Grand Blue
Watch if you love comedies with absurd humor and unexpected sports undertones. "Grand Blue" is not "Free!" with its seriousness; it's a fun, sometimes outrageous series about students who drink beer, laugh, and occasionally dive into the ocean. Perfect for a summer mood.
The premiere on MBS, TBS, and other JNN channels took place on July 13, 2018. "Grand Blue" (Grand Blue / Grand Blue Dreaming) is a Japanese anime series adapted from the manga by Kenji Inoue and Kimitake Yoshioka. Iori Kitahara begins a new life after enrolling in a prestigious college in the seaside town of Izu. The guy rents a room from the Kote-gawa family, who own a diving equipment shop called "Grand Blue." Iori is terrified of water, but after meeting a group of divers, he changes his views and tries to overcome his fear.
The tone is explosive, comedic, with elements of sports drama. The series is famous for its absurd humor: half-naked students drinking beer on the shore are interspersed with tense underwater scenes where every breath matters. This is not just a "sports anime," it's a situational comedy where the main character constantly finds himself in awkward situations.
Format - 12 episodes of ~24 minutes (first season), the second season is set to release in July 2025, and the third has been announced. Animation - Zero-G (first season), Zero-G and Liber (second season). Director Shinji Takamatsu was also responsible for the sound design.
If you enjoyed "Diving Club" or "Gintama," "Grand Blue" operates on a similar wave of absurd humor, but with diving instead of samurais. Fans of comedic anime with a sports background will enjoy the dynamics, and those looking for a series about friendship and overcoming fear will find this one of the brightest projects of summer 2018.