Hikari to Mizu no Daphne

In the future, water has covered much of the Earth due to the effects of global warming. The orphaned Maia Mizuki, 15, just graduated from middle school and has already applied for employment in the elite paramilitary Ocean Agency, part of the futuristic world government. Only the best, most intelligent, and physically fit students are eligible for admission. Maia, the series' protagonist, is set to become one of the few.

But her ideal life quickly falls apart. To her disappointment, Maia unexpectedly fails her entrance exams. Making matters worse, she promptly gets evicted from her house, pick pocketed, taken hostage, then shot. She is "saved" by two women (Rena and Shizuka) that are part of an unorthodox help-for-hire organization called Nereids (inspired by the Greek mythological Nereids ). With nowhere to go, Maia joins up with Nereids, taking jobs from capturing wanted criminals to chasing stray cats, often with unexpected results. Gloria and Yu later join up with Nereids.

"Daphne" in the title refers to a subplot that starts midway into the series and eventually become important to Maia. "Brilliant Blue" refers to the fact that this is a world covered by water with almost no land. The world consists of vast oceans, a few islands, and floating cities.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Mizuki, Maia Main

Nakahara, Mai Japanese

Gloria Supporting

Asano, Masumi Japanese

Park, Yu Supporting

Kaida, Yuuko Japanese

Honjo, Rena Supporting

Ohara, Sayaka Japanese

Hayama, Shizuka Supporting

Ueda, Kana Japanese

Takahashi, Kenta Supporting

Kugimiya, Rie Japanese

Fujiyama, Alexander Supporting

Houki, Katsuhisa Japanese

Leonskii Supporting

Anderson, Mark Japanese

Zeming, Yan Supporting

Itou, Kentarou Japanese

Man with Sunglasses Supporting

Kanemitsu, Dan Japanese

Ikehata, Takashi Director, Storyboard

Aketagawa, Jin Sound Director

Mizushima, Tsutomu Episode Director, Storyboard

Shimizu, Kazunobu Episode Director

Reviews

Aug 18, 2024

JiaLia

Recommended

"Daphne in the Brilliant Blue" is a series that effortlessly blends humor, heart, and action in a way that feels both fresh and nostalgic. Yes, the outfits are undeniably skimpy, and at first glance, it may seem like just another shallow fan-service anime, but if you look beyond that, you'll discover a series brimming with charm, wit, and heartfelt emotion. The comedic timing is impeccable, with laugh-out-loud moments that lighten even the most intense scenes. Yet, it also knows when to slow down and deliver heartwarming moments that truly resonate. This balance is what reinvigorated my love for anime, reminding me of why I fell ... in love with the medium in the first place.

One of the aspects that keeps me coming back to "Daphne in the Brilliant Blue" is its rewatchability. Despite having seen it multiple times, it never loses its charm. Each viewing feels like reconnecting with an old friend—familiar yet exciting. The world-building, character dynamics, and storytelling all work in harmony to create an experience that remains fresh no matter how many times I return to it. It's rare to find a series that consistently delivers enjoyment on every rewatch, but this series manages to do just that.

Of course, I can't talk about this anime without mentioning Gloria, my waifu. She's basically the dumb, muscle-head punch line of the group, but her presence elevates the show, adding silliness and laughter that makes it all the more enjoyable. For me, she’s the heart of the series and a big reason why it remains my favorite anime of all time.

In conclusion, "Daphne in the Brilliant Blue" is a must-watch for anyone who enjoys a perfect blend of humor, heart, and action. It's a series that has stood the test of time for me, offering endless entertainment with every rewatch. Whether you're a longtime anime fan or just getting started, this show is bound to leave a lasting impression.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by JiaLia (5)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Oct 3, 2017

Cyanice

Mixed Feelings

STRUCTURE / PRESENTATION: (4.8)

Daphne is an episodic anime with a big 4-episode conclusion at the end. This episodic format fits well with the series, for it's mainly just Nereids doing odd jobs and getting Maia out of trouble. The great story was probably good enough to turn this from an episodic to a serial anime, but in the end, I believe the choice was justified, giving the show the ability to basically have as many episodes as it wanted, while still remaining flexible enough to add in whatever kind of story they wanted. But that is just what I would expect from an episodic ... show of this nature. However I would've maybe liked to see some more mini story arcs that lasted for at least 2 or 3 episodes just to ease up the monotony a bit.

STORY / SETTING: (7.2)

Up until the 20th episode, the story was just basically the cast saving people, and beating up bad guys. Clearly nothing that hasn't been done before, but some formulas just never get old. The mini-plots in each episode weren't super original or exciting, but it did the job. The idea of Maia having amnesia and forgetting her childhood could've been spread out a little more throughout the series as it was only really mentioned in eps. 11 and 12, and at the end. The mysterious figure made a few appearances though, which helped remind me that there was at least a little bit of story happening behind the scenes. The ending really took me by surprise though. The last four episodes were a real treat to watch. Everything was wrapped up very nicely, and the plot twist at the end utterly shocked me, and the way the truth was reveled was very nice indeed. I would've rated this section much lower if not for the epic conclusion. The setting was certainly intriguing, but it could've been utilized much better. The story and various episodes DID make a little use of the vast oceans, and floating cities, but they really should've squeezed a little more out of it, because there was still so much more more milk in the tank at the end of the series setting wise. Even still, the setting really did grab my attention, and is what made me want to watch this in the first place.

CHARACTERS: (4.3)

I would expect the characters in an episodic anime such as this to be varied, interesting, and to be able to synergize well with each other. Was this the case in this show? Well, kind of. Gloria, Yu, and Shizuka were well made, and I loved their designs and personalities. Rena and Maia on the other hand, not so much. Rena; despite being the leader of the group, we don't see her as often as we should, and when we do, she's sitting in an office yelling at her underlings. She has a good character, but it really wan't utilized well. And finally we get to Maia. The main character Maia was without a doubt the worst character in the whole show. I get the idea of intentionally creating the main character to be bland and uninteresting to make the other more unique characters shine that much brighter, but this tactic only works well in large-scale anime with a huge diverse cast like Hunter X Hunter or One Piece. I don't know if this is what the producers were going for but Maia is the most annoying, clueless, oblivious, and most air-headed character I've seen in a long time. For the entire show she's just moping around depressed over the tiniest thing, and then she gets herself into trouble for the 47th time, and the crew has to go save her again. The way she reacts to the little events in the series, and her use of language, and her portrayal of emotions just really makes me cringe. They could've used ANY character but her for the main. As far as supporting characters go, there was nothing to complain about. The trio (later a quartet) that kept kidnapping Maia every now and then were a fun, and interesting bunch, and the various staff at other Nereids branches and the Ocean Agency were good too.

AUDIO / VISUAL: (6.2)

The art was a solid pro throughout the series, and while the animation was only average, the art made up for it. Facial close ups looked really nice, and the style really helped to distinguish the characters from each other and bring out their best features. The music is about what you would expect from this kind of show. It was used tastefully, and although it didn't take precedence over the art, nor the animation during high action scenes, it helped add a nice sweet layer on top of things.

OVERALL: (5.6)

This show is a gem. A dull one. But still a gem. It could shine much brighter if only not for the horrible MC, and the lack of utilization of the otherwise brilliant setting.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by Cyanice (6)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Sep 3, 2016

monochrome-kiss

Not Recommended

From previous experience I have often found that the more obscure unknown anime are actually very good and are hidden gems. Sadly this really isn't one of them.

The art isn't that great but it's decent considering this anime is quite old. Although the ending credits are just stills from the manga with a very bland song.

The story itself is terrible. It starts with a girl called Maia Mizuki trying to get a job at the elite Ocean Agency. Supposedly she is one of the most promising agents there and aces the exam, but gets rejected anyway. At the end of the first episode, ... she then gets shot in the chest. But in the following second episode she is not only fine and fully recovered, but she appears to have no wound and hasn't even been to hospital. The rest of the story revolves around her working for the Nereirds (a group of awful women who do jobs...reluctantly and badly).

The main problem with trying to enjoy this anime is that none of the characters are remotely likable. I had some symapthy with Maia in the beginning (although a bit confused as to how she was still alive) but she goes on to get kidnapped or knocked out in almost every episode, and basically has no use. So how she supposedly was excellent at the exam I don't know because she fails in every episode from there on.

Rena is the leader of the Nereids but has no leader-like qualities. She is spiteful and bullying towards Maia for no reason, and is incredibly bitchy to pretty much every character. She is greedy and will only accept jobs that pay well. She's also a shameless slut who sleeps with random men.

Shizuka seems nice at the start but ends up freeloading off Maia and others for free food. She is obsessed with food, never pays anyone back and also is a complete idiot. Don't accept drinks from strange men in seedy parts of town. That's obvious!

Gloria is loud and obnoxious, and is also bullying towards Maia and any extra characters. She's also obsessed with money.

Yu is probably the most likable character since she doesn't seem particularly greedy or bossy. But she's very quiet and never has a real backstory established.

In fact, apart from Maia, none of the main characters are given a backstory. They are simply annoying just because.

There's two main questions that I desperately wanted answered during this series. Firstly, who is Daphne? Secondly, why did Maia get rejected from the Ocean Agency. The answer to the first question is just ridiculous and very disappointing. The answer to the second and the mystery of Maia's past is finally revealed but considering you have to watch over 20 episodes of filler, it just feels frustrating to watch.

Reviewer’s Rating: 2

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by monochrome-kiss (10)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

One Main Character (3)

by Gino99

50 Entries · 33 Restacks

The Most Interesting Animes of 2004

by K3ven

34 Entries · 1 Restacks

Fantasy Ecchi Bikini Armor Anime

by tchitchouan

50 Entries · 345 Restacks

	Poll: Daphne in the Brilliant Blue Episode 24 Discussion thatguy - May 13, 2009	9 replies	by Seabury »» May 1, 7:10 PM
	Poll: Daphne in the Brilliant Blue Episode 21 Discussion vansonbee - Sep 24, 2012	3 replies	by Seabury »» Apr 28, 6:50 PM
	Poll: Hikari to Mizu no Daphne Episode 20 Discussion Attackonfiller - Apr 12, 2022	1 replies	by Seabury »» Apr 27, 6:15 PM
	Poll: Daphne in the Brilliant Blue Episode 15 Discussion ballistique - Feb 3, 2009	3 replies	by Seabury »» Apr 5, 7:54 PM
	Poll: Hikari to Mizu no Daphne Episode 19 Discussion Attackonfiller - Apr 8, 2022	1 replies	by Yurisu »» Mar 27, 4:24 AM