Hey!~

You know that sometimes when I REALLY liked a series, I can't hold back or wait until the next mass entry, I just HAVE to dedicate it its own entry.
It hasn't happened in a while, but this time I simply can't sit still - especially because I THINK this series is not that well-known and I don't want YOU to miss it. ^____^



When I came across this series called "Nagi no Asukara" (凪のあすから) I was looking for something light, fluffy ... "Kimi ni todoke"-ish stuff. When I saw a short clip of the series, I was fascinated by how beautiful it looked.
Great artwork, nice music and the characters looked adorable. I immediately fell in love with their eye color.

Little did I know that this series was SO MUCH MORE than what you'd expect in the first few episodes.
This is also the reason why I cannot give you a proper review. I absolutely don't want to spoil you. It would ruin everything that makes this series so special in my eyes.
So, I only picked screenshots from the first few episodes and won't give you any spoilers. If you're interested in this series, PLEASE avoid googling for it. Just watch it right away instead.



Story:

"Long ago, all humans lived beneath the sea. However, some people preferred the surface and abandoned living underwater permanently. As a consequence, they were stripped of their god-given protection called "Ena" which allowed them to breathe underwater. Over time, the rift between the denizens of the sea and of the surface widened, although contact between the two peoples still existed." (source: MAL)

In the beginning the story focuses around four junior high school kids at the age of 14, two boys (Hikari, Kaname) and two girls (Manaka, Chisaki). They live in the ocean. They can easily be told apart from people who live on the surface because of their beautiful turquoise-ish eye color.
As there aren't that many people left underwater, there are also not that many children. With only 4 kids in junior high, the people underwater decided to close down the junior high school there and send their kids to the surface junior high school instead.

Of course, at first they experience discrimination. (e.g. "You guys from underwater stink like fish.")
But they soon become friends with some of their "surface classmates".

It's needless to say that those 4 kids share a very strong bond as they've always been together since birth.
We also get to know that some of them have feelings for each other. But commuting to school on the surface means they will get to know new people. What will happen to their precious relationship?







Thus far you probably think it's your typical light teenage romance with a little bit of strange synopsis due to the fact that there are actually people who can live underwater. It has a romantic feel to it.
But you'll soon figure out that the series is not exactly what you thought it is. Not telling you more than that. ;)



The series doesn't only focus on teenage relationships and their crushes. There's also discrimination, forbidden love, old traditions, festivals, natural disasters ..... so many things that will trigger something in you and make you think hard.

A lot of people say that there is no main character in this series, but I think it's definitely Hikari (second from left in above screenshot).
Not only does he get the most screentime, but there are also things that other characters know, but we won't hear about them until Hikaru hears them. That means we know only as much as Hikari knows.
Pretty convenient as he's one of my favorite characters, but it's hard not to love ALL of the characters in the series ..... which makes things even harder later on .....



The artwork is extremely beautiful in my eyes as is the OST!




There are many funny and light moments (especially in the beginning of the series) - and let's not forget about this super good looking god-like character called Uroko-sama. (*_*) .... :3 ....



Without becoming too packed, the series addresses so many issues of daily life.
Family, friends, loved ones .... discrimination ....

And the first half takes it time to build up the main characters very well without ever getting boring.



But then something happens ... actually many things happen that you NEVER ever would have expected.
For me .. this was probably one of the most unpredictable series I've seen in a LONG time! And I didn't even know what a gem I had in front of me while watching the first few episodes! XD ....
In fact, I thought I had it all figured out right after a few episodes, but nope ... ^^;



I pretty much looked like them in the shot above during the entire time.


I really wish I could show you more or tell you more about this wonderful series, but it would simply ruin the fun!
But right after watching it, I read other people's review to see if it was just me or if others liked it as well and there were SO MANY who were equally fascinated.


For those of you who have watched it already, here are some of my thoughts.
Skip this until you've actually seen this series.
SPOILER ALERT!!!!

I think what killed me the most was when Hikari woke up, realizing that it's 5 years later and everything has changed around him.
I think it hit me that hard, because I kind of know that feeling all too well. Although I didn't sleep for 5 years, I was in Japan for 7 years .... but I truly understand how it feels to come back to a place that looks familiar and to meet people that should be familiar .. but that have moved on without you.
And just like that I think the series offers so much that it'll hit a sore point in the heart of anyone out there. :)

I've also never seen a series like that. Yes, it's a bit similar to time-travelling and I LOVE "Boku dake ga inai machi" or "Steins Gate", but yet it's completely different .... and in this series it was also totally unexpected.
I never thought they would actually go to sleep. When I saw the second opening right after the failed Ofunehiki ... I was like: Oh, they're all together and they didn't go to sleep ... but why are Hikari and Kaname so much smaller than Tsumugu?!? .... And where is Manaka? .. huh?
Once I realized what happened I really didn't know what to think. Why did they choose a gap of 5 years? Very strange. Wouldn't it have been better to have less or much more? But the situation(s) that aroused because of that were EXTREMELY interesting.

I think the whole "mixed blood kids" can also have a "Ena", "Ena" being the feelings etc. etc. ... was maybe a bit too much. And I also didn't think the ending was a highlight.
But all in all the series was done so beautifully, made me cry, made me laugh and I enjoyed the beautiful art + sound. In my opinion it's therefore a 9/10. ^____^
Though once my excitement has calmed down, I might correct it to a 8. ;P

How did you like the series?


[/Spoilers end]



Actually there are quite a few awesome series I watched recently and felt like sharing such as "Boku dage ga inai machi" or "Steins Gate", but this one triggered my motivation the most, so here you go.
If you decide to watch it, I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did. ^_____^

Bye~chu