Review of A Lull in the Sea
"No, things can change. But things don't have to change. Whatever is fine." -Sakishima Hikari Change is a constant in our lives that can drastically alter the way we perceive the world. It is necessary for us to grow and evolve, even when we don't want it. Nagi No Asukara (凪のあすから）was a show that was overlooked by a large portion of people at the time of its airing. At face value, it looks like the typical slice of life anime but hidden underneath is a show that tells a heartfelt coming of age story of children who face the scary reality of growing up. Likeany anime, things are heavily exaggerated but the emotions expressed in the show are ones that all of us have encountered at one point in our lives.
Story: 7/10
The story takes place in a fantasy world where the people are divided in to two groups: the people of the land and the people of the sea. We follow the adventure of a group of 5 children from the the sea as they begin their new school lives at a middle school located on the land village Shioshishio. The two factions (the people of the land and the people of the sea) have been at odds for quite some time, and the discrimination shown by both groups is a common point of conflict throughout the show. The show contains subplots of romance/drama, which only complicates the conflict our main characters have as the show progresses. The series is split into two arcs, the first arc spanning episodes 1-13 and the second arc episodes 14-26. From the two, the second arc presents a much more serious tone as the anime dives deep into the characters' emotions after a major event that occurs at the end of the first arc.
Art: 10/10
If only I could rate this higher. This series is animated by P.A.Works, a company known for their beautiful animations and settings. You immediately are taken by the beautiful scenery in episode 1 and I believe gets betters as the anime goes on. The characters are well drawn and have a good design, and the amount of detail put in to this is astonishing. Nothing more to say.
Sound: 10/10
Another strong point of this anime. What makes the scenes so powerful and emotional in this anime is the OST. Each track is composed beautifully and they are placed in at the right time to the have the greatest effect on the viewer. You could listen to each individual track and you would love each and every one of them. The OP and ED for both the first and second arc are probably the best openings I've seen and heard. They both match the theme of each arc perfectly and is animated beautifully. The first OP is very light hearted and happy, which relates to the beginning, but then the second OP has a much sadder tone to it, emphasizing the seriousness of the second arc. It's just a very good OST.
Character: 7/10
The characters in this show are very good. All, except maybe with the exception of two(Manaka and Tsugumu), always develops every episode. One thing NagiAsu did right was develop the side characters as well. You get to see everyone grow and and change throughout the course of the story. I can't say much more about the characters, as it might spoil the anime, so I'll leave it at that.
Enjoyment: 7/10
I did enjoy the anime as every episode aired, but some episodes were just so packed with dialogue that it got boring on some parts. If if you aren't a fan of dialogue-heavy shows, I would recommend skipping this show.
Overall: 8/10
Overall, Nagi no Asukara was a fantastic anime. Almost everything was done right and the story kept you intrigued and interested the whole entire way. You really grow close to some characters and the way the show deals with deeper subjects is handled quite well, aside from the high school drama that is mixed in. This anime was overlooked and brushed over when it was airing, so if you happened to miss it back in 2013, I HIGHLY recommend watching this now, because you won't regret it.