Review of A Lull in the Sea
This isn't a review to critique the anime. I'm just gonna say what this anime has made me feel. In the first half, the four friends were happy with their underwater life. Then changes with the introduction of Tsumugu happened, changing everything. The way to characters react to this change is just amazing as they do not want to change, and even get sad over the fact of it, but the change is inevitable. This anime just hits so close to home with the way Hikari feels about Tsumugu coming in and "stealing Manaka" away from him. It's so relateable, as I'm sure everyone has felta similar thing happen to them either with a crush or a close friend. It has happened to me personally so many times that it pissed me off. I didn't like the anime at first because of this, and how Manaka reacted really angered me. But it all makes sense.
The second half was just wow. The time-skip was so unexpected and how things changed on the surface was mind-blowing. The main thing that turned this anime from a 4 to a 10 for me is Miuna. She basically becomes the new Manaka, the new main girl if you will, in the second part. Her love for Hikari and her depressing nature makes her a tragic heroine in this part, and yet despite this she still gets along with her romantic rival Manaka very well. The second part of the anime opened my eyes to see how amazing this anime really is. The four friends, all not wanting change and wanting to keep things how they were, were the ones causing each other grief. It is so relateable because think about it. Feelings of depression and anxiety usually are caused by things such as love and closeness to other people. This idea was basically the main theme of the anime. They keep telling and showing how love hurts everyone surrounding it, but at the same time the anime shows it is a worthwhile feeling to have. It reveals the answer of if it truly is "Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." And that answer is true. Even if you're crying and in pain from your current relationship, but understand that it is better to have that experience, and that you shouldn't trade it for the world. Even if thinking back to it makes you sad, be like Miuna and move on not regretting a thing, with a smile on your face.
10/10 Anime