Anime: Nagi no Asukara (or Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy, shoujo, drama
General Set-up: In the beginning all humans lived in the ocean under the protection of the Sea God. However, some humans began to be curious about the world on the surface. They abandoned their home in the sea, leaving behind the protective covering that allowed them to survive underwater and moved onto the land. Today, the surface population greatly outnumbers the population of humans living under the sea. Conflict has risen up between the two peoples and they rarely get along. However, that standard might be changing when four teenagers from the Sea Village transfer to the surface Junior High.
Characters: Your main character, Hikari is a bit of a passionate spit-fire. He is easily riled to anger, but also has a deep desire to protect his friends. Manaka, one of Hikari’s childhood friends, is shy and a bit naive. However, after the transfer she is the first person in their group to step out in friendship towards the people of the surface. Also from the sea, Chisaki is a kind-hearted girl and Kaname is wise beyond his years. Tsumugu is their first friend from the surface, and while quiet, he plays a large part in the progression of the story. Many more characters play acting roles in this show. It is a complex cast of personalities and backstories that weave together to create a family. Also, none of the characters are static - they all grow in some way throughout the course of the anime.
Plot: While the basic premise of transferring to a different junior high may seem simple and uninteresting, the plot line quickly moves beyond that. Besides the usual teenage angst of growing up, the characters in this show deal with a lot of deep stuff. Woven into the story are threads of politics, dealing with change, overcoming biases, and even an upcoming catastrophe.
Ending: A lot was riding on the ending of this show and halfway through the final episode I still didn’t know how it was going to end. I felt like the characters had worked too hard for anyone to get an unsatisfying ending. Without giving away too much, I will say that I was pleased with the ending. Some might wish for things to have turned out a bit differently, but I think it was a good ending overall. All of the themes that had been threaded through the anime were tied into a pretty bow at the end and the viewer was left with a sense of satisfaction of a story well told.
Things to Watch For: I can’t really think of anything. I mean, there are a couple instances of partial to full nudity, but they are handled well and there is nothing sexual about them. I know that sounds kind of sketchy, but I promise it is not!
Sights and Sounds: Everything looks gorgeous! The animation above and below the surface of the ocean is beautiful! I really liked how they made scenes in the ocean seem like ordinary scenes, aside from obvious gravitational differences. The water looks like air and it is really cool to see groups of fish swim around like it’s normal to be swimming through people’s houses. I also enjoyed watching the theme songs, especially the first one. I thought they really exemplified the essence of the show. Also, I liked how in the second half the theme song was altered slightly after a certain event (you’ll know it when you see it). The soundtrack for this show has a bit of a tropical and relaxing feel.
Other Media: There is a manga adaptation of the show by the same name.
Fillers: There are no fillers in this anime.
Length: Nagi no Asukara is 26 episodes long and is comprised of one season.
Where to Watch: You can watch this show on Crunchyroll and Hulu.
Note: I have decided to discontinue the humor section for my reviews. I feel like each time I say the same thing. Either, “Humor is not a big focus in this show, but is present,” or, “Humor is presented in a variety of ways.” So unless the anime (or book, movie etc) is a comedy I will not be using this heading.
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