the original on May 29, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019. Running Time: 111 min
  2. ^ a b "Animēshon eiga Kaijū no Kodomo kōshiki saito" アニメーション映画「海獣の子供」公式サイト [Animation film Children of the Sea official site] (in Japanese). Children of the Sea Committee. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  3. ^ "Kaijū no Kodomo: sakuhin jōhō" (in Japanese). eiga.com. 2018. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2019. 製作国: 日本
  4. ^ a b "Children of the Sea". Sydney Film Festival. 2019. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2019. Sat 15 June […] In Japanese with English subtitles […] Australian Premiere […] Distributor: Madman Entertainment
  5. ^ "映画『海獣の子供』評価は?感想ネタバレあらすじ/海空は何の象徴？隕石や人魂や星の正体は？". ピクシーン Pick Scene 映画の評価ランキングやネタバレ (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2023-09-04. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  6. ^ a b "Children of the Sea - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  7. ^ "Igarashi Daisuke no purofīru – allcinema" 五十嵐大介 のプロフィール – allcinema [Profile of Daisuke Igarashi – allcinema] (in Japanese). Stingray. 2019. Archived from the original on June 27, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  8. ^ "Anime news: Children of the Sea manga gets anime film adaptation". The Asahi Shimbun. September 9, 2018. Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  9. ^ Komatsu, Mikikazu. "Children of the Sea Anime Film's Teaser Trailer Introduces Beautiful Visuals, Music by Joe Hisaishi". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on March 13, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  10. ^ Phillips, Maya (2020-09-02). "'Children of the Sea' Review: Finding Beauty in the Watery Depths". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2020-09-03. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  11. ^ Baseel, Casey (May 28, 2019). "Anime film "Children of the Sea"'s trailer is heartbreakingly beautiful, looks like nothing else". SoraNews24. Socio Corporation. Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved May 28, 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Children of the Sea Film's Kenshi Yonezu Theme Song Gets Music Video". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2019-05-28. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  13. ^ STU48映画『海獣の子供』ゲスト声優出演記念番組！ (in Japanese). Toho Animation. 2019-06-04. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
  14. ^ "五十嵐大介「海獣の子供」が劇場アニメ化、STUDIO4°Cが制作". アニメ！アニメ！ (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  15. ^ "Children of the Sea Manga Gets Anime Film by Studio 4°C". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2019-06-07. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  16. ^ Inc, Natasha. "アニメ映画「海獣の子供」は6月公開！キャストに芦田愛菜ら、音楽は久石譲（コメントあり / 動画あり）". コミックナタリー (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2019-02-27. Retrieved 2019-05-29. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  17. ^ Inc, Natasha. "アニメ映画「海獣の子供」に稲垣吾郎・蒼井優ら、ポスタービジュアルも解禁（コメントあり）". コミックナタリー (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2019-05-29. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  18. ^ TOHO animation チャンネル (2019-04-08), 【6.7公開】 『海獣の子供』 予告1（『Children of the Sea』 Official trailer 1 ）, archived from the original on 2019-06-10, retrieved 2019-05-29
  19. ^ "Children of the Sea Film Adaptation 1st Trailer Released". Moshi Moshi Nippon. 2019-04-09. Archived from the original on 2019-04-12. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  20. ^ TOHO animation チャンネル (2019-05-09), 【6.7公開】 『海獣の子供』 予告2（『Children of the Sea』 Official trailer 2 ）, retrieved 2019-05-29
  21. ^ Inc, Natasha. "海獣の子供×大哺乳類展2がコラボ！展示や五十嵐大介、渡辺歩監督らによるトークも". コミックナタリー (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2019-05-29. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  22. ^ "5/19（日）世界最速ワールドプレミア上映会、実施決定！". Nyūsu | Animēshon eiga Kaijū no Kodomo kōshiki saito (in Japanese). Starcast Japan. April 26, 2019. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
  23. ^ "PARCO特別試写会、実施決定！ 森崎ウィンもゲスト参加！！". Nyūsu | Animēshon eiga Kaijū no Kodomo kōshiki saito (in Japanese). Starcast Japan. April 26, 2019. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  24. ^ "Children of the Sea". Annecy International Animation Film Festival. CITIA, Image & Creative Industries. Archived from the original on May 28, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019. Category: Feature film contrechamp
  25. ^ "Children of the Sea". GKIDS. Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 21 March 2019. Coming Soon to Theaters
  26. ^ "Teaser: GKIDS Acquires NorAm Rights to Children of the Sea". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on 2019-03-22. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  27. ^ "Tickets on Sale Now for Children of the Sea". GKIDS. March 12, 2020. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  28. ^ "Promare: Complete And Children of the Sea Events Postponed". GKIDS. March 18, 2020. Archived from the original on August 21, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  29. ^ @gkidsfilms (July 21, 2020). "The August 11 & 13 theatrical screenings for CHILDREN OF THE SEA with Fathom Events have been cancelled. The safety of our fans remains our top priority, and we hope to bring Ayumu Watanabe's stunning film to the big screen in the future" (Tweet). Retrieved September 10, 2020 – via Twitter.
  30. ^ "GKIDS, Shout! Factory Release Children of the Sea Film on BD/DVD in September". Archived from the original on 2020-06-15. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  31. ^ "Kenshi Yonezu to Provide Children of the Sea Theme Song". Manga.tokyo. 2019-05-21. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  32. ^ "米津玄師が映画「海獣の子供」主題歌「海の幽霊」書き下ろし、新たな髪色の写真公開（コメントあり / 写真4枚）". Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha. Archived from the original on 2019-06-03. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  33. ^ "米津玄師、新曲「海の幽霊」MV公開 アニメ映画『海獣の子供』本編映像を使用". Real Sound (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  34. ^ Ryusenkai (2019-05-28). "Kenshi Yonezu unveils lavishly animated Music Video for "Umi no Yuurei"". Arama! Japan. Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  35. ^ "『海獣の子供』主題歌の全編アニメーションMVが解禁！ | アニメイトタイムズ". Animate Times (in Japanese). Animate. Archived from the original on 2019-06-03. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  36. ^ "Children of the Sea Anime Film Looks and Sounds Incredible in New Trailer". Otaku USA Magazine. 2019-04-09. Archived from the original on 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2019-05-29.
  37. ^ "Hisaishi Jō no purofīru – allcinema" 久石譲(Joe Hisaishi) のプロフィール – allcinema [Profile of Joe Hisaishi – allcinema] (in Japanese). Stingray. 2019. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  38. ^ "Children of the Sea (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on 2022-08-11. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  39. ^ "Children of the Sea Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  40. ^ Morrissy, Kim (June 20, 2019). "Children of the Sea Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  41. ^ Martin, Theron (September 1, 2020). "Children of the Sea BR Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 2, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  42. ^ Jones, Steve; Liu, Michelle (September 8, 2020). "WTF is Going On in Children of the Sea?". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 10, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
  43. ^ Debruge, Peter (October 27, 2019). "Children of the Sea Review: Trippy Anime Delivers Oceans of Imagination". Variety. Archived from the original on September 6, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
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  46. ^ "74th Mainichi Film Awards". Mainichi Film Awards. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  47. ^ "Children of the Sea, A Brief History of Robo sapiens Win Media Arts Awards". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2020-07-16. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  48. ^ a b "BIAF 2020. 10.23 ~ 27 BUCHEON INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL Award Winner Announcement". Buncheon International Animation Film Festival. October 26, 2020. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
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