Nagi no Asukara – 26 [END]
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The biggest message of all is Love
So much of a good series comes down to so little: the last episode. Nagi no Asukara has been a very good show with a lot of emotion throughout, and the finale was set up with the re-disaster at the ofunehiki in the second-last episode. So how will this Mari Okada story end?
History’s Not Going to Repeat
Sad but happy at the same time, Miuna found the path to happiness, even if it didn’t lead to Hikari
If Hikari has anything to do with it, that’s for sure. While Manaka lost her ena and was stuck under the sea longer than Hikari and Kaname, this time they know where Miuna is, and Hikari’s not leaving without her. But the reaction from the sea god is completely different this time. With the feelings that Hikari and Miuna are pouring into the sea, Hikari’s pain at possibly losing Miuna and willingness to sacrifice his own love, and Miuna’s rejection of that idea, the sea god finally realizes that he can release these feelings into the sea, and bring more people back.
This picture affects me more each time I see it – such happiness and beauty
I absolutely loved the second twist on the story of the ojoshi and the sea god. The first twist was that the sea god had taken the ojoshi’s ability to love, just like he did with Manaka. But this episode’s revisiting of the story, told by Manaka after receiving all the feelings of the ocean, makes it clear that this was done out of love and care for the ojoshi. Knowing that her love from the surface had died in the sea, grief-stricken at the loss of his own love to the sea, the sea god, who loved the ojoshi deeply, removed her ability to love to protect her and shield her from the pain of that loss. It turns from something spiteful and mean to something caring and thoughtful. But as we find out in the third twist (another good one), the sea god didn’t realize who was really in her heart: the sea god and their children (who look exactly like Manaka and Hikari…). I also loved that the ojoshi looked like Uroko-sama described her: frail, freckles, small. And yet she looked beautiful with her children, and even just a scale such as Uroko will love her forever.
Resolutions
Chisaki finally lets herself embrace Tsumugu
While the show didn’t really end with a whole lot of confessions or acceptances, it was more that the couples everyone thought should end up together did end up together by acclaim. In the aftermath of the ofunehiki, Chisaki finally embraced Tsumugu, and Sayu and Kaname shared an important look. And Manaka and Hikari finally are something close to a couple, but they’re probably as bad as Rikka and Yuuta as far as actually doing anything about being a couple. And while Miuna is kind of left out in the dark, she seems to have gotten over Hikari enough that it’s not too painful for her, and she still has other boys interested in her.
The herald of rebirth of Shishishio?
It also seems like anyone who’s interested in moving into the sea is now able to, as even Akira gets ena. I said at the very beginning that they needed some way to repopulate Shioshishio, rather than just try to bully people into not leaving, and through the feelings that have been released into the sea, they can do that now, which I like as a resolution for that problem.
And now he can truly enjoy his grandson
Final Feelings
Miuna really does find happiness, even without Hikari as a boyfriend
Feelings were a huge part of Nagi no Asukara, so what are my feelings now that the series is finished? Well, I really did enjoy the show. It was one that I would purposely slip all the way to Sunday night (that’s why these posts were usually on Tuesday) just so that I could watch it by itself. And although it was a Mari Okada series, I certainly don’t think that there was too much melodrama or even any that was needlessly thrown in. The main characters being middle school kids helped with that assessment, since they are prone to emotionalism and overreaction anyway. Basically, it all felt authentic throughout, even Chisaki not really growing up, because she felt she owed it to the others to not change. I’m still not a huge fan of Hikari, but I appreciate that he was able to channel his reactions away from fighting and anger and into productive pursuits.
I mean… would you just LOOK at that?
PA Works once again makes a beautiful series, and this may be the best looking one they’ve made. There’s nothing other than “beautiful” that you can say about the look of this show. There were times almost every episode where I just realized how great it looked. And while it wasn’t very realistic, thinking from a construction standpoint, it was still so realistic as a realistic town. All those curved concrete and glass buildings, all the weathered paint, even the whales and fish painted all over everything. And the smiley faces. And the blimp. And the beautiful sky and sea. Can I get PA Works to just animate a sky for a half hour for me? The characters fit into the world well, and I liked the coloring of the eyes especially, with that gorgeous blue for the sea kids.
In the sequel, Hikari loses both of the girls that used to love him to each other
I don’t know if there were any standout vocal performances, but I thought all the characters were well played, and held up well. HanaKana definitely had a little more life and lilt to her voice as Manaka than she frequently does, and Ai Kayano’s Chisaki was one of the more reserved roles I’ve heard her in, but excellent as always. The songs for the show were better in the second half, I think, and I like Ray’s songs better than Nagi’s, generally, but none of them were really songs that would stick in my ear.
In all, I think Nagi no Asukara was a very good show, and it kept me engaged for a long two cours. Because they were airing over the same span of time, comparing it to Golden Time is something that will happen, even though they’re very little alike, and in that comparison, I think I like Golden Time a little better for the story. But that doesn’t mean this one was bad at all, and it may have been one of the happier endings that we’ve seen from Mari Okada.
And as curse fishes say: “mata aou ne.”
About Highway
Proving that you don't have to be young to love anime, I enjoy all genres and styles of shows. If it's not hurting anyone else, you should never be ashamed of what you like!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
As far as music, I loved them all about equally, with a minor nudge to the 2nd OP over the first, and an equal nudge for the first ED over the second.
And yes, you can always count on good quality from PA Works. I don’t know if I would want them to animate the sky as you say, but with summer comes Glasslip, so we can anticipate….
Hikari had his ups and downs, and he might not have been a totally likable character, but he was interesting to watch. The genuine nature of Okada’s writing really shined in him.
Again, I would love to know where she gets her ideas. I want to be a fly on the wall, and go back and see exactly what inspired this. I feel that way about Hanasaku Iroha as well.
Excellent series from start to finish. I don’t like seeing it go.
Thanks for six months of coverage, HWY!
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
You did *see* the skies in this (and in Tari Tari) right? It’s like the Platonic ideal of ‘sky’.
Interesting you describe Mari Okada’s writing as genuine, when so many people see it as manufactured and melodramatic. I personally agree, because like I said below to MGMaster, it’s TV: it’s the dramatic part of life, they’re not showing us the normal boring stuff.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 104 comments
Unlike Golden Time which I made no secret the fact that I ended up hating,I have such mixed opinions about Nagi. For me,there’s a plenty to like yet plenty to dislike as well.
Likes:
– the setting
– the racial aspect,although I wish it would’ve gotten more attention
– the visuals(duh)
– Hikari’s growth
– the theme presented after the time skip with accepting one’s growth
Dislikes:
– how the setting wasn’t used to it’s full potential
– how said theme after the time skip dragged on for WAY too long
– WAY.TOO.MUCH.CRYING. – it’s that thing like when you get characters dying. If it happens nearly non-stop you eventually stop caring as much,at least I do
– weak romance with a weak conclusion to all of the relationships
– all the plot conveniences
Still a good show though that I don’t regret watching. The dislikes I stated are what prevented it from being a great show for me 😛
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I don’t mind tears in anime, really. Because the range of emotion that can be conveyed easily with facial expressions is so limited, I think it’s necessary to sometimes overemote, and that includes tears as an indicator of sadness more often than they might happen in real life. Combine that with the fact that it’s television: if it wasn’t a major event in someone’s life, it wouldn’t be interesting. So keeping that in mind, I don’t mind tears. To me, ‘crying’ only really happened once in this anime, with Miuna on the tracks (and that does bother me, because it always sounds fake).
I also thought that the open endings to all the relationships was good for what they were. Middle school kids for most of them, and the oldest were Chisaki and Tsumugu, still under 20. I think it was pretty obvious that Chisaki and Tsumugu were going to start trying life as a couple (albeit a distance couple, and maybe that had an effect on how they handled it as well). The best romance in the series was really Akari and Itaru, and it was done early on in the series, and as befitting a couple of adults, it was much more conclusive.
I’m glad you liked the show more, tho. 🙂
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
This truly marks the end of the carry over animes. A pleasant finale to a very beautiful series full of emotion though it’s such a shame to finally arrive at the conclusion. P.A Works did a superb job making Nagi no Asukara. It had a bit of everything, the music was great and blended in with the plot and the relationships were nice to watch. Far superior to Golden Time by comparison in my opinion. Hikari was a hot head most of the time but that particular trait was easy to bear since his reasons were somewhat understandable.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I guess it’s my love for the character of Kouko Kaga that makes me prefer Golden Time. I didn’t realize I’d be in such a minority about Golden Time. 🙂
Hikari got a lot more tolerable, probably when he ran out of people to fight.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
This is probably the best romance anime P.A. Works has made recently. Most of the characters went through great character development that fits with the setting and plot of this anime, creating one beautiful anime where everything fits perfectly with each other and intertwines with each other without making it feels rushed or forced. Way better than Golden Time which I dropped in the middle of the show.
God, P.A. Works needs to make more anime like this
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I guess 6 years doesn’t really count as ‘recently’, because I’d have to say that I think True Tears was probably a bit better romantically. But this was definitely a very good show, and I really agree we need more shows from PA Works. I don’t even know if they have to be like this, because I also really liked Uchouten Kazoku and Red Data Girl.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Don’t forget P.A Works’ other series that made an impression and wowed people with its great animation, Another, that also did well as a thriller, mystery and horror show.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I’m so not interested in that that it’s not even in the amorphous list that is my ‘backlog’.
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
Mystery? Thriller? I thought it was one of the most brilliant comedy shows PA Works had
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
Ah, yes, how can I forget Red Data Girl? That show everybody seems to hate but I love very much because it was just… Beautiful. I’m sure people would have loved it more if it had 26 episodes