Children of the Sea

Ruka's parents have separated and so the young girl seeks some kind of shelter in the aquarium where her father works. Ruka feels a kind of strange connection with that place; a feeling grow even stronger when she meets Umi and Sora, two kids that, rumour has it, were raised by dugongos, big aquatic creatures, an origin story that would explain the reason why they seem better suited to life in the sea than on land. However, the arrival of these two new people is not by chance: their appearance takes places at the same as several ocean creatures begin to mysteriously disappear.

The film is an adaptation of the manga of the same name by Daisuke Igarashi, whose works were published between 2007 and 2011 in Shogakukan IKKI magazine. 'Children of the Sea' boasts many awards (including the Japan Media Arts Festival Award). The film is directed by Ayumu Watanabe, known for his excellent work in anime such as 'Uchuu Kyoudai' and 'Love is when the rain stops', along with Kenichi Konishi ('Hagane no renkinjutsushi: Mirosu no seinaru hoshi', 'Kaguyahime no monogatari'), who serves as animation director and character designer. Joe Hisaishi ('Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi', 'Chiisai ouchi'), composer known for his Studio Ghibli works, is one of the stand-out contributors to the soundtrack.