Review of A Lull in the Sea

~Introduction~ Nagi No Asukara. To say it was amazing, is an understatement. As this was the first anime I had watched in a while, I was shocked by the storyline and suspense of it all. The story, the artistry, the character growth, every single detail made it oh so enjoyable. However, as I go along, I gave this overall a 9, as there are some things that are unexplained and that I wish the storyline would have dug deeper into these matters. Nonetheless, I hope you take in my opinion on this series as you watch it and gain a deeper understanding into why I haverated it so.

~Story~
The story of this anime never failed to engage with the audience and I felt (as cliché as it sounds) as if I was really there, watching the plot unfold along with the characters. At points, it can be a cheesy high school romance with the "who likes who" theme, but they dig much further. For an anime that is focused around 14 year olds, they dig deep into love, not only being the romantic kind, but the love of family and friends. They focus on the power of connections and no matter who you are or who you identify as, you can love and create friendship with anyone.

~Characters~
The characters in Nagi No Asukara are well presented. The writers have gone in depth into each character, having not one single main, but many. They dive deep into individual characters, their backstories and why they are who they are. Saying this, I think there is one character which I would have liked to see a more in-depth explanation of his personality, this being Tsumugu. Tsumugu is a very mature boy and has always had advice for his friends, both before and after the time jump. He put his feelings aside and wanted his friends to truly be happy. Now, Tsumugu's backstory was that he lived in the city with his parents, but loved the sea and therefore stayed with his grandfather who happens closer to the ocean. This being said, we don't get much more explanation of his story, and are left in the blank as to why he is so mature and humble. Other than this, I think all the characters have had excellent story arcs and have grown quite well. We can see how Chisaki and Tsumugu have changed during the time jump, and we can genuinely see their emotions and reactions towards seeing their long lost friends once again.

~Overall~
Overall, Nagi No Asukara was a great show. It combines raw and sometimes unconventional love, with true meaning and passion. It gives wonderful and in-depth themes about the real life world, without leaning too far into a fantasy setting. I would highly recommend that everyone should watch this anime as it is something unique and unforgettable.