Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea

Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea

Promotional poster of the Nagi no Asukara anime featuring main characters.
凪のあすから
(Nagi no Asukara)
Manga
Written by Project-118
Illustrated by Risō Maeda
Published by ASCII Media Works
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Dengeki Daioh
Original run April 2013 – ongoing
Volumes 3
Manga
Nagi no Asukara 4-koma Gekijō: Nagiyon
Written by Project-118
Illustrated by Anko Chatō
Published by ASCII Media Works
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Dengeki Daioh g
Original run September 27, 2013 – ongoing
Volumes 1
Anime television series
Directed by Toshiya Shinohara
Written by Mari Okada
Studio P.A.Works
Licensed by
MVM Films
Network Animax, Tokyo MX, SUN, KBS, TVA, FTB, BBT, ITC
Original run October 3, 2013 – April 3, 2014
Episodes 26

Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea, known in Japan as Nagi no Asukara (凪のあすから, lit. From The Calm Tomorrow), is a 2013 Japanese anime television series produced by P.A.Works. The series centers on five middle school friends: Manaka Mukaido; Hikari Sakishima, Chisaki Hiradaira, Kaname Isaki, who have looked after Manaka since they were children; and Tsumugu Kihara, their new friend from the surface. A manga adaptation by Risō Maeda began serialization in the June 2013 issue of ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh magazine.

Plot

Since long ago, human civilization had lived on the ocean floor. However, there were many humans who wanted to live above the surface and they moved to land creating a fundamental separation between the two. After their school closes down, four 14-year old middle school students from the sea village, Shioshishio, have to attend Mihama Middle School on the surface. What follows is their struggles to adjust to a new environment and the relationships between the sea and land people, while dealing with their own newfound feelings that have just started appearing with the end of their childhood.

Characters

Main characters

Hikari Sakishima (先島 光 Sakishima Hikari)
Voiced by: Natsuki Hanae (Japanese), Max Mittelman (English)[1]
One of four childhood friends from Shioshishio. He has a short temper and usually scolds Manaka for her mistakes though he has deep feelings for her. He is the son of Shioshishio's Chief Priest who serves the Sea God. By tradition, this makes him the future Chief Priest. At first, he hates all people from the surface but after learning about the relationships between the land and sea humans (through Akari and Itaru), he gradually understands that there is no difference between the people from the surface and the sea. He goes into hibernation shortly after saving Akari during the Ofunehiki festival. After the 5-year time skip, Hikari reappears during a Tomoebi without any signs of aging. He rejoins Mihama Middle School as Miuna and Sayu's classmate and lives in the Shiodome home with his sister. In the last scene, Manaka's and Hikari's feelings are clear to be mutual.
Manaka Mukaido (向井戸 まなか Mukaido Manaka)
Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English)[1]
One of the students from Shioshishio. She is an indecisive, middle schooler who is prone to crying. Manaka is shown to have feelings for Tsumugu and is highly dependent on Hikari and Chisaki. As time passes, she starts to become more independent. After saving Akari during the Ofunehiki festival and falling into the sea, she enters hibernation and takes on the role of the sacrificial maiden for the Sea God. After the time skip, she is found in the middle of the graveyard of Wooden Maidens near Shioshishio and brought to the surface while losing her Ena. She wakes up one week later and ends up staying with the Shiodome family. She has also lost the ability to fall in love as a result of leaving her post as the sacrificial maiden. Later, it is revealed that she has been in love with Hikari all along but decided to keep it a secret as she knew about Chisaki's feelings for him. In the last scene, Manaka's and Hikari's feelings are clear to be mutual as they look on to the sea together.
Chisaki Hiradaira (比良平 ちさき Hiradaira Chisaki)
Voiced by: Ai Kayano (Japanese), Brianna Knickerbocker (English)[1]
One of the students from Shioshishio. She has feelings for Hikari but is afraid to admit it after realizing he is in love with Manaka. She is afraid it will ruin their relationships and hides her feelings. Chisaki is the only person among her Shioshishio friends who avoids hibernation after the Ofunehiki festival. Since the Ofunehiki festival, she has been staying with the Kihara family and also studying in a nursing school. When she reunites with her Shioshishio friends, she feels left out as she is now much older than them. Chisaki fears change, and feels guilty for having lived a relatively happy life during the time skip despite the absence of her friends. She has been clinging to her old feelings for Hikari as a means of claiming she hasn't changed over the past five years, but she is really in love with Tsumugu. They then become a couple. In the last scene, she still continues to live in the Kihara residence with a now-healthy Isamu, while Tsumugu is away for college.
Kaname Isaki (伊佐木 要 Isaki Kaname)
Voiced by: Ryōta Ōsaka (Japanese), Bryce Papenbrook (English)[1]
One of four childhood friends from Shioshishio. He is Hikari's best friend and is quiet and mature for his age. He is interested in Chisaki and cares deeply for her. During the Ofunehiki festival, he goes into hibernation after falling off the boat while helping Chisaki save Tsumugu. After the time skip, similarly with Hikari, Kaname wakes up without having aged and is staying at the Kihara family's home. While being the mature of the group, Kaname has always felt left out. He realizes that when Chisaki's feelings for Hikari are not requited, it is Tsumugu who she will turn to, not him. When Sayu confesses her feelings for him, he decides to move on with his life and accepts her feelings, for now.
Tsumugu Kihara (木原 紡 Kihara Tsumugu)
Voiced by: Kaito Ishikawa (Japanese), Chris Hackney (English)[1]
A boy from the surface whose grandfather is a fisherman . One day, he meets Manaka when she is caught in his net. He is quiet, stoic, and very interested in the underwater world. His grandfather was from the sea. Tsumugu has a complicated relationship with his mother. After the time skip, he attends college and majors in oceanography. He lives in the city and conducts research about the sea villages at his university. He becomes close to Chisaki and eventually falls in love with her. After accidentally claiming his love for Chisaki, he follows her into the sea and gains Ena. It is later revealed that he had known of Manaka's feelings for Hikari since the eve of the Ofunehiki five years previously, but agreed to keep it a secret at Manaka's request. After having a talk with Kaname about Chisaki's true feelings, Chisaki finally accepts her love for Tsumugu and become a couple. He is last seen walking to the train station with Chisaki as he leaves for college.
Miuna Shiodome (潮留 美海 Shiodome Miuna)
Voiced by: Mikako Komatsu (Japanese), Xanthe Huynh (English)[1]
A third grade elementary school girl who is Itaru's daughter. Miuna met Akari when she visited them shortly after she was born. She loves Akari but the thought of losing her like she did her mother caused her to refuse to accept Akari as family. Later on, she overcomes her fear and fully accepts Akari as her new mother. She has a crush on Hikari. During the five year period of the time skip, Miuna could usually be found staring out at the ocean waiting for Hikari to return. After the time skip, she enters middle school with Sayu. Her feelings for Hikari have only grown stronger, even to the point of rejecting one of her other classmates who has liked her since elementary school. When Miuna falls into the sea by accident, she develops Ena on her skin which allows her to breathe underwater like her mother. In episode 25, she becomes the Ojoshi-sama but is later saved by Hikari. In the epilogue, she comes in terms with her unrequited feelings for Hikari, looking forward to the future where she believes new feelings will be born.
Sayu Hisanuma (久沼 さゆ Hisanuma Sayu)
Voiced by: Kaori Ishihara (Japanese), Sarah Anne Williams (English)[1]
A third grade elementary school girl with light brown pigtails and hazel eyes. She is Miuna's best friend and has a crush on Kaname. After the time skip, she enters middle school with Miuna and decides to study hard to become an independent woman, but her crush on Kaname also grows stronger and she tries her best to overcome it. She eventually makes Kaname see her as not a little kid but as a girl his age. In the epilogue, she is seen puting down her pigtails to look more mature and possibly to impress Kaname. It is hinted that they may date in the near future.

Shioshishio residents

Tomoru Sakishima (先島 灯 Sakishima Tomoru)
Voiced by: Masuo Amada (Japanese), Richard Epcar (English)[1]
The widowed father of Hikari and Akari. He is also the Chief Priest of Shioshishio, who performs religious duties. He cares for his children and wants them to make their own decisions. In episode 26, he wakes up from hibernation and meets his grandson, Akira.
Lord Uroko (うろこ様 Uroko-sama)
Voiced by: Kousuke Toriumi (Japanese), Chris Niosi (English)[1]
A scale (hence, his name) and messenger of the Sea God. He appears as a man in his 20's however, he doesn't seem to age. He ensures everyone follows the laws of the village. He is perverted and enjoys drinking sake. Despite this perverted attitude, he shows sincere feelings of love to the original Ojoshi-sama.

Oshiooshi residents

Shiodome family

Akari Shiodome (潮留 あかり Shiodome Akari)
Voiced by: Kaori Nazuka (Japanese), Erica Mendez (English)[1]
Hikari's older sister who married Itaru, Miuna's father. She was a friend of Miori and grew to love their family. When Miori died, she wanted to be there to support them. After the timeskip, she has a 4 year old son named Akira.
Itaru Shiodome (潮留 至 Shiodome Itaru)
Voiced by: Junji Majima (Japanese), Grant George (English)[1]
Miuna's father. His first wife, Miori was from the sea. After a few years of recovering from Miori's death, he slowly begins a relationship with Akari and eventually marries her.
Akira Shiodome (潮留 晃 Shiodome Akira)
Voiced by: Shizuka Ishigami
Akari and Itaru's son. He is Hikari's nephew who was born during the hibernation of Shioshishio. He is mischievous and only listens to his sister, Miuna. He falls "in love" with Manaka. In the epilogue, like his sister, he also develops Ena on his skin.
Miori Shiodome (潮留 みをり Shiodome Miori)
Voiced by: Aya Endō
Miuna's deceased mother and Akari's close friend. She was from Shioshishio but moved to the surface to marry Itaru.

Tsumugu's middle school classmates

Takeshi Egawa (江川 岳 Egawa Takeshi)
Voiced by: Kengo Kawanishi
A classmate who helped them built the statue for Ofunehiki. After the timeskip, he ends up getting a girl pregnant and decides to quit college and work at her father's company.
Shun Sayama (狭山 旬 Sayama Shun)
Voiced by: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
A classmate who helped them built the statue for Ofunehiki. After the timeskip, he is working as the young master of Saya Mart. He loves playing pachinko.
Kaori Akiyoshi (秋吉 香 Akiyoshi Kaori)
Voiced by: Yurika Kubo
One of the classmates who helped built the statue for Ofunehiki. She loves to grope Chisaki.
Yū Seiki (清木 憂 Seiki Yū)
Voiced by: Ikumi Hayama
One of the classmates who helped them build the statue for Ofunehiki. She seems to have an interest in Kaname.

Others

Atsushi Minegishi (峰岸 淳 Minegishi Atsushi)
Voiced by: Ayumu Murase
Miuna's classmate who confessed to her and was rejected. However, in the last episode, it is hinted that he has not given up on his feelings for her.
Isamu Kihara (木原 勇 Kihara Isamu)
Voiced by: Motomu Kiyokawa (Japanese), Steve Mann (English)[1]
A former resident of Shioshishio and Tsumugu's grandfather who is also a fisherman. He accepts Chisaki into his household after the disaster that occurred during the Ofunehiki. After the time skip, he is shown recuperating in a hospital after his health deteriorated and is released from the hospital on the day of the Ofunehiki.
Satoru Mihashi (三橋 悟 Mihashi Satoru)
Voiced by: Shinji Kawada
Tsumugu's research professor in university. He is very curious and passionate about the sea and the hibernation.
Ojoshi-sama (おじょし様 Ojoshi-sama)
Voiced by: Saori Hayami
A former sacrifice maiden to the Sea God. She once had a lover on the surface, however she did develop feelings for the Sea God as well and never blamed him for anything. They also had two children together. Before the Sea God could realize this, he took her power to love someone and returned her to the surface. After Miuna is saved by Hikari, the Ojoshi-sama's feelings were released into the sea, making the Sea God realize her true feelings. This, therefore, ended the Calm.

Media

Manga

A manga adaptation, written by Project-118 and illustrated by Risō Maeda, began serialization in the June 2013 issue of ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh magazine. The series has been collected in two tankōbon volumes, released on September 27, 2013,[2] and February 27, 2014.[3] A second, four-panel comic strip manga titled Nagi no Asukara 4-koma Gekijō: Nagiyon (『凪のあすから』4コマ劇場　なぎよん), written by Project-118 and illustrated by Anko Chatō, began serialization on September 27, 2013 in ASCII Media Works' Dengeki Daioh g magazine. It has been collected in one tankōbon volume, released on January 27, 2014.[4]

Anime

The anime series is produced by P.A.Works and directed by Toshiya Shinohara. The screenplay is written by Mari Okada and the original character designs are by Buriki.[5] It started airing on October 3, 2013. For episodes 1 to 13, the opening theme is "lull ~Soshite Bokura wa~" (lull〜そして僕らは〜) by Ray and the ending theme is "Aqua Terrarium" (アクアテラリウム Akua Terariumu) by Nagi Yanagi. For episode 14 to 25, the opening and ending themes are "Ebb and Flow" by Ray and "Mitsuba no Musubime" (三つ葉の結びめ) by Nagi Yanagi respectively.[6] The 26th and final episode has 2 insert songs: "lull ~Earth color of a calm~" and "mnemonic", sung by Ray and Nagi Yanagi respectively. NIS America licensed the streaming and home video rights of the anime in North America.[7] Siren Visual has licensed the series for Australia/New Zealand, and MVM Entertainment has licensed the series in the United Kingdom.[8] NIS America will release the complete series on a limited edition Blu-ray set with an artbook and two soundtrack CDs on June 30, 2015, and will feature both Japanese and English audio tracks.[9][10]

Image Song

"Nagi-Nagi" (凪-nagi) by Ray

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 "A Lull in the Sea - Staff - NIS America". NIS America.com. Retrieved 2015-04-28.
  2. ↑ 凪のあすから 1 (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved October 3, 2013.
  3. ↑ "凪のあすから (2) (電撃コミックスNEXT)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  4. ↑ "4コマ公式アンソロジー 凪のあすから (電撃コミックスEX)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Kana Hanazawa Leads P.A. Works' Nagi no Asu Kara Cast". Anime News Network. 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2012-11-04.
  6. ↑ "アニメ『凪のあすから』のOPテーマにRayさん、EDテーマにやなぎなぎさんが決定!". Animate. August 27, 2013. Retrieved August 27, 2013.
  7. ↑ "NIS America Licenses P.A. Works' Nagi no Asukara Anime". Anime News Network. December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Siren Visual Licenses Nagi no Asukara". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
  9. ↑ "Nagi no Asukara/A Lull in the Sea Gets English Dub". Anime News Network. 2015-03-10.
  10. ↑ "A Lull in the Sea/Nagi no Asukara Trailer Unveils English Dub Cast". Anime News Network. 2015-04-28.

External links