This doesn't mean just throw feels at the viewer steeply without any pacing, but rather that to me, a great and even good anime must sensibly evoke thought and emotion without loss of structure or integrity.
Nagi no Asukara is a fantastic example of this.
Perhaps it is fair to say that a story with more room to spread its' legs - so to speak - has a distinct advantage over others (26 episodes in this one, where some only have the 12 or 13). But that isn't a fail-safe, and this series if nothing else is a representation of what decent plot pacing and exposition have to show.
Now add a charming and confident story, powerful themes and metaphors, diverse and endearing characters and beautiful artwork to top it off.
This anime is about love. Plain and simple - although it proves to be much more than that. It is a coming of age story about families and friends who struggle with change and the love they all (and some eventually) find.
It is shameless in it's raw convictions and it does not shy away from engaging with the realistic truths that are faced when life, love and people, inevitably change.
There is a protagonist or two of course, but even so each and every character has a role to fulfill and to the best of its ability, the series connects all it can together - with almost flawless success.
The animation and artwork are superb and immersive, and the music only raises this fact to new heights - as any score should.
Such heart and quality are seldom found so closely bound and developed in a series of this nature. But if you are of any inclination to fall into such a story, I am giving you my promise it is worth the experience.
