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I really liked this manga. The Sea of Sand is a mystical world that radiates an odyssey-like sense of wonder. It's a world painted by a unique blend of dystopia, utopia, and political intrigue, with a cast of characters that are genuinely all likable, the kind of people whom you'd be friends with.

Story: 9/10
I really like the idea of a lone ship sailing on a vast ocean of sand, unaware of the outside world and without a destination in mind. The story quickly swaps out this whimsical facade with a rather mature tale about the value of emotions, eldritch abominations that eat peoples' feelings, and ... an ongoing war between bloodthirsty empires. It's all genuinely interesting stuff that I've never seen in any work of fiction before. Each chapter follows the Mud Whale's inhabitants as they sail across the Sea of Sand, seeing new places and having deadly encounters with nearly everybody they meet. The only criticism I would make is that certain parts of the story are rather predictable. If you want a story with innovative fantasy elements and emotionally impactful plot beats, definitely give this one a try.

Art: 10/10
Abi-san's art style is gorgeous. Her art style is probably the most beautiful I've ever seen. All the scenery is luscious and detailed. The characters' faces and their actions are very powerful and expressive. The scenes involving "Nous" (the aforementioned eldritch abominations) are deliciously mind-bending and abstract and, honestly, remind me of Madoka Magica's amazing witch labyrinths more than anything else has.

Characters: 10/10
The characters of this story are, in a word, friends. It's a strange word to use, but to me, everyone in this story is a friend. The main character, Chakuro, is extremely nice to everyone he meets. He's adorable, the kind of person I'd give everything to protect. The heroine, Lykos, goes through powerful emotional development as she spends time on the Mud Whale and learns about the value of emotions. Ouni, the story's anti-hero style character, also has a very interesting backstory and eventually turns into someone you truly care about. Suou, one of Chakuro's best friends, is an amazing idealist who profoundly influences other characters as the story progresses. Even the villains have astonishingly complex motivations. All in all, the characters give you the feeling of a tight-knit village where everyone cares for each other. This kind of village gives me such a gentle feeling.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I don't think I need to add much here because everything I've described makes this manga a joy to read. Every panel is amazing, beautiful, and emotionally resonant. Yeah, I can't give enough praise for this author because she's crafted such a beautiful world and honestly I wish more people knew about it!

Overall: 10/10
The story, the characters, and the art combine to create one of the most gorgeous and heartwarming fictional worlds I have ever seen. This is not to say everything is butterfly and rainbows. Children of the Whales is actually a dark story that explores shockingly mature themes alongside some very twisted characters. But it's this darkness, this dystopian world, that provides such a good canvas for the warmth and comfort of the utopian Mud Whale to be painted upon. The resulting picture is filled with characters and feelings I'll never forget.