Children of the Sea (2019)

20230822:
Netflix determined the movie for me as a 74% match. I decided to give the movie neither a thumbs up nor a thumbs down.
Instant Comments:
The animation during the first three or so minutes is amazing
hmm... responded to being tripped...
wow. I love how her hair blew as the fan turned towards her and then fell as it turned away... just beautiful; there's something about the 2D animation that is distinctly different than if the same scene were 3D but I'm not sure what [later in the movie there's a scene where they're riding in a truck and there's outlines of sea creatures in the rain... I figure here that perhaps the simplicity of 2D, or rather the complexity of 3D can be distracting]
He didn't answer her question. Why didn't he send her to the nurse?
Hmm. Seems unfair but... I guess this type of thing happens in sports where as a player you have to remain coolheaded even when agitated - it's a skill all on its own
I was a little surprised to learn she has a dad since the movie seemed to be leaning towards her being an orphan
"Is summer break... a vacation in the summer?"
Huh. Would sound readily transmit through the water and glass like that?
Lol, what? His dad knows about this kid? I suppose more weird is that I guess there's no magic involved... he's just a kid!?!
How random, yet magical (Umi coming to get Ruka to see the Will-o'-the-wisp; even though Ruka figures Umi found her because she wanted to be found)
It is explained that sound travels farther in water than in air
It is very interesting how this is the second or so time the scene cuts back to her scraped knee
Oh, her reaction with Sora, at first I coudln't quite tell, but I believe it reminds me of the protagonist in Spirited Away.
("The water's so deep") Holy I'd be freaked out. I get a little freaked out even near the coastline at about seven or so feet deep (I'm a little over five feet tall)
Wow. That dinner looked amazing.
Talking about dark matter...
What they're talking about seems similar to what I believe or draw similarities scaling up... cells ~ animals ~ planet ~ solar system ~ universe
LOL. Meteorite!?! ("What did I just swallow?")
I was going to pause halfway into the film at around the 55 minute mark but here I am at the 67 minute mark...
"[...] those people who believe that humans are superior to everything else." This is one of my principal beliefs. Neither better or worse than any other species. And for that matter, with respect to the analogy, no better or worse than up or down.
"Wait, which world does Umi belong in?"
Oh right, didn't she get swallowed by a whale in the other scene?
Pausing around the 1 hour 25 minute mark.
1b: Resume. "I want to see." This is... strange. Certainly within the direction of the film, but I think there was a missing step in connecting the dots leading up to this moment.
1b: "I see it. Am I the universe?"
1b: Uh... so first she took it away from him. And then she struggled to get it back because she realizes it belongs to him? What!?! Makes no sense.
1b: "No, actually they're the same." [...] "So, outer space and humanity are similar." [...] "If we went into outer space, it would look just like the ocean." Yes! This is exactly one of my principal beliefs. I guess the entire movie revolves around trying to portray this single concept in animated form. On the one hand, I would say something was missing from it all. On the other hand, such a concept is quite an endeavor to try and convey... In fact, it's so difficult that the story is written as to explicitly sprinkle explanation dialogue explaining it throughout the story [After completing the movie, one of the snippets on Wikipedia is the following: "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." ("Critics Consensus" on Rotten Tomatoes) Yes! That eloquently captures how I feel about the film. Though again with some understanding that the core concept the movie wanted to convey is not one easily conveyed, and the attempt is, in my own eye, worthy of applause.]
1b: Hmm... ("I want to be with you... forever.") I guess... is Ruka supposed to simply witness the event in order to preserve something like this happening again? In the same way that the old woman perhaps knows about the event? Though it seems many other persons in the film know about the event as well, but some wanted to study and perhaps manipulate it
1b: Ah, okay so my hunch was right: "I think I was just about your age when I also met a beautiful boy who came from the sea."
1b: I suppose this scene between the old woman and Ruka provides the missing link I was referring to in a satifactory way.
1b: Decent ending. [Apparently Umi is "sea" and Sora is "sky," so that her seeing herself as "Sea" and the other girl as "Sky" is supposed to be a realization by Ruka that there's a possibility for friendship]
Credits: A flower eventually appears on the chair at the end of the credits
A baby is crying.
Ruka cuts the umbilical cord.
Huh. Is Ruka's question somehow imply that perhaps the old woman is somehow her grandmother. Too curious that Ruka decides to just accept the answer. I suppose thematically the old woman explained that the universe speaks to everyone and passes on the same message. In particular this song.
Okay, so I guess it's more the latter, as Ruka says the following which I assume is supposed to be directly linked to the Q&A: "We're connected to a place deep inside us, all the time. And the most important promises we make... aren't made with words."
1a=20230822, 1b=20230823
Watched first 85 minutes 20230822, remaining 26 minutes 20230823 (Netflix, Instant)(English audio, English subtitles)(Last day to watch 20230831)
Children of the Sea (2019) Ayumu Watanabe. 111 min

Relevant Links:
Children of the Sea (IMDb.com)
Children of the Sea (RottenTomatoes.com)
Children of the Sea (Wikipedia.org)

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