English Dub Series Review: Children of the Whales

After many battles and hardships, a new world is opened to the Children of the Whales.

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Chakuro has lived his entire life on a floating island called a Mud Whale. Along with the rest of the island’s occupants, he drifts aimlessly wherever the sea carries the vessel. Chakuro is one of many people on the Mud Whale who can harness a power called Thymia to move objects with their minds. The only problem is that this power comes with a shortened lifespan.

After exploring another island that floats by them, Chakuro discovers a mysterious girl named Lykos. Her arrival changes the fates of everyone on the Mud Whale, helping lead her brother and his troops to the island. In the battles that follow, many comrades and friends perish. Mysterious of the Mud Whale’s origin is uncovered. And a whole new world is opened to the people of Failana. But one thing is for sure – no matter what happens, Chakuro will record it in the archives, making sure his people’s lives are always remembered.

Our Take:

From the first moment I saw the initial preview of the series, I was intrigued. Not only does the show have an amazingly unique aesthetic, but the plot is not quite like anything else I’ve seen. That turned out to be both good and bad…

The show’s main downside is definitely the plot and its pacing. At times the series feels like a quiet character piece about a young boy growing up in a sheltered island colony. Then a sudden twist happens and we’re in the midst of a life-or-death struggle between magical power wielders. A lot of things happen in a very short amount of time and occasionally results in whiplash for the viewer. Children of the Whales is certainly ambitious, dealing with issues like finding one’s place in the world and dealing with the death of a loved one. From singing children who float, to an insane pink-haired assassin desperate to ‘play’, Children of the Whales isn’t afraid to get messy. Many critics have said the show’s plot would be less messy and more successful if allowed 24 episodes to develop, rather than being crammed into 12. I definitely agree that more episodes would’ve given the show a chance to smooth over the flaws in the storylines, as well as to give us more world-building on the Mud Whale itself.

The characters who inhabit the series are, for the most part, interesting and avoid being lumped into a single category. Chakuro’s position as an archivist is a welcome departure from the stereotypically buff and brash hero. He’s still brave, though; the main character that everyone can find something to love about. Suoh is also unique: a young leader with fresh ideas, yet gentle as a lamb. The people of the Mud Whale are mostly a peaceful bunch, which makes it all the more chilling when the invader’s arrive and we meet Liontari. Some viewers may become annoyed with his unstoppable insanity, but I didn’t mind it. His pure chaos contrasted nicely with Chakuro and Suoh’s character traits.

If there’s one reason Children of the Whales deserves your attention, it’s got to be the visuals. From the very first episode, we’re treated to a masterclass in character design, animation, and cinematography. In many shows, the quality would degrade towards the middle of the season, as the staff hurries to meet their airing deadlines. This never happened with Children of the Whales, though. The consistency of the show’s visuals is impressive. The detailed, storybook-like backgrounds have a kind of texture to them that gives them a lived-in quality and sets them apart from other shows. One of the reasons the backgrounds look so beautiful is the fact that Toshiharu Mizutani is the art director for the series. He’s worked on classics like Akira, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and Yuri!! on Ice, so it’s no surprise that he brings a talented eye for visuals to the show.

The dub gets the job done, although there are a few casting choices that leave me scratching my head. As a character, Suoh is the soft-spoken leader of the Mud Whale. Despite holding authority and power, his mild-mannered personality is the most distinctive aspect to Suoh. Casting Attack on Titan veteran Bryce Papenbrook to play the part just didn’t feel right to me. Papenbrook tries his best, but I could always hear that scratchy Eren-ness on the edges of his performance.  The English dialogue can be very expository in places, but that’s more of a failing of the original script than the translation.

Children of the Whales is a visually-stunning show that comes complete with likable characters and plenty of action. From an artistic standpoint, the visuals and soundtrack are incredible. The pacing and plot, unfortunately, aren’t on the same level. However, it’s definitely worth a watch if you can look past the show’s failings – you might even be too engrossed by the visuals to pay the plot any mind!

Score
7.5/10