Story: 9. As I mentioned, it is just the story of a little girl who wants to go to the sea with her father. The only trouble is, her father can't swim, and has been afraid of going into the ocean ever since he was a small child. Right when they are about to go, he gets called off to work and is unable to go, and instead is stuck holding umbrellas and being an errand boy to people at his work. Meanwhile, in a world of dreams Maki discovers the dougong floatie she bought for her father wants to take her to the ocean and teach her how to swim. From here, she and the floatie, called Juju, swim around and go to an island where her father is being held captive. Several crazy hi-jinks happen, and I must encourage you to watch the rest to find out the ending. The story is in general, extremely adorable and heartwarming.
Art: 10. Being part of the 2011 Young Animator's Project, I would expect nothing less of the art. What made the art alone so gorgeous was the way the colors flowed together, and how beautifully everything in and under the water moved in the shots. I was reminded of the details put into the sakura blossoms floating around in 5 Centimeters Per Second; it actually felt like there was an extreme attention to detail that sometimes I feel are lacking in newer (and especially some older) series. The colors in this series somewhat reminded me of Usagi Drop, for the way Maki was colored. The animation flowed beautifully, and the movements, shapes, and sizes were distinct and unique. The underwater scenes in general were gorgeous.
Sound: 7. It was sound. There was nothing overly special about it, but the light soundtrack added to the heartwarming feeling. There was nothing wrong with the voice acting, but nothing that made it stand out.
Character: 6. I loved Maki's character design, as well as how Juju was drawn, but I think that is where everything ends. The father is drawn fairly blandly, and he is the only character that is given a semblance of development. The mother and son are forgettable, as is the antagonist and her assistant. This was my main problem with the episode, but I feel that, as that being my only real issue, this series holds out on its own.
Enjoyment: 7. I feel like judging one's enjoyment of something is a bit harsh generally, but in this instance I actually did understand where this rating comes from. In the beginning, I didn't think I was going to like it, and was tempted to quit watching it. But I stuck through, and once the art gets good, it stays good.
I completely recommend this to anyone who loves cuter series, but also to anyone who needs some good animation, or just a reason to smile.
