Review of A Lull in the Sea

Nagi no Asukara, one of the most innovative shows presented in the anime industry, is a story of youth and their emotional turmoils as they grow older. This story contains all the elements you could possible require of a ground breaking and masterful story. There’s romance, betrayal, guilt, jealousy, regret, grief. If you are interested in watching an anime that will leave you on the edge of your seat, then this is for you. The anime's strong point is focusing on relationships of all kinds. Not only is the story breathtaking, but the OST and the animation is truly out of this world. Youhave not watched a masterpiece until you’ve watched Nagi no Asukara.

Story 11/10

The narrative is impeccable. The pacing was excellently executed. I was seriously on the edge of my seat and had to watch back to back episodes. It takes a superb story to get you hooked. The first few episodes introduce the main cast of characters and instantly set the mood. You’re introduced into this beautiful world where humanoid mermaids and humans live together. Although the anime never really establishes a clear history and how they came to be, it really doesn’t matter as the point of the story isn’t the world building. The point of this inspiring story is clear as the episodes go on. You are exposed to real life struggles and problems that the modern youth are experiencing in this day and age. The story is so incredibly captivating because of how relatable it is to the audience. What I love about this show is how it portrays real problems such as acceptance of a new family member, isolation from society, moving on from a loved one’s death—in a stunning manner. The emotions are all there and with the animation and soundtrack supporting this story wraps this masterpiece with a giant bow. My absolute favorite part of this anime is how the show didn’t manage to drag on forever without a real plot. That’s why I can’t help but love the story. It had all the elements of a tragedy, and surpassed my expectations. Don’t let anybody fool you; this anime is the crème of the crème. The ending of the anime was very satisfying, not leaving any room for confusion or loose ends. There are some things that some people might complain about but they just can’t appreciate a true coming of age story.

Characters 10/10

As a fan of Shakespeare, the parallels between Hamlet and Hikari (the male lead) are a sight to behold. If I may be so bold to say, I believe Hikari surpasses Hamlet with his humanity. We see very human characteristics when we watch Hikari from episode to episode. He grows stronger as a character as the show goes on. Why do I compare him to Hamlet? It’s his indecisiveness. For the majority of the show, we see Hikari’s internal monologue: His jealousy, his guilt, and his motivations. It was a little frustrating at first as he never took any action but kept complaining that things weren’t working out. There were times where I wanted to punch him in the face and actually do something. But this was short lived as he stepped up and became a real man. Well, eventually. Of course, the point of this story was to highlight the emotional struggles of a growing young man, so he wasn’t supposed to resolve anything quickly—if at all. The female lead of the series is one of the most fleshed out characters I have ever had the pleasure of watching on the screen. Manaka is a beautiful young girl who is the ideal leading lady. She is the picture of perfection and will draw in anybody watching. She is the young and helpless Ophelia who just wants to be with the man she loves. She’s not a very interesting character, nor has clear motivations, but she’s very pretty to look at. She’s exactly what you want from an anime heroine: Pretty, shy, submissive and every boy’s dream. The side characters are fleshed out to the extreme, where they all reveal that they all like each other. The most dramatic situations between them unfolds. Hikari likes Manaka. Manaka likes Tsumugu. Tsumugu likes (?). Kaname likes Chisaki. Chisaki likes Hikari. A complete full circle could not have been perfectly formulated. Not only is this a winning formula, but add in the fact that none of the characters have the confidence to confess to the person they like. This is a plethora of drama that you’ll be expecting from this masterpiece show. Why didn’t anybody think of something like this before? These characters were so realistic and memorable that I will forever have them in my heart.

Animation, Soundtrack 11/10

I decided to combine these categories because of how superb they are. Even if you didn’t like the story, which is blasphemy, you will find yourself having an eyegasm with the animation and respectively an eargasm with the soundtrack. The first thing you notice while watching this anime is the quality of the animation. The animation is so clear and high quality, you’ll be swept into the world of Nagi no Asukara and believe you live and walk with these characters. You’ll probably even be convinced you can breathe underwater like them (Caution: do not try this at home). The episodes are all consistent and smooth, the fantastical mood for it successful. The backgrounds were very memorable and breathtaking as it would leave you curious to see more of the world. Sometimes I wished the show would focus or give us more beautiful shots of their world than these close ups of their distraught faces, but it’s a very minor complaint. The soundtrack, which I’m listening to while writing this, is truly one of the best in anime. The music fits the mood perfectly constantly. It complimented the story, the characters, and the animation perfectly. It’s cheerful when it needs to be and it fills you with emotion in dramatic parts. The first ending song for Nagi no Asukara is one of my favorite endings of all time. I love the OST so much that I will probably continue to listen to it by itself. It’s nice and calming when you’re sitting back trying to relax.

Enjoyment 12/10

To be honest, I hated this anime at first. It took some passionate debating, re-evaluating my life choices, meditation and a deep look into myself to truly appreciate this story. This will be my favorite anime of all time. I’ve just never watched something that impacted my life in such a unique way. The combination of winning drama, animation, soundtrack and overall enjoyment is just out of this world. I would recommend this anime over any Shakespeare play as it depicts human nature and struggles in such a realistic way. The use of a unique setting gives these stories such a nice twist, like you’re looking at life in a new light, giving you a raw look at human (or humanoid merman) indecisions and struggles. The objective of this work was clear, a depiction of real life in an unrealistic setting. Many shows have tried to achieve this but failed miserably. I believe this show wins on all accounts. This unforgettable masterpiece will resonate in my heart forever. I strongly believe it will appeal to everybody, even people who don’t usually watch anime. I hope this show becomes even more popular and receives recognition as the work of art that it is. I said in my intro paragraph that this anime was innovative and I stand by that whole heartedly. This is the breath of fresh air which will rejuvenate and save anime. The only issue people really have with this anime is the MC-kun’s “stupidity”, but the same argument could be said about Hamlet’s indecisiveness. Except with Hamlet, his inaction was short-lived. Unlike these long (blissful) 25 episodes.