Jan 16, 2015
Nagi no Asukara was by far the most unexpectedly amazing show I've ever seen. The shaky first episodes made me think about dropping it, and I'm really glad I didn't. It's a spectacular show, and without a doubt the best romance anime I've ever seen.
Story: 8/10
Here's the plot synopsis, if you haven't read it:
"Long ago, all humans lived in the ocean. But some who longed for the land abandoned the ocean, casting off the special raiments granted to them by the sea god to adapt them to life under the sea...
Though mankind was divided into sea dwellers and land dwellers, each with different ways of
...
thinking, they were all still fellow humans, and they continued to maintain contact as time went on.
Sakishima Hikari, Mukaido Manaka, Hiradaira Chisaki, and Isaki Kaname live in an undersea village, while Kihara Tsumugu lives on land.
When these middle school second-year land and sea dwellers meet for the first time, their hearts begin to undulate like the tides.
The youthful fantasy tale of these young people's lives unfolds in a strange and beautiful world."
Basically, a small group of children from an undersea village called "Shishishio" begin to attend school on the land. They possess "Ena", which allows them to breathe underwater. The show follows each of these people, and has some interesting twists and turns throughout the way. The story is something new and interesting, and it is for the most part very good. However, it's far from perfect. There were times, especially during the end of the show, where it felt like the story wasted a lot of its potential. It's hard to explain in detail without spoiling it, so I won't try. Basically, the story is good but isn't the best thing about the show.
Art: 10/10
If you're familiar with P.A Works, you already know what this show is going to look like. The art, especially the backgrounds, is absolutely spectacular. The underwater setting led to some of the most beautiful backdrops I've ever seen in anime. If you're into watching shows for the art, look no farther than NagiAsu. You won't be disappointed.
Sound: 9/10
I've given the soundtrack a few listens, and it's extremely good. Dewa Yoshiaki does a great job, and the music complements both the emotional and cheerful scenes almost perfectly. The cheerful music is pretty repetitive though, which I think is something I only noticed because I replayed the soundtrack over and over. Overall, excellent sound design.
Character: 9/10
The characters in Nagi no Asukara are developed masterfully. The main character, Hikari, starts as an insufferable prick and becomes increasingly interesting as the show goes on. The same can be said for most of the other characters. There are, of course, a few exceptions. There is one character who is important to the story and doesn't change at all throughout, and a lot of the characters can grate on you and get annoying at times.
Enjoyment: 9/10
Nagi no Asukara struck a lot of chords with me, and I enjoyed it immensely. The fantastic presentation always kept the show interesting, and the story was interesting enough to have me coming back every week wanting resolution. As stated previously, the characters can be annoying, which kept my enjoyment from a 10.
If you're looking for a romance anime that's more than a little out of the ordinary, then Nagi no Asukara will be a great watch.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all
