Let's be honest, we all know how Netflix works. We can rarely find good content in it, and this is one of them. Children of the Whales (Kujira no Kora wa Sajō ni Utau) is a Netflix original 12 episodes lenght anime series, which story still has to be told. The manga is in publication (with currently 17 volumes published). In this review there will be anime spoilers, but surely not manga ones.
Chakuro is a boy who can't stop himself from writing. He needs to write, to put his emotions into a piece of paper and telling everything that happens on his bizarre home. A place that the population calls Mud Whale, literally a ship which sails the sea of sand. People in this Whale are devided in 2: the "marked" ones and the "non-marked" ones, that is the capacity of using a power called saimia. The ones who can use it have strangely a very short life, that's why on the Whale the "non-marked" ones rule over the entire population.
"Why are we here?"
"Why our lives are so short?"
"What's beyond the Mud Whale?"
"Why the Whale sails aimlessy?"
"Are we the only ones alive in the world?"
The ignorancy is able to block an entire population, making them think something that isn't true, mistaking fantasy from reality, blurring their minds trying to be positive even in their strange situation. But even the smallest sign of rebellion can represent a danger for the peace. Keeping a secret isn't always to hurt people, but to protect them from something bigger than them.
That's what they will have to find out, through all sacrifices, through pain and death, in a world that emotions aren't tolerated anymore.
Spoiler, click to view
The "children of the whale" are the only ones left to feel emotions. The world rejected them because they created only caos and disorders, such useless things as love and pain are just a weight. The people outside the Whale gave all their emotions to the Nous, the heart of their ship, which gave them a power like the saimia. But the Mud Whale is the only ship whose Nous didn't ask for emotions in return to the power. It took the lives of the inhabitants.
A story where the emotions are perceptible even through the screen, where tears can fall against our will, where characters are so relatable to our modern society.
Of course, there are some things to point up. The shortness of the series seems to rush the events, most of the times it is hard to understand what's happening, even if it is later fixed with the "episode summary". Still, what we are able to see is only just a little part of the whole story.
Sadly a season 2 is nowhere to be found, so I myself have to read the manga aswell (I randomly checked some manga panels and the drawing style is so clear and linear, highly recommend).
Speaking of animation, even if this is a Netflix production I have to admit it kinda surprised me. The drawing are very soft and the colors are vivid. The animation switches from static to smooth in a blink of an eye. Of course it isn't the best animation I have ever seen, but well done for being from Netflix.
Don't get me wrong when I say character design is one of the most importand things in a story in general. It is able to print in our mind a solid image of a character that we will never forget, even if years will pass we'll still remember him/her. Sadly the characters design here is very limited. Only the "main characters" seem to have something that blazes in our eyes, but if you already saw many animes, you will find difficult to remember them.
Another problem is that the whole development of the single characters isn't shown this much. Most of them just stays the same, playing only side roles, the only ones who get a little of development are Chakuro, who matures his idea on the outside world and on the meaning of emotions
Spoiler, click to view
even through his enormous lost after Sami's death
and Ouni, who always wanted to escape what he called a prison and he ended up fighting to protect it
Spoiler, click to view
He totally becomes a different person after Nibi's death, who was his only best friend
We will see if there will be a season 2 what happens next, or else wait up for my manga review :3
What captured me the most has been the music. My favourite one is surely the ending song, Hashitairo, by rionos, I leave the video link here so that you can check it out!
The vibes that this song gives me is something I honestly can't express in words, it is something that enters in your heart and stays there, warming it up during the cold days in winter, or covering you gently like an umbrella when it rains, or a sweet hug that makes you smile and why not cry. That's what a song should do, makes you feel emotions you can totally relate on, and when you think of the anime it is the first thing that comes out from your mind. Truly a masterpiece for ears, eyes, and heart.
If you are searching for an anime that is different from the ones you've always watched, but that still satisfyes you and leaves a mark in your heart, this anime is perfect for you.
But after that you must switch to the manga.
An anime with such high potential with such a cut is really a great disappointment, I just hope the manga has all the answers for all the questions I still have.
~Olimpea