I’m going to try to keep this review as vague and non-specific as possible, as I truly believe that this is a story best experienced blind. To put it simply: this show makes me very happy. If I’m having a rough day, just putting on the soundtrack will instantly make me feel better. The world presented is interesting, the characters are precious, and the entire presentation is a constant reminder of happier times. This is a show about growing, about loving, about accepting, and most importantly about the value of change. And it is absolutely worth your time.
Story: 9/10
The story here is fairly straightforward if you look past the fantasy elements. It’s about a group of children going to school and dealing with social drama. But it’s so much deeper than that. Without spoiling anything, the story takes a massive shift halfway through the show that really hits you when you least expect it. It’s hard to talk about without giving details, but the biggest themes here are acceptance and change. While the story is not necessarily a thrill ride (not that you should expect one from a romance/drama), it is certainly emotionally thrilling. Lots of ups and downs; smiles and tears. Perhaps the only thing I can really dock the show for (and barely dock) is the lack of full conclusion at the end. Don’t get me wrong, it has an ending that I am very satisfied with, but I can’t help but feel that maybe a 1 episode special showing off what happens afterwards might be nice. But this might just be me wanting more.
Art: 10/10
The art here is absolutely beautiful. There is a reason that I consider the town of Shioshishio to be my #1 favorite location in all of anime. The peaceful atmosphere and unique location mixed with the slightly isolated and eerie feel make it truly stand out as a place unlike any other. Backgrounds are gorgeous throughout and really fit the mood of the show, especially once the tone shifts in the second half. The animation is smooth and intentional, and the character expressions are some of the best I have seen. The lighting is intentional and very well directed, especially in some of the underwater and winter scenes. The color direction is perhaps the strongest asset of all the visuals. Obviously bold blues are very much a visual theme here, but they are complimented fantastically by everything else in any given shot, most notably by torches, the sun, and the snow. This is one of the few series where almost every single background frame can be viewed as a fantastic standalone piece of art.
Sound/Music: 10/10
The soundtrack to this show is tied with Shiki for my #1 anime OST of all time. The music is relaxing and soothing; it truly makes you feel like this world is real and that you are a part of it while you watch. But it can also be unsettling, giving you the feeling that there is something more fantastical and melancholic lurking beneath the waves. It is simple but intentional, and conveys the emotions it needs to perfectly. If you ever need music to simply calm down to, this is the perfect place.
The sound design is also very well done, especially some of the underwater effects used to really immerse you. Some of the foley work still has me scratching my head as to how they managed to get such crisp and beautiful sound for something that in any other series should be grating on the ears (those of you that have watched will know the underwater sounds in the last half that I am referring to).
Character: 10/10
All of the characters in this show are precious. That’s the simple explanation. As mentioned earlier, one of the biggest themes in this show is love and change. Some may make jokes about this show having a “relationship dodecahedron” with how confusing it initially seems, but I feel that it is completely accurate to the flaws and immaturity initially present in the characters, especially the main cast. From the start, we can see that they all have very distinct personalities, for better or worse, and these differences only further show themselves as the drama thickens. Middle school children are not always good at handling social situations, and these characters are no different. However, due to certain circumstances in the story, some of them are forced to change radically while others stay exactly as they are. The character development, mixed with the general drama of the whole thing, really keeps you interested and actively concerned about the well-being of all of the characters, even side characters that were originally thought to be unimportant. It’s rare for a show about this many characters to keep me actively invested in all of their issues, but this show manages to do it.
Enjoyment: 10/10
If it isn’t apparent already, I love this show immensely. From the first minute of episode 1 I was hooked, and by the end of the series, I knew it was a favorite. I just recently re-watched it after a few years, and found that I enjoyed it even more the second time, despite already knowing the story.
Overall: 10/10
I am incredibly biased when it comes to this show. The beach and ocean is my favorite place in the world, and now living far from it, this show brings me back to those days. But even with my strong bias to the setting, I believe that anybody who is a fan of romance, drama, fantasy, or just being happy should watch this show. By the end, you will find that is something truly wonderful. The emotions that this show brings are strong. It’s melancholic. It’s childish. It’s innocent. It’s everything a show about a group of children forced to deal with something larger than themselves should be. And yet it still manages to keep itself grounded.
If you want to watch a show that will make you cry, watch Nagi no Asukara. If you want to watch a show that will make you laugh, watch Nagi no Asukara. If you want to watch a show that will make you smile from ear to ear for the next week, watch Nagi no Asukara. It’s truly a wonderful experience. You are missing something magical if you choose to skip it.
