Are you feeling low today? Wanna have a fun and wholesome series that can make your day? Then I have a piece of good news for you because you have clicked on an article about an anime that will lift you and bring a smile to your face (and a lot of laughter). Now enlighten your upset face (if it is bitter) and allow me to give a review on Grand Blue, an anime that can make you laugh to your heart’s content and enjoy your time to the fullest. But before we dive deep into this series, let’s have a quick look at the synopsis.
For his freshman year at its university, Iori Kitahara moves to Izu’s coastal town and takes residence above Grand Blue, which is his uncle’s scuba diving shop. With high hopes for ideal college life, Iori enters Grand Blue but gets involved in alcoholic activities, thanks to the Diving Club’s carefree members.
Their upperclassmen persuade him and make him develop a liking for these activities. His cousin catches him and starts to contempt him and his behavior. The story follows Iori and his misadventures as he attempts to have his dreamt college life.
Author’s Review
A straightforward story about a typical college guy, hoping to live his high school life to the fullest. Relatable to many people, the plot gives us an idea about how certain events can lead to specific outcomes that we never would imagine yet regret, either. There are moments in life where we think that the decision we took was incorrect and loathe them, but sometimes those decisions lead to one of the best experiences we could have had in our life. That’s the subtle idea in the series.
The experience we get as we perform or participate in activities we never thought we would get involved in and the delightful feelings are projected with a great metaphor of ‘Diving’ by keeping that as the series’s setting. Filled with comedy and joyful moments, the story can lift your mind from anything you are concerned about and give you a positive and refreshing experience. Binging it would be a good idea if you had a rough day at work, school, etc.
Execution
Laughter is the expression the series aimed at and did the job of doing so amazingly. The show’s whole premise revolves around the activity of Diving into the seas and exploring the unseen, and it has been presented fairly. The plot progresses slowly, but we can’t complain about that since this is a character-driven story. The idea is to provide a pleasant and lively experience to the viewers, and that job has been done well. The comic scenes were hilarious and can make you burst out laughing without fail. Humor is the center of the anime, and no one can question its execution.
Animation
The art style was suited for a comedy series, and the way they changed the character designs for humor is finely done. It shouldn’t be mentioned because changing face structure for fun is nothing new, but this act has been done many times, so it deserves mention here. No significant faults with art style and animation can be spotted.
Characters
A set of lighted-hearted and admirable groups of characters can be enjoyed in this anime. All of them are hilarious and can be admired for their personality and the fun that they offer. None of them outshines the others, and many of them are very relatable. Some of them are solely for humor, while others have some character development. In general, this set does the job as it should be.
Criticism
The series is not memorable enough. The humor is excellent, but the story is a bit lacking. I don’t think that’s something significant since being a light-hearted comedy show is the plus point of the series, but if you admire an anime for its story, Grand Blue might not please you.