The earth is covered in a sea of sand. There are people who reside upon a drifting boat the size of a small island called the Mud Whale. The population of this island is 513 people and they have never come into contact with the outside world. The society is broken up into two kinds of people. There are the Shirushi, who’s source of emotions, Saimia, allows them to cut their own lives short, and those without the ability who live long, the Muin. They live together though, on this small island in seclusion.

One day, a record-keeper of the island, Chakuro, a Shirushi, is examining an abandoned ship that was drifting when he encounters a mysterious girl named Rikosu. This is the first time that a person from Chakuro’s society has come into contact with someone from the outside world. Now is this contact good news that will open the door to a new world?

This anime screamed Shinsekai Yori to us before we even started, and well… so far it is just like Shinsekai Yori. The elders control the society, and once something goes wrong, it comes collapsing down. Where Shinsekai Yori has the magical powers ruining society, Children of the Whales has a religion it seems where emotions should be controlled and thus Saimia suppressed. The people on the Mud Whale thought they were fine, but in reality, the religious majority view them as heathens that need to be wiped out via genocide. This anime goes from 0 to 100 very quickly and it is a great ride. With heavy seinen and fantasy themes, Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau is an anime that anyone who says they enjoy anime should watch.

Chakuro

Voice Actor: Natsuki Hanae

Chakuro is a young boy living on the Mud Whale who is a Shirushi. He has hypergraphia (intense desire to write), so he is persistent about writing down everything from his day. Due to this unique trait, he has made a life for himself on the island as a record-keeper of everything. He is a shirushi, but he is bad at controlling his Saimia.

Rikosu

Voice Actor: Manaka Iwami

Rikosu is the girl that Chakuro discovered while he was examining the abandoned ship. She was a soldier but for some reason she has lost her emotions as well as will. Her nickname was Apatoia, but she becomes a prisoner of war and lives on the Mud Whale.

Ouni

Voice Actor: Yuichiro Umehara

Rikosu is the girl that Chakuro discovered while he was examining the abandoned ship. She was a soldier who lost her emotions for some reason, aka Apatoia. She becomes a prisoner of war and lives on the Mud Whale.

Suou

Voice Actor: Nobunaga Shimazaki

Suou is one of the Muin which comprise about 10% of the population on the Mud Whale. He is a leader candidate to be the next mayor and has a high voice. Suou has a placid personality and dislikes fighting. The Shirushi like Chakuro have a lot of faith in him.

Sami

Voice Actor: Hisako Kanemoto

Sami is Suou’s younger sister and the childhood friend of Chakuro. Unlike her older brother, she is a Shirushi who has control over Saimia. Sami is an innocent little girl who is always concerned with Chakuro.

Ginshu

Voice Actor: Mikako Komatsu

Ginshu is a female member of the vigilance corps who protects the peace aboard the Mud Whale. Doing things at her own pace, she coerces Chakuro call her ‘Ginshu nee-san’. She calls Chakuro ‘Chakkii’.

Shuan

Voice Actor: Hiroshi Kamiya

Shuan is the leader and founder of the vigilance corps that protects the peace aboard the Mud Whale. For the vigilance corps, you must have a high Saimia ability to join, and he has the highest. He tends to have a smile plastered on his face, but his actual feelings are often unknown.

Ryodari

Voice Actor: Daiki Yamashita

Ryodari is a dissenter who has too many emotions while at the same time is known as an Apatoia: a soldier with no emotion.