Character page for Nagi-Asu: A Lull in the Sea.
Beware of sometimes unmarked spoilers, spoilerific trope names and an especially spoilerific character at the bottom.
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Main Characters
Hikari Sakishima
Voiced by: Natsuki Hanae (Japanese), Max Mittelman (English)
Manaka's Childhood Friend, who has been looking out for her since they were little. Hot-headed and impatient, Hikari likes and cares for Manaka. However, his short temper and rash nature often get in the way of his fundamentally good intentions. He is the son of Shioshishio's chief priest and the heir to the Narunami Shrine that serves the Sea God.
- Affectionate Nickname: He is called Hii-kun by Manaka The dub translates it to "Hiki".
- Big Brother Instinct: Towards Miuna. "Step-Uncle Instinct" after the Time Skip.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Initially too embarrassed and afraid of rejection to admit his feelings for Manaka. In the 12th episode, after being asked what he feels for her by Kaname, he confesses to her.
- Character Development: Over time he changes from a hater of land-dwellers into a champion of reconciliation; decides not to stand in the way of Manaka getting close to Tsumugu or choosing her own path; becomes a proactive leader; and speaks out for what he thinks is right. Manaka, seeing him acting so reliable, asks when "Hii-Kun" suddenly became a man. In episode 13 his father tells him, "Apparently you’ve grown up without me realizing it."
- Childhood Friends: With Manaka, Chisaki, and Kaname.
- Cool Big Sis: Has one in the form of Akari. He in turn tries to act like a big brother to Manaka and later to Miuna.
- Cooldown Hug: Gives one to Miuna in episode 5.
- Deep Sleep: By Episode 14, it is shown that he went into hibernation with the rest of the merpeople but woke up by the end of the episode without clothes and at the age he fell asleep.
- Establishing Character Moment: In his introduction he cooks hot pot for his family, suggesting how he has learned to take care of himself and his family after his mother died, and we learn that he is Tsundere for his childhood friend Manaka from the way that he blushes while angrily refuting Akari and thinks to himself that she's hopeless without him. Then he complains about Manaka wearing their new school's uniform, suggesting his fierce loyalty to his friends and suspicion of land dwellers.
- First-Name Basis: With almost everyone close to him, such as his friends and his sister. Later he starts calling Tsumugu by his first name also.
- Gender-Blender Name: Hikari is usually used as a girl's name.
- Green-Eyed Monster: It becomes less obvious as Hikari mellows out and befriends Tsumugu, but he's jealous of how the latter helped Manaka grow more than he did.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: He has a really short temper at first.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Kaname, his best friend from the sea.
- Human Popsicle: Goes into hibernation and wakes up 5 years later to find out that everyone has changed except him.
- I Want My Beloved Tobe Happy: He is willing to support both Manaka and Akari decisions even if they want to marry a guy from the surface.
- In episode 7, he also willing to do the Ofunehiki for both Manaka and Tsumugu.
- Identical Grandson: He looks exactly like the son of the Sea God and the original Ojoshi-sama.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He's brash and often resorts to force when his patience runs out, but Hikari is also fiercely loyal to his friends, and truly cares for his sister.
- Like Brother and Sister: How he seems to regard his relationship with Chisaki, with whom he grew up with, and also Miuna. Particularly now that the latter is his step-niece.
- Love Triangle: In the first half of the series, he is involved in a love triangle with Manaka and Chisaki. Hikari likes Manaka and Chisaki likes Hikari. In the second half, he still likes Manaka (who is stuck in hibernation but hinted to return his feelings) and Miuna seems to have mostly replaced Chisaki's position. Chisaki still has lingering feelings for him but she is more involved in a Love Triangle with Tsumugu and Kaname.
- Manaka wins the love triangle when they discover her feelings for Hikari turn out to have been mutual all along.
- Missing Mom: His mother died when he was little.
- My Sister Is Off-Limits: When he finds out that his sister is dating Itaru he is not comfortable with the situation at first.
- Naked on Revival: After he woke up from his hibernation, his clothes didn't come with him.
- Oblivious to Love: Is unaware that Chisaki has feelings for him. Until episode 12 when she confesses to him. Likewise he doesn't seem to notice that Miuna likes him.
- Older Than He Looks: His body didn't age while he hibernated as revealed in Episode 14.
- Pet the Dog: He took care of Miuna when she ran away from home.
- Real Men Cook: A brash young man who cooks a mean hot pot, a result of having to adjust after his mother's death.
- The Runaway: In episode 7, he flees to the surface together with Akari since the village elders forbid her love with Itaru.
- Tsurime Eyes: His upward-pointed eye shape and eyelashes indicate that he is more blunt and aggressive than his friends who have Tareme eyes, but he still has his sensitive side.
- Tsundere: Hikari is a male example. He is always harsh towards Manaka, but only because he loves her and is going through a great deal of jealousy at her pining for another man. Over time he becomes more honest with his feelings.
- The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: His dad's middle-aged and a gruff manly man, but Hikari is a beautiful Bishōnen. Maybe he gets it from his mother.
Manaka Mukaido
Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English)
Hikari's Childhood Friend who is clumsy and prone to crying. As a result of him constantly protecting her as a child, she is somewhat emotionally dependent on him. It's implied that she has feelings for Tsumugu.
- Alliterative Name: Manaka Mukaido.
- Childhood Friends: With Hikari, Chisaki and Kaname.
- Cute Clumsy Girl: Hopelessly clumsy, which is depicted as cute and endearing.
- Declaration of Protection: To Hikari in episode 4. It's part of her Character Development, as Manaka seems to be slowly gaining confidence in herself.
- Deep Sleep: Enters hibernation after crashing into the Ojoshi-sama graveyard. Hikari finds and takes her up to the surface, a week passes but she still does not wake up until the end of episode 20.
- First-Name Basis: With Kaname and with Tsumugu. She calls Chisaki and Hikari "Chii-chan" and "Hii-kun" respectively.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Sacrifices herself to the Sea God in Akari's place. Manaka lost her Ena and the ability to love anyone because she refused to accept her role as the Ojoshi-sama, which delayed the cooling of the world, a process accelerated after she was brought back to the surface. In Episode 25, she retrieves both attributes from Miuna, who subsequently becomes the sacrifice.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Chisaki, her best friend from childhood.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: She is in love with Hikari but doesn't admit it because Chisaki is also in love with him, and she deeply values their friendship.
- Identical Grandson: She looks exactly like the daughter of the Sea God and the original Ojoshi-sama.
- Innocent Blue Eyes: While everyone in the sea has blue eyes, Manaka's have a special connotation of her innocent personality.
- Loving a Shadow: A possible explanation of her attraction towards Tsumugu, whom she compared to the sun and the longing she had for the surface as a child.
- Matchmaker Crush: She tries to be a good friend to Chisaki by pushing her to become closer to Hikari in the hopes that she will confess her feelings for him, despite being in love with Hikari herself.
- Meaningful Name: Kaname notes that she's the center (mannaka) of their group of friends.
- Naïve Everygirl: A sweet, humble girl who is insecure about her clumsiness and becomes interested in a new guy she meets on the surface.
- Nice Girl: Sweet, friendly, kind-hearted, and very supportive of her friends and virtually does not hold any grudge against anyone. Even after losing her ability to love, she still maintains her personality.
- Oblivious to Love: She never realised Hikari's feelings towards her. Until he confesses to her.
- In a cruel twist, episode 22 reveals that she has completely become this, after the sea god took away her ability to love anyone.
- Older Than She Looks: Just like Hikari and Kaname, she hasn't aged at all.
- Prone to Tears: A very emotional and sensitive young girl who cries easily.
- Silk Hiding Steel: In a sense. Manaka's sensitive nature (and her tendency to cry easily) hides a very strong will.
- Tareme Eyes: Has big round eyes that droop at the corners, indicating her gentle and innocent personality.
- Tender Tears: Prone to breaking down crying easily. No wonder why Hikari considers her to be a crybaby
Tsumugu Kihara
Voiced by: Kaito Ishikawa (Japanese), Chris Hackney (English)
Click here to see him after the Time Skip
A boy from the surface who attends Mihama Junior High. Tsumugu first comes into contact with the sea-dwelling kids when he accidentally fishes Manaka out of the water. He shows a strong interest in Shioshishio's culture and eventually befriends the group when working on a festival doll with them. He lives with his grandfather Isamu.
- Accidental Pervert: Walks in on Chisaki while she's changing clothes, which is Played for Drama rather than laughs.
- Anchored Ship: He and Chisaki don't make any progress for many years. They both love each other, but Chisaki is in denial about her feelings and Tsumugu is hesitant in making any moves.
- Brutal Honesty: He doesn't bother mincing his words. It seems to be a double-edged sword - while this trait has helped facilitate Manaka's Character Development, it didn't serve him well when he confronted Chisaki regarding the latter's feelings for Hikari. It's arguably Tsumugu's biggest asset and flaw, and he can unintentionally come off as an arrogant know-all, as Chisaki points out in episode 24.
- Cannot Spit It Out: He has been in love with Chisaki for years, but doesn't approach her about it since she still has some feelings for Hikari.
- City Mouse: Was this when he was younger. He lived in the city with his parents prior to running away live with his grandfather.
- First-Name Basis: With Hikari and Kaname. He calls the girls by their last names.
- He starts calling Chisaki and Miuna (and presumably Sayu) by their first name after the Time Skip. Notably, he still addresses Manaka by her last name.
- Foil: To both Hikari and Kaname. It's more obvious with Hikari, with Tsumugu's quiet wisdom contrasting with Hikari's impulsive yet well-intentioned actions. With Kaname, it's slightly more complex: Both boys tend to hide their true feelings and try to be mature- Kaname conceals his behind a smile, while Tsumugu does the same by maintaining a stoic front. They also differ in how the act with regard to Chisaki- Kaname actively tries to get Chisaki's attention, while Tsumugu is rather passive in comparison, preferring to wait it out and let Chisaki sort out her feelings.
- Grass is Greener: Tsumugu tells Hikari that he envies how outwardly passionate he and his friends are, which resonates him as The Stoic.
- He Is All Grown Up: After the Time Skip, Chisaki notices how handsome he's become.
- I Know You Know I Know: He tells Chisaki that he's more than aware that she loves him, but that he's only waiting for the time for her to finally admit it.
- I Will Wait for You: He's not one to force anything from anyone, allowing Chisaki to sort out her feelings and finally come to him unencumbered.
- Like an Old Married Couple: After the time skip, Kaname is quick to notice how Chisaki and Tsumugu are familiar and used to each other, making him jealous.
- Like Father, Unlike Son: Tsumugu, in complete opposition towards his parents, loves the sea. He harbors very little sympathy towards them for this.
- Love Confession: In episode 23 he confess to Chisaki, at first accidentally and later he does it again properly.
- Love Triangle: Hikari likes Manaka who likes Tsumugu, but his feelings towards her are ambiguous.
- There are hints that he likes Chisaki and Kaname perceives him as a romantic rival in gaining her affections. The second cour confirms that Tsumugu has been deeply in love with Chisaki all along. He wins the Love Triangle too.
- He never thought of Manaka in a romantic light and she confessed to him that even with the profound joy she found with meeting him, the one she loved was Hikari.
- Mommy Issues: We don't know what happened, but it seems he doesn't get along with his mother. Episode 23 reveals that his mother and father used to live with Tsumugu's grandfather by the sea. However, they hated the sea and abandoned it in favor of the city. Tsumugu ran away from his parents to reunite with his grandfather.
- Not So Stoic: He laughs his head off in episode 3. It's quite a sight to behold. He also expresses his anguish and frustration about being unrequited by Chisaki.
- Official Couple: With Chisaki, after they confirm and accept their feelings for each other.
- Oblivious to Love: He doesn't seem to notice Manaka's feelings for him. Or he may have noticed her affections as evidenced in episode 23 but did not believe they were done out of romantic love and it was because she was curious of the surface instead, Manaka also later confessed to him that she was in love with Hikari.
- Patient Childhood Love Interest: With regard to Chisaki, though they were a bit older than most when the trope came into effect.
- The Quiet One: He reveals to Miuna that his naturally quiet and emotionally distant nature bothers him, especially since the four Shioshishio kids express themselves more freely that he does. It's implied that he believes it to be the reason why he never fully integrated into the tight circle of Hikari, Manaka, Chisaki and Kaname in middle school.
- Raised by Grandparents: He went to live with his grandfather on his own volition at the age of 9, since his parents hated the sea.
- Real Men Cook: He knows how to cook, as evidenced in episode 4.
- Romantic False Lead: At first it seems that he is going to be Hikari's rival as a contender for Manaka's affections, but he never shows any kind of romantic interest on her and ends up developing feelings for Chisaki instead.
- Second Love: He is Chisaki's, once she learns to let go of Hikari and accept a new love.
- Ship Tease: Has quite a bit of this with Chisaki even though their relationship is quite removed from the rest of the Love Dodecahedron drama in the series.
- Until the second cour rolls around where the Ship Tease is turned up and it is revealed that the two have been in love with each other all along but various circumstances kept them from getting a Relationship Upgrade.
- The Stoic: Usually has a neutral expression and doesn't express his emotions or raise his voice often.
- Tall, Dark, and Handsome: A handsome boy who's tall, dark-complexioned, and black-haired. Especially after the Time Skip, when he's grown taller and more manly.
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: Has this with Chisaki in spades.
- Victorious Childhood Friend: To Chisaki.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Essentially invokes this trope in episode 9 when he tells Chisaki that she should stop trying to change herself. She doesn't really take it well, and accuses him of not understanding her.
- He was telling her to not change herself for all the wrong reasons - a boy.
- When He Smiles: Usually stoic, but looks wonderful when he smiles or laughs.
- Wise Beyond His Years: Has always been unusually mature for his age, considering things from a more objective viewpoint than his peers.
Chisaki Hiradaira
Voiced by: Ai Kayano (Japanese), Brianna Knickerbocker (English)
Click here to see her after the Time Skip
Friends with Manaka, Hikari and Kaname, and the group's resident peacemaker. Chisaki is a kind, nurturing girl who likes Hikari, but her crush on him often clashes with the sisterly feelings she has for Manaka.
- Affectionate Nickname: She is called Chii-chan by Manaka.
- Break the Cutie: If having all her friends and family go into a Deep Sleep wasn't enough for the poor girl, she has a small breakdown after Tsumugu's grandfather (who more or less adopted her after everybody else was gone) almost dies and has to go into emergency surgery, terrified he was going to die and leave her, too.
- Buxom Beauty Standard: She's well-endowed which makes several of the boys attracted to her, such as Shun. She doesn't entirely enjoy the attention.
- Cannot Spit It Out:
- To Hikari. Until episode 12, where she ends up confessing to him.
- Also to Tsumugu, she has incredible difficulty confessing her love for him.
- Can't Hold Her Liquor: Gets drunk purely off the placebo effect, since Tsumugu made sure the plum juice was non-alcoholic.
- Childhood Friends: With Hikari, Manaka, and Kaname.
- D-Cup Distress: Since Chisaki is more developed than the rest of her classmates, her bigger chest makes her uncomfortable with the attention she receives. She also has a hard time fitting into her middle school uniform when she's older.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: After the timeskip, her hair is shorter, and she wears it loose with a simple braid tied with a blue ribbon in one side.
- Fake High: Tsumugu gives her non-alcoholic plum juice instead of plum wine but she still acts drunk.
- Fanservice Pack: Filled out nicely. Then the show emphasizes on it.
- First-Name Basis: With Hikari, Kaname and Manaka and later with Tsumugu also.
- Guilt Complex: Shows signs of this, as she feels guilty for continuing to like Hikari despite his obvious attraction to Manaka.
- She feels guilty that she fell in love with Tsumugu, feeling she betrayed everyone else by aging and changing.
- Happily Adopted: After being left alone, as she didn't hibernate with everyone else, she is sort of adopted by Isamu, Tsumugu's grandfather. She starts to call him "grandpa" and is shown to be quite happy living together with them.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Manaka, her female best friend.
- Hopeless Suitor: She has always loved Hikari, but knows on some level that he will never return her feelings that way. She ends up falling in love with Tsumugu, who returns her feelings, but she's scared and guilty to accept him.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: She would rather have Hikari and Manaka get together than trying to get Hikari herself.
- She has also been in love with Tsumugu for years but felt guilty in pursuing a relationship with him because as fas as she knew Manaka liked him and she didn't want to let go of her feelings for Hikari, since it would mean that she had changed.
- Like an Old Married Couple: By the way they conduct themselves around each other after the time skip, Chisaki and Tsumugu have almost an implicit, unspoken physical language only developed by those who have lived with each other for years. He even tells Chisaki that he already knows how she will react and what she'll say even before she does, letting her know that he is more than aware that she loves him in spite of all her efforts.
- Love Triangle: In the first half, Chisaki likes Hikari but he is in love with her best friend, Manaka. There were also hints of a Love Triangle between Tsumugu, Chisaki and Kaname in the first half which were confirmed in the second half. It is revealed that she had some feelings for Tsumugu five years ago, which developed further into love during the time they spent together. However, she is constantly in denial about it because she cannot believe that she fell in love with him within the span of five years while she knew Hikari since she was born and she is aware that Manaka likes Tsumugu as well.
- Although it turns out later that Manaka's interest in Tsumugu was actually based on her admiration for the surface and she was really in love with Hikari. She still feels guilt over having lived a relatively happy life while her friends hibernated but Chisaki later comes to accept Tsumugu's feelings for her.
- Loving a Shadow: She says that she is in love with "the Hikari who is deeply in love with Manaka". After the time skip, she comes to realize that this didn't change and that she is actually in love with Tsumugu.
- Nice Girl: A kind and nurturing girl who looks out for Manaka and is considerate of other people's feelings.
- Official Couple: With Tsumugu, after they confirm and accept their feelings for each other.
- The Resenter: Chisaki hates herself for not supporting Hikari and Manaka's relationship as wholeheartedly as she'd like to. This is, in part, due to her feelings for Hikari. She seems to resent Manaka on some level, too, though she tries to repress this in fear of change and the destruction of their friendship.
- She only seemed to resent Manaka when she started to try to get Hikari and Chisaki together. Even though Chisaki herself asked her to forget about it and especially as she is trying to step out so as not to trouble Hikari's pursuit of Manaka.
- She Is All Grown Up: After the Time Skip, when she asks Tsumugu how she looks, he tells her she's become beautiful.
- Ship Tease: Has quite a bit of this with Tsumugu even though their relationship is quite removed from the rest of the Love Dodecahedron drama in the series.
- Until the second cour rolls around where the Ship Tease is turned up and it is revealed that the two have been in love with each other all along but various circumstances kept them from getting a Relationship Upgrade.
- Status Quo Is God: She is afraid that the changes that she and her friends are experimenting after going to the surface may break their friendship, particularly as these changes are of the romantic type.
- Strong Family Resemblance: She is a younger version of her mother!
- Survivor Guilt: She feels guilty for being able to go on with her life, growing up, falling in love and such while everyone else she knew were all hibernating. She feels that if she doesn't cling to her past self, and her past feelings, she will be betraying her family and friends.
- Team Mom: The nurturing figure in her group of friends, who looks after Manaka, the baby of the bunch.
- Tsundere: A Type B towards Tsumugu. It's one of the reasons he falls in love with her.
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: She has plenty of this with Tsumugu.
Kaname Isaki
Voiced by: Ryōta Ōsaka (Japanese), Bryce Papenbrook (English)
Friends with Hikari, Chisaki and Manaka. Kaname is a perceptive, easygoing boy who is Chisaki's chief confidant. He is polite, but straightforward, and seems to have a mischievous streak.
- Beneath the Mask: A lot of his actions in the series show that Kaname isn't as mature as he tries to be.
- Big Brother Mentor: He's not actually related to any of them, but Kaname's the most mature of the sea-dwelling kids, and is usually the one (among the four of them) to give advice to the others or ask a thought-provoking question.
- The Charmer: His generally easygoing demeanor earns him a the admiration of one of his female classmates. He's not afraid to use this to his advantage, if episode 7 is any indication.
- Childhood Friends: With Hikari, Manaka, and Chisaki.
- The Comically Serious: Episode 16 and 17, he casually strolls to a cafe owner while naked, but nonchalantly asks what day it is.
- Crazy Jealous Guy: Since Tsumugu is also hinted to like Chisaki, this causes Kaname to perceive him as a romantic rival and act incredibly jealous whenever the two interact.
- Cruel Mercy: He says was not planning on saving Tsumugu. Originally, he wanted to leave him to die since Tsumugu was also in love with Chisaki and then Kaname would be rid of any competition. He decided to save Tsumugu only so that he could impress Chisaki but it failed miserably because he fell into the sea instead. Whether he actually meant this or was saying it out of bitterness towards Tsumugu is hard to determine.
- Cruel to Be Kind: His reasons for forcing Hikari to confess to Manaka included wanting the four of them to let it all out and hibernate without any regrets. The other main reason stemmed from his jealousy towards Hikari and to some extent Tsumugu. It backfires horribly, and Kaname is left lamenting on how he, too tried "his best".
- Deadpan Snarker: He's got a bit of a mean streak and is not above making subtle jabs at his friends. See the example below and keep in mind that Chisaki likes Hikari. It takes place when the four kids are discussing Akari's boyfriend and land-dwellers in general.Hikari: Chisaki, your taste in guys sucks.Kaname: [nonchalantly] Ain't that the truth.[Chisaki looks away, blushing.]
- Deep Sleep: Like most of the Shioshio residents.
- Dogged Nice Guy: He likes Chisaki and tries to be kind and supportive towards her so that she will fall in love with him.
- First-Name Basis: With Chisaki, Hikari and Manaka and later with Tsumugu.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Hikari, his male best friend.
- Hopeless Suitor: He likes Chisaki, but she is in love with Hikari.
- I Just Want to Be Loved: He anguishly confesses to Sayu that his greatest fear when he woke up was that there would be no one there for him to love him, which actually came to happen until Sayu told him that he's right in the middle of her heart.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: For a long time, he struggles with his selfish feelings of wanting to keep Chisaki from hooking up with someone else even if he can't have her, but finally he matures enough to let her go, and helps Tsumugu to reconcile with Chisaki so they can become a couple.
- Likes Older Women: After the Time Skip he made sure to tell Chisaki that since she has gotten older than him, now he prefers older women.
- Living Emotional Crutch: To Sayu, from the moment she met him. She loves him so much that she became an exemplary student just to measure up to him.
- Love Confession: In episode 10, he abruptly confesses to Chisaki.
- Love Hurts: He has a unrequited on Chisaki, who herself has feelings for Hikari. Kaname makes his feelings known in hopes that Chisaki will eventually get over her own feelings. And then the Time Skip happens with Kaname still stuck in his 14-year old body while Chisaki has grown up and has a lot of UST with Tsumugu. Kaname realizing that he's the Hopeless Suitor in this new Love Triangle.
- Maybe Ever After: With Sayu, after her confession he says that he will start looking at her as a girl his age and the ending does imply that they may end up together soon.
- Morality Pet: He serves this purpose for all the main characters as a whole, but for Sayu in particular, this aspect made her fall in love with him. After the Time Skip, she even tells him that he's the whole reason she became who she is, to stand tall at his side.
- Murder the Hypotenuse: Apart from Kaname himself, Tsumugu is also in love with Chisaki. Kaname grows increasingly jealous of Tsumugu becoming closer to her. In episode 13, Kaname thought about leaving Tsumugu to die as a way of removing the competition.
- Naked on Revival: Just like with Hikari, only he woke up alone and had to walk into town nude.
- Not So Stoic: He admits to Sayu in tears that he's been painfully lonely after he woke up, thinking that there was no one waiting for him.
- Older Than He Looks: Like Hikari, he hasn't aged after waking up after the Time Skip.
- Only Sane Man: He is the most level-headed in the group, and he is the only one who can converse with the land people normally. He is also the one least likely to be swayed by prejudices of preferences, be it the conflict between the people of the land and sea or the Love Dodecahedron involving his best friends. Later, however, Kaname's neutral façade breaks once when Chisaki speaks bitterly of Tsumugu. The fact that Tsumugu is able to stir passionate emotion in Chisaki- something Kaname has never been able to do- incurs Kaname's jealousy, and his bitterness increases after the Time Skip, as he's aware of the fact that he's rapidly losing any chance he's ever had of getting together with Chisaki.
- Patient Childhood Love Interest: Is trying to be this to Chisaki. It doesn't work and he soon figures out that she has been in love with Tsumugu all along.
- Stepford Smiler: He acts mellow, but is secretly unhappy and resentful.
- Tender Tears: Towards Sayu after the time skip, who confesses her love for him, making him admit how lonely he is and how he felt abandoned by the world by thinking that there was no one waiting for him when he woke up. For this loving kindness, he promises to start seeing her more like a girl rather than the annoying kid that she was when they first met.
- Undying Loyalty: Shown when he convinces Sayu to apologise to Hikari for vandalising the Ofunehiki.
- He tells Chisaki that no matter what happens, he will always love her.
- Unlucky Childhood Friend: To Chisaki.
- Wise Beyond His Years: Very insightful despite his sociable nature. This aspect of his character is especially prominent when he is interacting with Chisaki and -to a lesser extent- Hikari. Downplayed when it turns out he's not as mature as he likes to think.
Shioshishio (Village Of The Sea)/Sea Dwellers/Mer-People
Akari Sakishima
Voiced by: Kaori Nazuka (Japanese), Erica Mendez (English)
Click here to see her after the Time Skip
Hikari's older sister who works at the "Saya Mart", a market on the land. She is currently dating Itaru.
- Absurdly Youthful Mother: After the five years Time Skip she has a son with Itaru, yet she looks as young as when we first met her.
- Affectionate Nickname: She is called Aka-chan by Miuna, up until Miuna accepts Akari as her new mother and starts using "Mom".
- Almost Kiss: When she is going to kiss Itaru in episode 16 she is stopped by their son.
- Big Brother Instinct: Always felt responsible for Hikari as his big sister, especially after their mother died.
- Brother–Sister Incest: Jokingly suggested this to Hikari in episode 3, since there seems to be few unmarried men of her age in Shioshishio.
- Cool Big Sis: Towards Hikari and Miuna.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: After the timeskip, her hair is longer and tied into a ponytail to symbolize how she's become a mother and settled down.
- The Gadfly: Enjoys teasing Hikari about Manaka.
- Happily Married: To Itaru.
- Nice Girl: A kind and nurturing young woman who looks after her younger friends and family.
- Promotion to Parent: To Hikari, after their mother died. She has focused on taking care of him and prioritizing his well being above hers. She is also a Parental Substitute for Miuna.
- Romancing the Widow: She fell in love with Itaru when she was still a student, but he was already a married man with a young child. She is in her early twenties while he is in his early thirties. The age gap and being of different "races" generates a large amount of social disapproval. Akari first met Itaru through Miori, who was his first wife and whom Akari claims to hold very dear to her heart. But Uroko has suspicions that Akari may have been somewhat happy when Miori died so that she could be with Itaru.
- The Runaway: In episode 7, she flees to the surface together with Hikari for fear of being separated from Itaru.
- Second Love: She is this to Itaru after his first wife Miori's death.
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man: Falls in love with Itaru because he is a good provider, affectionate lover, and steady father.
- Stepford Smiler: Puts on a brave face of cheerfulness, but she had to sacrifice her personal happiness to take care of Hikari after their mother died, and she tries to hide her anguish and accept the elder's judgement when she is forbidden from marrying Itaru.
- The Ugly Guy's Hot Daughter: Seems to have gotten the lucky genes from her pretty mother rather than her scruffy father.
Lord Uroko
Voiced by: Kosuke Toriumi (Japanese), Chris Niosi (English)
A messenger of the Sea God who is the Lord of Shioshishio. He ensures that everyone follows the laws of the village. Even though he still acts like a kid, he is somewhat perverted and enjoys drinking sake.
- Actually Pretty Funny: He laughs at the fact that the whole shebang of the Sea God comes from the deity misunderstanding Ojoshi-sama's feelings, who actually came to love him back by the time he sent her back to the surface, Dramatically Missing the Point.
- Dirty Old Man: Likes to tease the local girls about their bodies, reminisces about the Ojoshi-sama's beauty, and has lived for many generations despite looking like a young man. However, it's implied that this has to do with the ordeal that the Sea God endured with Ojoshi-sama.
- Eternal Love: He says that he will, just like the Sea God, love the original Ojoshi-sama for all eternity.
- Hidden Depths: He has a deep-rooted admiration for humans, and strives to guide them like an adult leading children.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He may be a pervert who curses people for reacting badly to his teasing about their bodies, but he also offers to put a curse on Akari after she breaks up with Itaru so she will forget him.
- Manchild: Acts in an immature manner, sitting around all day snacking and drinking while doing whatever amuses him.
- Meaningful Name: Uroko means 'scale' in Japanese, and he is a scale of the Sea God who became his own person.
- Mystical White Hair: A white-haired deity with magical powers.
- Older Than He Looks: He's been in the village long enough to see multiple generations live and die, yet his appearance never changed from that of a man in the prime of life.
- Physical God: He is a fragment (a "scale") of the Sea God.
Tomoru Sakishima
Voiced by: Masuo Amada (Japanese), Richard Epcar (English)
Hikari and Akari's father. He is the chief priest of Narunami Shrine.
- Happily Married: Until his wife's death.
- Mistaken for Pedophile: Miuna and Sayu accuse him of being a pedophile and attack him when he tries to talk to them before he gets a chance to tell them who he is.
- Open-Minded Parent: Despite his objection to Akari dating a man from the land, he also said Akari is the one who will determine her own future.
- Parents as People: He loves Hikari and Akari yet he is bound by his responsibilities towards their village.
- The Stoic: Holds his emotions close to the vest, believing it his duty to be a rock for his family and the community.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Just compare his appearance with his late wife
◊.
Land Dwellers
Miuna Shiodome
Voiced by: Mikako Komatsu (Japanese), Xanthe Huynh (English)
Click here to see her after the Time Skip
A third grade elementary school girl whose mother died when she was young. She lives together with her father. She seems to hold a grudge against Hikari because his sister is dating her father.
- Ascended Extra: She gets a more prominent role in the second half of the show.
- Break Her Heart to Save Her: She tells Akari to go away again so that Akari will will go back to the sea and hibernate with the sea people, as she doesn't want Akari to die. It doesn't work.
- Child of Two Worlds: She is the daughter of a land man and a sea woman. This later comes into collation when she spontaneously develops an Ena, making her able to breathe underwater and opening the path of the reawakening of the sea dwellers.
- Cool Big Sis: Implied when Akari said that Akira will only listen to Miuna.
- Deep Sleep: Almost. She becomes the new sacrifice but she is saved shortly after it.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: After the timeskip, she has long hair which she keeps into two looped twintails.
- Girlish Pigtails: When she was younger. And after the timeskip as her hair grew longer.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Sayu and later with Manaka.
- Hopeless Suitor: She falls in love with Hikari, who is not only older than her, but in love with Manaka.
- Instant Expert: Goes from having Super Drowning Skills to swimming amazingly swiftly.
- Kids Are Cruel: She gets better though. Also she has also suffered it, she was outcasted and bullied by her class, not that she cared though.
- Luminescent Blush: As she suffers from Crush Blush. When she is near Hikari or if he touches her, Miuna's face flushes in a matter of seconds.
- Maybe Ever After: At the finale, Minegishi's crush on her is brought up again, which could mean that he may confess again to her.
- Meaningful Name: Her name, Miuna, is written as beautiful sea.
- Missing Mom: Her mother Miori died when she was younger.
- Not So Stoic: By virtue of her relationship problems with Akari, Miuna is shown to have a deep rooted Tranquil Fury that makes her seem stoic. When all is settled down, it's shown that she is both loving and kind.
- Ocular Gushers: Cries a river in episode 11◊.
- Only Friend: To Sayu.
- Precocious Crush: She develops feelings towards Hikari. And even after 5 years she seems to still be in love with him.
- Proper Tights with a Skirt: Wears black tights with her middle school uniform after the Time Skip.
- She's All Grown Up: In the Time Skip she has grown remarkably pretty.
- Strong Family Resemblance: She takes after her mother, Miori. They look really similar, except Miuna's hair is darker and she doesn't have the blue eyes of the Shioshishio inhabitants.
- Unrequited Tragic Maiden: Miuna has an unrequited love for Hikari and she comes very close to a tragic end as a sacrifice to the Sea God when she tried to save her beloved's Love Interest, Manaka. In the end thanks to Hikari's efforts and the original Ojoshi-sama's feelings reaching the Sea God, she is saved.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: She was still a sweet kid after her mother's death until she was told that Akari might be her new mother.
Sayu Hisanuma
Voiced by: Kaori Ishihara (Japanese), Sarah Anne Williams (English)
Click here to see her after the Time Skip
Miuna's best friend who often instigates confrontations with the sea people.
- Ascended Extra: Just like Miuna, Sayu gets a more prominent role in the second half.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: She is head-over-heels for Kaname from the moment they met, as she sees him as her moral compass, and thus dedicates the following five years grooming herself both academically and emotionally following his example to be worthy of him.
- Curtains Match the Windows
- Easily Forgiven: By Hikari and his friends for destroying Ojoshi-sama.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: After the timeskip, she has longer hair, and the twintails don't keep all of it. The ribbon is also gone. At the end she decides to change her hairtsyle and let her hair loose, hinted to be an attempt to look more mature.
- Fashionable Asymmetry: One of her pigtails is far bigger than the other.
- Girlish Pigtails
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Miuna.
- Hopeless Suitor: Just like Miuna, Sayu falls in love with an older boy who has his heart set on another girl.
- I Will Wait for You: After the time skip, she tells Kaname that she's been waiting for him for the last five years, and that everything she has striven for is due to the mere drive to see him again and be with him; Kaname himself was ostensibly not aware of this and cries with happiness, confessing that he thought no one was going to be there for him to love him when he woke up.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Although she's very much the Bratty Half-Pint, much of what she does is for Miuna. She only acts against those who she feels have wronged her best friend.
- Kids Are Cruel: She gets better though. Was at the other end of this trope herself, she was bullied and ignored by her classmates before they changed targets to Miuna.
- Love Confession: In episode 24 she tells Kaname that she has always liked him and he has always been in her heart for the past five years.
- Luminescent Blush: As she suffers from Crush Blush. Her blushing seems to be a little bit more exagerated than Miuna's.
- Maybe Ever After: With Kaname. When she confessed he replied that he will start looking at her as a girl his age and the ending does imply that they may end up together soon.
- Not So Stoic: She shows considerable distress at the fact that Miuna was blessed with Hikari's return, while she still pains at not being able to see Kaname again. She gets better.
- Only Friend: Miuna is her only friend. She treasures her very much.
- Only Sane Woman: Surprisingly she often ends up taking this role after the Time Skip, as she matured significantly after she grew older.
- Precocious Crush: Towards Kaname. And five years later she still likes him.
- The Resenter: When Hikari wakes from his Deep Sleep and begins getting close to Miuna, Sayu gets fairly resentful, since Miuna gets her crush back while Sayu's crush, Kaname, is still asleep in the ocean.
- It's not just that, Sayu resents the fact the her best friend seems to ignore her for the boy she likes. Sayu has always valued Miuna's friendship and being asked to hang out by her only to be ignored is not enjoyable.
- Second Love: It is strongly hinted that she'll become Kaname's.
- She's All Grown Up: In the Time Skip.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: She destroyed Ojoshi-sama that Hikari and his friends are making.
- Took a Level in Kindness: She helps rebuild a new Ojoshi-sama.
Itaru Shiodome
Voiced by Junji Majima (Japanese), Grant George (English)
Miuna's father who is currently dating Akari.
- Absurdly Youthful Mother: He doesn't look like he is the father of a 9-year-old daughter. And after the time skip he still doesn't look like he has a 14-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son.
- Almost Kiss: When he is going to kiss Akari in episode 16 he is stopped by their son.
- Didn't Think This Through: He pursues a relationship with Akari while being unaware of the consequences that this can carry, like her complete banishment from her hometown. Still, even when he is made aware of how bad everything can turn out, he is still entirely willing to be with Akari.
- Happily Married: Until his wife, Miori, died. Now he is currently happily married to Akari.
- Satellite Character: His character is largely defined by his interactions with Akari and to a lesser extent, Miuna.
- Second Love: Akari becomes this to him after his wife dies, see Akari's entry for more details.
Shun Sayama
Voiced by: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Japanese), Jamel Fahim (English)
A classmate of our protagonists. At first he is hostile towards the sea-kiddos but they end up becoming friends. His parents are the owners of the "Saya Mart", the market where Akari works.
- Family Business: His parents own the local makert, "Saya Mart". He starts working there after finishing high-school as he most likely plans to inherit the business, Akari even calls him "Young Boss".
- First-Name Basis: When they befriend each other he starts calling Hikari by his first name. He also calls Chisaki by her name after the Time Skip.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: He is always with his best friend, Takashi Egawa.
- Jerkass: At first, and around Hikari Took a Level in Kindness, he did too.
- Keet: He is always smiling and in high spirits.
- Those Two Guys: With Egawa. Though after the Time Skip they're not together.
- Took a Level in Kindness: He started out as sort of a bully and he ends up befriending the sea-kiddos and helping out with the Ofunehiki.
Isamu Kihara
Voiced by: Motomu Kiyokawa (Japanese), Steve Mann (English)
Tsumugu's grandfather who works as a fisherman. He came from Shioshishio, meaning he is actually a sea man.
- Cool Old Guy: He can come off as rather stern, though.
- The Exile: It's implied that he was banished from the village, since he came from Shioshishio yet he lives on the land. Most likely for marrying a land-dweller woman.
- Jerkass Has a Point: He can be considerably blunt towards Chisaki, as with him being an exile from Shioshishio, he has very little sympathy towards her Heroic Self-Deprecation.
- Like Father, Unlike Son: As Tsumugu states, Isamu's child and its spouse (Tsumugu's parents) hate the sea, driving a rift between them and Isamu, and later Tsumugu himself.
- Parental Substitute: Towards Tsumugu, who came to live with him when he was 9. And also towards Chisaki, after she is left alone in the land.
- Soap Opera Disease: After the Time Skip Isamu has fallen ill from an unknown disease and is currently hospitalized.
- The Stoic: Like grandfather, like grandson.
- Your Favorite: Gives his grandson his favorite dessert, coffee jelly, when he comes to visit him at the hospital in episode 21.
Spoiler Character
Akira Shiodome
Voiced by: Shizuka Ishigami (Japanese), Wendee Lee (English)
Akari and Itaru's four year old son who was born during the timeskip.
- Affectionate Nickname: Calls his sister "Miu". He starts calling Hikari "Hii" and calls Manaka "Namaka".
- Ass Shove: He's really fond of the kancho prank.
- Babies Ever After: Considering everything Akari and Itaru went through, his presence makes the family situation even more heartwarming.
- Moment Killer: Interrupts his parents in episode 16 as they're about to kiss.
- Precocious Crush: Towards "Namaka", he even writes her a love letter.
- The Quiet One: He seems to be shy and doesn't speak too much outside his home.
- Walking Spoiler: Knowing of his existence gives away both the timeskip and Akari and Itaru getting together.
