23. Children of the Sea Vol. 4 by Daisuke Igarashi

Children of the Sea, Vol. 4 by Daisuke Igarashi (Canada) - (US)
Children of the Sea

Pages: 350
Ages: 16+
Finished: Feb. 3, 2011
First Published: 2007, Japan (Dec. 21, 2010 US)
Publisher: Viz Media
Genre: YA, manga, science fiction, fantasy
Rating: 3/5


First sentence:

I'm...laughing so much...

Acquired: Purchased from an online retailer.

Reason for Reading: next in the series

This is the stage of a manga series where it gets difficult to give a plot summary without giving away what has happened so far. Possibly cryptic generalities include Ruka's mother finally becoming a main character involved in the plot, flashbacks to her past, flashbacks to Anglade's past and even Dehdeh's past. Thus we are filled in on a lot of backstory as to why these people are all joined together in this bizarre marine story. A new theme is approached, that of birth and death, which engulfs the whole story from a metaphysical point of view. The act of birth is the main theme, with death closely tied to it. Things are both becoming clearer and more confusing at the same time. This volume is one that gets deep into the "whys and wherefores" of the plot without too much actually happening to further it along. The artwork in this series, as usual, is absolutely gorgeous. An intense ending leaves one eager for the following volume. This is one of the more unique manga series I've read and while this volume isn't the best of the lot so far, it is a needed one, story-wise, and I anticipate reading vol. 5 greatly .