Review of A Lull in the Sea

There is NOTHING I can tell you that can prepare you for what this series brings to the table, emotionally, symbolically, morally, everything. I did a slight preview of this show before, but that gives it no justice it deserves., so this time I’m going all out on what all this series did right, and the very little it did wrong. I’m not doing my typical genre review, because this is not my typical type of review, but just know that everything correlates fantastically (also no sub-section scores). Story: I hate reviewing story. If I am or am not the audience that this is directed at, cannotlet me speak for everyone. However, there were some parts of this series that were too much to let go. Although it just ended as a simulcast, future watchers who have not started it yet MUST know that this series is broken into two “seasons,” so to say. These “seasons” are VERY different when it comes to the mood, tone, scenery, and character’s going from verisimilitude to a very ominous and serious story-telling. I believe it was eloquently done, however some may complain that there is a large dissonance between these two seasons, which is completely understandable. A small complaint from a small part of the audience, but nit-picking happens on near perfect shows.
Other than that, execution was handled beautifully. Not once did I feel the story was too slow or fast-paced, nor when I finished it did I need more (in contrary to wanting more, which I DEFINITELY do). The story does have a tendency to hit you with the metaphorical baseball bat often, almost exclusively in the second season, which brings me to my biggest point…

Clannad, right? Now, in no means am I saying this series is done as flawlessly as Clannad: After Story, but they have some similarities that instantly hit me: aloof and light-hearted first seasons, intense and emotional second seasons, strong (very) emphasis on symbolism, especially of water and color, and a very strong lead protagonist. I’m sure many of you have watched Clannad, and have experienced the Clannad Void: where you constantly search for the next series that can emotionally entice you like Clannad. It might be a shot in the dark, but I strongly feel like this series is one of (now) 2-3 series that can and maybe will fill this void for you; one being AnoHana, and the other being maybe Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo and maybe even Kanon (2006). It does everything Clannad does right on terms on emotion and story, but there is something that gets me a little angry that I’ll talk about soon.
Overall, this series is beautiful in the way it is conveyed in almost every way I know, and can help fill the Clannad Void. It also contains one of the biggest love polygons I’ve ever witnessed.

Characters:
In my other review, I talked a lot about naïve assumption. How that at the beginning the characters were a bit shady due to lack of time invested, and will blossom into something amazingly fruitful later. I do not have the opportunity to say this often, so I will say it proudly: I was absolutely right. I believe that if the series has strong characters who have time invested into them to create emotional bonds, it will be an amazing series. Sure, plot is nice, but if there was no plot and there were amazing and enjoyable characters, then I could care less. Good thing here, Nagi goes the full nine yards. You get your tragicomedy story, throw on some wonderfully developed characters, bake at about 350 degrees and you have yourself a really good looking cake. Not to mention, this cake was made with high production value, so the art on it looks amazing. Anyway, only one thing bothered me, and that was the character of Tsumugu, almost exclusively in the first season of the series. Although I got used to his cold-heartedness, I realized that Tsumugu was used more as a ragdoll by the producers than anything else; he was a brick wall, seemingly created to create an ominous feel and be onerous himself. Although I know now why he may have acted the way he did, viewers at the beginning may start to hate him, which I don’t feel like the producers aimed for. Nevertheless, look out for that, and be open-minded about Tsumugu and you’ll appreciate him more.
Overall, the characters were written exquisitely and were imbued with passion and emotion that created believable and natural characters that anyone could love, with Tsumugu being a little late to the party.

Animation/Sound:
I have almost nothing to say here. The art is the best I’ve ever seen, and you should definitely experience the wonders and the scenery that are brought to life by the art. The sound, after getting a strong listen to all of the OST, I can confirm that it is orchestrated within context and marvelously done overall, especially OP 2, Ebb and Flow, which captivates the second season perfectly. The voice actors fit their characters, and did a fantastic job at conveying the characters emotions through themselves.

In the end, Nagi grinds down to what we believe is right and what love can accomplish within our own hearts. There are LOADS of symbolism that I could explain, but it’s be easier if I just wrote a book on it, just keep an eye out on the symbolism if you can, it greatly empowers the series. The series has taught me that love is understanding; love is loss; love is the driving power behind our actions; love is what we sacrifice for others; love is why we live, and we strive to find that one love that makes all the difference, one we will find sometime, somewhere; and that truly speaks volumes to me.
And in the end, I believe that everyone should watch Nagi no Asukara, not only to watch something to enjoy, but to really think about who you love, and hold it dearly.
“The Color of the Sea. The Color of the Earth. The Color of the Wind. The Color of Your Heart. Your Color.”