Here’s how to watch Children Of The Sea online, plus whether the underrated anime movie is available to stream with Netflix, Hulu or Prime. Children Of The Sea began life as a manga series penned and illustrated by Japanese artist and writer Daisuke Igarashi whose surreal, folklore-infused works have often earned themselves favorable comparisons to the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. Originally published between 2005 and 2011, Igarashi’s Children Of The Sea manga series tells the tale of a schoolgirl named Ruka Azumi who – after being ostracized by her friends – finds herself at a loss over her summer vacation and so starts spending time at the aquarium where her father works.
During the course of the acclaimed manga series, she befriends two mysterious brothers named Umi and Sora who were raised by a pod of dugongs and are being observed by scientists including Ruka’s father, who are trying to find out more about their mysterious aquatic abilities. Soon enough, Ruka finds herself embroiled in a strange phenomenon involving her newfound friends and the mysterious disappearance of ocean life across the planet.
Japanese production company Studio 4°C made a feature-length anime adaptation of Children Of The Sea that was released in 2019 and produced by the animation studio’s founder Eiko Tanaka. Helmed by Komi Can’t Communicate director Ayumu Watanabe, the film boasts a screenplay penned by Children Of The Sea creator Igarashi and a talented voice cast that includes Min Tanaka (from Keanu Reeves' 47 Ronin) and Yu Aoi in its original dub and Marc Thompson with Karen Strassman for its English dub. The movie received several glowing reviews that praised its stunning animation and philosophical tone, but where can anime fans watch Children Of The Sea online?
Unfortunately, Hulu and Prime Video subscribers are out of luck as Children Of The Sea isn’t currently listed in the library of either streaming service. However, Netflix users in a select few countries including the USA and Japan can currently watch the anime with their subscription. The manga adaptation is also available to rent for $4.99 or buy (for $12.99) via the iTunes Store.
Anime movie fans will probably be disappointed to learn Children Of The Sea is the only manga by Daisuke Igarashi that has received an anime adaptation so far. However, his earlier manga series Little Forest was adapted into a South Korean live-action film in 2018 and the success of Children Of The Sea could well pave the way for more adaptations of Igarashi’s works in the future.