Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea
Sincere coming-of-age about romance, friendship, community.
Kids say
Based on 1 review
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Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea is a coming-of-age story featuring romance and friendship amidst a low-fantasy setting and themes of cultural prejudice. The main story is about youth coming to terms with unfamiliar feelings of jealousy and attraction. Meanwhile, they also deal with fitting into a new community and facing the complicated history of their cultural heritage. Language involves profanity (e.g., "hell," "crap," "sucks"), name-calling (e.g., "jerk," "dummy"), and cultural insults based on the fantasy setting. There's some verbal bullying between classmates, but it's quickly stopped. Physical aggression is limited to characters tugging on one another's arms and one scene where an angry child tackles and punches an adult character. Nudity includes images of naked bodies swimming in the sea; backsides are clearly shown but other sensitive areas are censored. The characters face some danger during magical sea storms as they jump in to rescue drowning characters.
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What's the Story?
Hikari Sakishima (voiced by Max Mittelman in the English dub) and his friends live in Shioshishio, a village under the sea inhabited by humans with special abilities to live underwater. When their middle school is closed down, they must attend school in the surface city of Oshiooshi, where they struggle as outsiders to fit in. A LULL IN THE SEA follows their journey of befriending classmates, navigating budding romance, and growing up amidst two worlds. Alongside Oshiooshi classmate Tsumugu Kihara (voiced by Chris Hackney), they work to settle disputes and unite both communities to avert natural disasters caused by the Sea God.
Is It Any Good?
This ensemble romantic drama handles issues of family, friendship, and community with light-hearted sincerity that parallels the highs and lows of growing up. A Lull in the Sea starts slow, with a sometimes frustrating series of conflicts caused mostly by characters' running away (literally) any time they face strong feelings -- both their own and others'. Yet this initial reactiveness feeds the satisfactions of seeing characters learn to slow down, speak up, and confront things head on.
Despite being about the overlapping romantic "triangles" among seven friends, the show avoids being overly complicated or contrived. Instead, the melodrama is mostly internal, as is typical for young teens. Furthermore, the conflict is grounded by real-world issues of culture and natural disaster. Exciting but never dark, these challenging topics often enhance the central message that love is a powerful force meant not only for romantic partners but also for family, friends, community, and one's self.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about understanding new feelings. What are some healthy strategies for dealing with new, confusing feelings that might be overwhelming -- such as romantic attraction, jealousy, or grief?
Talk about bias and prejudice. Why do the two communities have negative perceptions of each other? How do the characters overcome their own prejudices and help unite others, like the adults?
TV Details
- Premiere date: October 3, 2013
- Cast: Max Mittelman, Michelle Ruff, Brianna Knickerbocker, Chris Hackney
- Networks: Netflix, Crunchyroll
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Friendship, Middle School
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: February 25, 2023
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