Review of A Lull in the Sea

For all that it is, A Lull in the Sea deserves a 9. For those who've watched it, I will go into specific details further on with a warning because they need to be talked about to reference my love for this show. But A Lull in the Sea does a really good job at telling a story as complex as this, explaining everything as it should (though not all at once) but also leaving some things open until necessary. By that I mean, although you don't get told everything at once, you almost always know what's happening and why. Or if you don't, you'llfind out soon enough. The story makes sense, there's a clear plot, there is always something happening.

To some, that might feel overwhelming. The show is 26 episodes of actual plotline and story. If it's not plot development, it's character or relationship development, which will benefit the show later. So I'd go as far as to say there are no fillers in this. Every episode is important.

A Lull in the Sea always explores some pretty deep themes. Love, change, sacrifice, pain, just to name a few. And it does it really well for an anime that centres around 14-19 year olds. In terms of the genres it follows, there is in fact romance and a lot of drama in it, but not too much that it makes you want to rip your hair out of frustration. There's also the occasional humour sprinkled in and I love that. It will leave you feeling warm after finishing it, so in the end it is somewhat of a feel good.

That's the story. In terms of animation and sound, I don't really notice sound much unless it's blatantly obvious it's amazing (Kekkai Sensen and Bungou Stray Dogs immediately springs to mind), but it was good. The animation is an easy 9, with great character design and bright colours. I love the portrayal of the sea and everything within it. You can see why the characters love the sea so much when it looks like that.

But the characters, their development and their relationships take the cake of this anime. If a well-rounded story isn't enough to convince you, you'll be surprised to find that A Lull in the Sea hits the nail on the head in so many categories. And one of my favourites is the element of surprise. You have no idea where this story will start, go and end. It will feel like plot twist after plot twist, and I guarantee you, you won't be able to predict what will happen. Certain scenes, yes, but overall? It is perfect if you're tired of predictable storylines and characters. (Though that's not to say that some characters aren't predictable).

The pacing is just right. Not too slow or fast. You see the characters transition from one world to another slowly, but surely. There is acceptance, and rejection bundled up in these 26 episodes. Sweet moments of romance. The characters feel real for their age, and the problems are real.

BUT I've gotta say, there is no way this many love triangles happen in real life. Not between a group of 7 people. It all works out in the end, but I always find it unbelievable when I see animes that have love triangles and squares or whatever. So much unrequited love flying around that it feels forced. I understand that you don't choose the one you love and it's almost always seen as a miracle when your crush has a crush on you too, but still.

Other than that, I couldn't recommend this more. I haven't heard much about it from where I'd usually find animes, but stumbled across it on Netflix literally 3 days ago. I'm so glad I started it randomly. I would never have imagined the journey this show would have taken me on, it really was a hell of a ride. If you like interesting stories with a good set of characters, who are obviously quite flawed, but learn along the way, then I suggest giving this a try. There is a lot of romance in it, and it is pretty sweet. Not your typical romance that's for sure, but that's kinda what I love about it. It was a breath of fresh air from the usual high school romances I watch.

!!!!!!!!!! SPOILERS AHEAD !!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!

And for those who HAVE seen it, I need to rave about the little details the anime has slid in there.
1. Tsumugu still calling Manaka by her last name, Mukaido. It immediately sets her apart from Chisaki, and how he sees the two of them
2. Kaname going back up to save Sayu in the last episode I think? I ADORE this little detail because he said he'd try and see her differently and him saving her shows that he is trying. He honestly deserves the best so I'm glad Sayu stepped up and confessed
3. The routine and comfort between Tsumugu and Chisaki when Kaname comes over and they make tea. I had to watch this twice purely because despite not wanting to ship them, this scene really solidified them together
4. Not a small detail but the CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT Sayu went under is *chefs kiss*. She matured so much within 5 years and at one point was even more mature than Kaname, Tsumugu and Chisaki lol
5. NOT TO MENTION Hikari. His character development was like a slow unravelling and you could literally see it as episodes went by. The perfect transition between him only being a person of the sea to becoming the embodiment of the statement "everyone is human"
6. Also not a small detail, but I appreciate the anime showing how Tsumugu fell in love with Chisaki. Although I don't understand why he would've loved her at 14 years old, it made so much more sense after 5 years of them being together and only really having each other.

I know there's a lot more to rave about but that's all I remember. But one complaint, the anime really set us up and immediately set the tone for Manaka and Tsumugu from the FIRST meeting. I'll never wrap my head around this. You cannot tell me she never loved him. I'll believe her being fascinated by him, but I'm 99% convinced it was love. She calls him the SUN. He is compared to the SUN. She literally reaches for him and then drops her hand. (I love sweet female characters and emotionless, objective male character pairings, probably why). I kinda wish they ended up together in the end but him and Chisaki were sweet too.