Like many recent two-season anime series, Nagi no Asukara (lit. From The Calm Tomorrow, alt. A Lull in the Sea) is bifurcated neatly at the thirteen episode mark. You could, in theory, leave the series at that point and be content with a competent if unresolved story story of early teenage angst. It would be a huge disservice to how spectacular the series is a whole though, and though you can spend the former half playing “count how many times girls cry” each episode, the latter half exceeds an already beautiful production with a thematically rich and emotionally charged tale of adolescent love in all its forms.
Your eyes are so blue, and your tears look like waves
It’s an unlikely recommendation for a series whose director’s previous productions have included the Inuyasha movies and the woefully unremarkable Gunparade Orchestra. Perhaps not so unlikely though for the writer who is right at home after penning The Pet Girl of Sakurasou and the similarly P.A. Works produced Hanasaku Iroha. It’s also odd to hear myself recommending it when the pseudo-contemporary setting and laser focus on romance and juvenile relationships isn’t my usual fare. But rare is a series that is afforded such startling production values that match a capable story and confident delivery.
Please note: the remainder of this review contains spoilers from throughout the anime series.
Screenshots aren’t going to sell you on the latest Yozakura Quartet anime: Hana no Uta (Song of Flowers). The borderline lazy and haphazard line work and wildly varying character styles between episodes will be enough to turn anyone with a jaded artistic eye away. If you actually watch it though, well the animation still errs on the side of janky, but aesthetic issues tend to ebb away when it becomes clear how refreshingly playful the thirteen episode series is.
a teenage ogre at odds with her power? Hey wait is that a witch in a pink mini-skirt?
This starts with a cast that is comprised of nothing less than a cat-eared telepath, a pair of terrifyingly strong ogre siblings, a half-demon who can summon objects with just a word and a nurse descended from Dr Frankenstein. Eclectic to say the least and the kind of barely restrained bedlam that constitutes interplay within the core group can range from dancing to a Wii fitness game during a town meeting to mock battles overseen by a lackadaisical town spirit.
Something happens at episode seven of Sora no Woto: what seemed like a placid mongrel dog suddenly bared its teeth. Brief and unexpected, it gives the animal a presence it hid so well previously. Rarely does it show them again and in the series' brief run of twelve episodes the dog remains serene and predictable - the bite never comes despite ample opportunity. Contrary to earlier predictions based upon the first three episodes, the series meanders but never succumbs to the obvious and though it may leave more loose threads than is justifiable it most importantly has a heart, a feature lacking in so many other series.
Facial features are wont to wander and only the unflattering military garb prevents the same happening to limbs and other body parts
In the distant past, a disaster befell the Earth and much of the knowledge of technology was lost along with much of population and fauna. After joining the Helvetian army as a bugler and assigned to the 1121st Platoon, Kanata must adjust to the slow paced lifestyle of the remote border town of Seize and her comrade's idiosyncrasies, all while improving her bugling skills. Her misadventures include the exploration of a haunted, ramshackle school, an impromptu training exercise as well as rescuing children from a vicious typhoon. Her squad mates include the precocious Kureha, the solemn technical genius Noel, the big sister Rio and their whimsical leader Filicia; over the course of the series they rebuild of the multipedal tank: Takemikazuchi while their pasts are revealed and motivations explored.
