Story:
Take the red threads of fate of a handful of people, tangle them, tie dead knots and entangle them further. Only be satisfied once you get an excruciatingly messy ball of threads lumped together that is seemingly impossible to undo. There you have it: Nagi no asukara. The story depicts the lives of a group of friends who struggle with their relationships and resulting emotions. Love, jealousy, guilt and fear. They attempt to deal with these painful and conflicting emotions and the show captures their inner thoughts while they do so, making them all the more lifelike. While they do battle with their feelings, we get to see obstacles after obstacles thrown at them to further complicate matters, be it discrimination and conflict between the people of the sea and of the land, or an infuriating deity that appears to enjoy taking that which is most precious to our characters. I will reveal no spoilers about the plot, just be prepared for an emotionally-heavy ride throughout the ups and downs.
Characters:
The strongest selling point of the show; the characters are what makes Nagi no asukara come alive. They just seem so real, having thoughts and feelings that anyone would have if placed in that position, particularly the selfish and negative thoughts. Lets take the mc, Hikari Sakishima, for an example. I will be honest, I had considered dropping the show within the first few episodes when I saw the mc. He was rash, inconsiderate, he wasn’t exactly the sharpest and certainly wasn’t the most charming. His character irritated me. But, he grows. Throughout the show, Hikari actually develops and matures as a person. And watching that growth was oddly satisfying. He eventually matures to a person that is able to place the feelings of others before himself and control his emotions. How he interacts with the other characters was especially interesting to watch. I have a suggestion, knowing that this is a love drama, perhaps those intending to watch Nagi no asukara should decide on a pairing they like in the beginning and then watch to the end to see if that pairing comes to fruition. The character's relationships are exceedingly complicated and things might not just turn out they way that they appear to. The suspense and surprise is exciting, you should try it.
Animation:
I don’t have much to say about the visuals. Just know that the animation of this show is one of the best I have seen. The characters look splendid, especially the eyes that are unique to anime. The scenery was truly beautiful and fairytale-like. The art of the sea and the underwater village is particularly pleasing to look at.
Sound:
I am not much of a music person, I usually skip the OP and ED of shows to watch the content :p but the ending theme of the first half was soothing to listen to.
Enjoyment:
The show was definitely an enjoyable experience. I found myself enthralled by the dynamics of character relationships and development that I finished it within a short span of three days. The characters appeared so lifelike, the plot so compelling that I always had to know what happened next. And the intriguing previews didn’t hurt either. However, that is not to say the show did not have its flaws. I suppose a potential issue that viewers might have would be the airy fairy depiction of love. It would seem a bit ridiculous that a childhood crush could last for several years. Or that love was always merely described as only an emotion akin to a passing crush. Another flaw could perhaps be the repetitiveness near the end. I had binge watched the series so it had gotten slightly repetitive when the characters deal with the same emotions over and over again. But those who watch the episodes in moderation should be fine. Other than these, I don’t recall anything else that might ruin the enjoyment for viewers.
Overall:
Nagi no asukara has made in to my list of favorites and will be one of those shows that I will definitely remember after a while, unlike those that fade into the sea of generic anime. Those searching for something intriguing, something that evokes feelings of the viewer and a satisfying conclusion, you have found a potentially enjoyable experience. I know I have.
