Glaucos

Glaucos situates itself somewhere in between The Climber and Children of the Sea. Though it at first introduces itself like a mature sports manga about dangerous sports and the strange people who attempt to test their limits and find their place in the world, the story's preoccupation with evolution, biology, ecology, the nature of humanity and the potential for evolution slowly seeps in to take over the narrative. To be fair, Glaucos is rather thin as a sports manga. Aside from his transcendental and contemplative birth as a human born in the sea, sent to the human world by dolphins, Cisse is no Mori Buntaro(from The Climber). He is rather flat and uninteresting as a character and much of his characterisation can be chalked up to 'being tied to the sea' due to his birth, or some innate love for water. As a result, the early moments (about 10 chapters or so) do drag quite a bit. Still, while the central character is rather flat, the panelling, art, and pacing of the competition sequences are so excellent that I could not help but feel incredibly tense trying to anticipate what might happen next. The story itself does get much more interesting later on as the manga deviates from a character study and starts delving into more 'arthouse' territory to explore the human condition and humanity's relation to the sea. Strong transcendental and thought-provoking moments can be found here, especially with the marvellous art. Pivoting to more otherworldly themes, Cisse becomes an impossible and exceptional figure, embracing his status as a child of the sea, and becoming more incomprehensible to the ordinary person. Interestingly, it is here when the manga has stopped trying to make him relatable and appealing to the reader, that Cisse becomes a more intriguing figure to follow. Sadly, the manga takes a dive for the worst at its most interesting point. The ending is quite one note, rushes straight to the end, and leaves much of its premise and potential at the shore. Reading the manga, you could almost find the point where the mangaka got the notice from the editor that the manga has to close. For that, I find it a bit hard to wholeheartedly recommend this work. Still, its short length might make for an interesting read. I would, however, recommend the mangaka's other manga: River End Cafe which delves into environmentalism with a less heavy-handed touch and develops its characters much better.