illustrated by Daisuke Igarashi
Summary
Booklist:
/*Starred Review*/ Gr. 7-12- When she was little, Ruka saw a ghost at the aquarium—a fish that disappeared in a wave of light—but no one would believe her. Now that she is a teen, fish are disappearing from aquariums all over the world and mysterious children are found living in the oceans. Together with two such children, Umi and Sora, Ruka begins to wonder how all of the clues are connected. Just what is the sea trying to tell them? This oversize manga mostly sets the scene for the series, but that doesn’t make it any less striking. Ruka is a strong main character, caught between being a child and becoming a woman, and between a father who loves her but left her anyway and a mother who isn’t cut out for parenthood. Igarashi’s storytelling is quiet, thoughtful, and thought provoking, but it is his drawings that make this manga so amazing. Extremely detailed settings turn panels into mini-masterpieces, and the ocean scenes are so vivid that readers will feel that they are underwater themselves. VIZ’s handsome packaging does justice to Igarashi’s stunning work, making this a beautiful, must-have addition to any graphic-novel collection. — Wildsmith, Snow (Reviewed 11-01-2009) (Booklist, vol 106, number 5, p34)
Awards:
- YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens: 2010