Grand Blue

Grand Blue
Cover of the first Grand Blue manga volume
ぐらんぶる
(Guranburu)
Genre Comedy[1]
Manga
Written by Kenji Inoue
Illustrated by Kimitake Yoshioka
Published by Kodansha
English publisher
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Good! Afternoon
Original run April 2014 – present
Volumes 11
Anime television series
Directed by Shinji Takamatsu
Written by Shinji Takamatsu
Studio Zero-G
Licensed by Amazon Video (streaming)
Original network MBS, TBS, BS-TBS, AT-X
Original run July 14, 2018 – September 29, 2018
Episodes 12

Grand Blue (ぐらんぶる, Guranburu), also known as Grand Blue Dreaming, is a Japanese manga series written by Kenji Inoue and illustrated by Kimitake Yoshioka. It has been serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine good! Afternoon since April 2014 and has been collected in eleven tankōbon volumes. The manga is published digitally in English by Kodansha USA under the Kodansha Comics impint. An anime television series adaptation by Zero-G aired from July 14 to September 29, 2018, in the Animeism programming block on MBS.

Plot

Iori Kitahara looks forward to his new life on the Izu Peninsula as he prepares to start his college life there, staying in a room above his uncle's diving shop "Grand Blue." However, he is quickly shocked as he meets the local Diving Club, a group full of buff men who spend more time drinking, partying, and stripping naked than actually diving. Despite his attempts to distance himself from the group, Iori gets quickly swept up in their antics, while his cousins try to show him the wonders of diving into the ocean.

Characters

Iori Kitahara (北原 伊織, Kitahara Iori)
Voiced by: Yūma Uchida[2]
The main protagonist, a first year Mechanical Engineering student at Izu University who has never learned to swim, despite being part of the diving club. Though he initially tries to live a normal life, Iori keeps getting pulled into the "Peek a Boo" Diving Club's activities that often end with him drunk and naked. Iori has surprising skill in playing tennis and other activities that involve precise aim.
Chisa Kotegawa (古手川 千紗, Kotegawa Chisa)
Voiced by: Chika Anzai[2]
Iori's cousin and classmate at Izu University. Compared to most of the others in Peek a Boo, Chisa is the most level-headed and rarely parties with the group, instead preferring to concentrate on her studies and the actual diving.
Toshio Kotegawa (古手川 登志夫, Kotegawa Toshio)
Voiced by: Shinji Kawada[3]
The owner of the diving shop Grand Blue and Iori's uncle.
Nanaka Kotegawa (古手川 奈々華, Kotegawa Nanaka)
Voiced by: Maaya Uchida[2]
A voluptuous woman and diving instructor at Grand Blue who mostly observes the diving club's antics. She is secretly infatuated with Chisa, despite being her sister.
Kōhei Imamura (今村 耕平, Imamura Kōhei)
Voiced by: Ryōhei Kimura[2]
The chief rival/friend and classmate of Iori. Kohei is a hardcore otaku who often wears shirts with his favorite anime girl character on them. He came to the university to chase his near-impossible dream of running a harem of cute high-school girls. He ends up getting roped into Peek a Boo and is easily manipulated through his love of famous voice actors. He later becomes obsessed with Iori's little sister.
Shinji Tokita (時田 信治, Tokita Shinji)
Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto[2]
A senior student at Izu and member of Peek a Boo who often gets himself and other club members drunk and naked. Allegedly has a girlfriend, but she has not been shown.
Ryūjirō Kotobuki (寿 竜次郎, Kotobuki Ryūjirō)
Voiced by: Katsuyuki Konishi[2]
A senior student at Izu and member of Peek a Boo who often gets himself and other club members drunk and naked. Also works as a professional bartender part-time.
Azusa Hamaoka (浜岡 梓, Hamaoka Azusa)
Voiced by: Toa Yukinari[2]
A senior student from Oumi Women's College and member of Peek a Boo who often parties with the other senior members, despite being one of the few women in the club. Azusa also admits to being bisexual, being attracted to both Tokita and Nanaka, and mistakenly thinks Iori is sexually attracted to Kohei.
Aina Yoshiwara (吉原 愛菜, Yoshiwara Aina)
Voiced by: Kana Asumi[2]
A freshman from Oumi Women's College and junior member of the Tennis Club "Tinkerbell." Nicknamed "Cakey" due to the large amount of makeup she puts on her face in an attempt to be more popular with guys. Aina later joins Peek a Boo after Iori and Kohei stand up for her. Without her makeup on, Aina is much more mild-mannered, and often plays the tsukkomi role to the crazy antics around her.
Captain Kudō (工藤会長, Kudō-kaichō)
Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama[3]
The Captain of the Tennis Club "Tinkerbell" and a beautiful young man who is attracted to Azusa.
Kaya Mizuki (水木 カヤ, Mizuki Kaya)
Voiced by: Nana Mizuki[3]
Famous voice actor and idol who is worshipped by Kohei.
Hajime Nojima (野島 元, Nojima Hajime)
Voiced by: Takuya Eguchi[3]
One of Iori's classmates at Izu University. A self-styled playboy who is largely unsuccessful in attracting a lover.
Shinichirō Yamamoto (山本 信一郎, Yamamoto Shin'ichirō)
Voiced by: Junya Enoki[3]
One of Iori's classmates at Izu University. Incredibly blunt in his desire to find a girlfriend.
Kenta Fujiwara (藤原 健太, Fujiwara Kenta)
Voiced by: Robert Waterman[3]
One of Iori's classmates at Izu University. A muscular man who is jealous of Iori supposedly getting Chisa's affection.
Yū Mitarai (御手洗 優, Mitarai Yū)
Voiced by: Natsuki Hanae[3]
One of Iori's classmates at Izu University. Unlike most of the others, Yu is in a relationship with his childhood friend Rie, which his friends immediately attempt to sabotage once they find out.
Shiori Kitahara (北原 栞, Kitahara Shiori)
Iori's little sister, a third-year middle school student who often walks around in an old-fashioned kimono. She pretends to show affection to Iori while secretly trying to mold him into taking ownership of their family's ryokan so she will not have to, as their father trusts her more.

Media

Manga

As of July 6, 2018, the manga has been published by Kodansha in eleven tankōbon volumes.[4] Kodansha USA is publishing the series digitally in English under the name of Grand Blue Dreaming with nine volumes published as of May 8, 2018.[5]

Volume list

No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBN
1 November 7, 2014[6] ISBN 978-4-06-387990-2
2 December 5, 2014[7] ISBN 978-4-06-388018-2
3 April 7, 2015[8] ISBN 978-4-06-388053-3
4 September 7, 2015[9] ISBN 978-4-06-388081-6
5 February 5, 2016[10] ISBN 978-4-06-388115-8
6 August 5, 2016[11] ISBN 978-4-06-388164-6
7 December 7, 2016[12] ISBN 978-4-06-388220-9
8 April 7, 2017[13] ISBN 978-4-06-388249-0
9 October 6, 2017[14] ISBN 978-4-06-388290-2
10 March 7, 2018[15] ISBN 978-4-06-511096-6
11 July 6, 2018[4] ISBN 978-4-06-511979-2

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced in the Good! Afternoon magazine's fourth issue of 2018 on March 7.[16] The anime series is written and directed by Shinji Takamatsu, with Takamatsu also handling sound direction, Zero-G produced the animation and Hideoki Kusama designed the characters.[17] It aired from July 14[lower-alpha 1] to September 29, 2018, and broadcast on the Animeism programming block on MBS, TBS, BS-TBS, and AT-X. The series is also streamed exclusively on Amazon Video worldwide. The opening theme song titled "Grand Blue" is performed by Shōnan no Kaze, while the ending theme song titled "Konpeki no al Fine" (紺碧のアル・フィーネ) is performed by Izu no Kaze (a group formed by Yūma Uchida, Ryohei Kimura, Hiroki Yasumoto, and Katsuyuki Konishi).[18] The series ran for 12 episodes.[19]

No. Title[lower-alpha 2] Original air date
1 "Deep Blue"
"Dīpu Burū" (ディープブルー) 		July 14, 2018
Iori Kitahara heads to the shop Grand Blue to meet with his extended family and start his new college life. However, he is shocked to discover the shop overtaken by several rowdy, drunken, naked men. As Iori runs away, two of the men from the diving club chase after him, eventually catching him and dragging him back to the shop. While trying to find someone to take the scene seriously, Iori gets swept up in the antics of the club, getting drunk and stripped of all clothing except his boxers. The next day, Iori and the other two men wake up just outside of Izu University for his orientation, but he has no time to change. After a brief encounter with Kōhei Imamura, Iori tries to find someone to give him spare clothes, but he sounds like a pervert and is chased around campus by police. Eventually, Iori is initiated into the "Peek a Boo" Diving Club by the two men from earlier: Shinji Tokita and Ryujiro Kotobuki. Iori tricks Kohei into joining the club with him, and the two freshmen are pressed into a drinking contest where even the "water" is a large glass of vodka. 
2 "Underwater"
"Mizu no Naka de" (水の中で) 		July 21, 2018
Iori realizes he hasn't actually slept in his new room yet, but the others in Peek a Boo are planning a mixer with some women from the local Oumi Women's College, so Iori tries to quickly make up his room to convince Nanaka he's responsible enough to go to the mixer. However, Shinji, Ryujiro, and Kohei all "help" decorate his room with lewd posters, creating increasingly awkward scenes when Nanaka and Chisa come to check on him, until Nanaka forces him to sleep in a rundown adjacent room. Later, Shinji and Ryujiro try to get Iori used to being underwater at a local pool to prepare him for deep-sea diving. However, after seeing Ryujiro rip off Kohei's bottom, Iori resolves not to get involved. That night, Nanaka takes Iori to an aquarium at Chisa's request, inspiring him to try out diving. 
3 "A New World"
"Shin Sekai" (新世界) 		July 28, 2018
Shinji and Ryujiro inform Iori and Kohei that they are being entered into the Male Pageant at the Izu Spring Festival to raise money for the club, despite their objections at their respective costumes. Afterwards, Iori finally tries out deep-sea diving for the first time in a wetsuit under Ryujiro's supervision. He returns to Grand Blue, excitedly telling Chisa his experience underwater. The next morning, Iori wakes up next to a half-naked woman. Shinji and Ryujiro tell Iori that woman is Azusa, and they don't consider her a traditional woman at all. Later, Iori and Kohei are training to make Okonomiyaki for the festival, while secretly trying to get Chisa drunk and convince her to enter the Women's Pageant so that they won't need to enter the Male Pageant if she wins. However, all their attempts backfire. Azusa finally gets the boys to admit their true motives. Later that night, Azusa beats the young men in strip rock-paper-scissors, then convinces Chisa to give the beauty pageant a shot. The morning after, Shinji and Ryujiro announce that Chisa has decided to enter the Women's Pageant, under the condition that Iori and Kohei enter the Men's Pageant as well. 
4 "The Male Beauty Pageant"
"Dan kon" (男コン) 		August 4, 2018
Iori and Kohei's initial excitement at the Izu Spring Festival fades when they realize they have to man their club's okonomiyaki stand for most of it. Later that afternoon, the Women's Beauty Pageant begins. Chisa takes the stage in a dress, but is noticeably stiff on stage, and the club's attempts to increase her appeal only backfire. Iori comes up with an idea to throw super balls he won earlier to lift her dress up from afar with his club, but Iori soon realizes that his club left him alone on the task, as Chisa looks for revenge. While hiding from her wrath, a "Cakey" girl appears and asks Kohei to go out with her, but he refuses. The club then has a brief party, as Chisa pressures Iori into drinking two liters of shochu as penance, before the Men's Beauty Pageant that evening. Cakey reappears outside their room, crying to Iori and Kohei that her friends on the tennis team saw her as a joke and rejected her from their group. At the Men's Pageant, the Captain of the tennis club, Kudo, fights against Kohei for Azusa's love, only for Iori to rip off his disguise and reveal that Kudo was trying to attract him while disguised as Azusa, embarrassing him in front of the whole festival. Chisa and Iori are declared the winners of their respective Pageants, and Cakey thanks Iori and Kohei for their act while they drink from washtubs at the after-party. The next day, Chisa and a wasted Iori are honored on stage, and Chisa declares Iori her boyfriend, thinking it will fend off the advances of the other men at the Festival. The men in the audience call for his death instead. 
5 "Too Late"
"Ato no Matsuri" (後の祭り) 		August 11, 2018
The next day in class, Iori discovers that all the men are glaring at him, and Chisa's reactions to Iori's questions enrage them further. The men in Izu University continue sending death threats, and a couple directly plan to kill Iori and Kohei and bury them in the mountains for their perceived luck with women, until the two men panic and buy their way out by promising to hold a mixer. Iori and Kohei beg Azusa to help them, and she brings in Aina Yoshiwara, a new member of Peek-a-Boo, to set up the mixer. To their surprise, Aina is the "Cakey" girl, but without her makeup on. The next evening, Iori and Kohei head to a bar with Hajime Nojima and Shinichiro Yamamoto. The men are shocked when they see Aina and her three friends all wearing "Cakey" makeup. Shinichiro continues on, trying to attract one of the women, and the rest of the men alternate between trying to help him and sabotaging each other. Eventually, the women leave, laughing at the spectacle without liking any of them. The men go off drinking elsewhere while the women retreat to a cafe and Aina starts having feelings for Iori. 
6 "First Buddy"
"Hatsu Badi" (初バディ) 		August 18, 2018
Iori, Kohei, and their classmates try to cheat on their German language test, but their plans all backfire. Later, Aina is officially inducted into Peek a Boo, only to find herself as the only sane member of the group. She begs the others to put on some clothes after going to the store with Chisa, but returns to find them in the middle of another stripping game. After the party, Shinji and Ryujiro try to run the new members through hand signals to study for their next diving trip, as Iori ends up practicing to get away from the potential wrath of Nanaka. The next day, Iori goes diving with Chisa while Aina gets past her initial awkwardness and they both enjoy their time underwater. 
7 "Doubles"
"Daburusu" (ダブルス) 		August 25, 2018
After passing their German test, Iori's classmates decide to have a party at his place in Grand Blue to check if he actually has a relationship with Chisa. Shinichiro tries to hook up with Nanaka, but ends up running into several naked men instead. As the crew are about to drink, Chisa appears, creating an awkward moment for Iori. The next day, Tinkerbell challenges Peek a Boo to a doubles tennis match to get revenge for the humiliation their Captain incurred at the festival. Shinji and Ryujiro destroy their opponents with raw power, but Chisa stumbles when the club's compliments make her feel embarrassed about her tennis outfit. Finally, Iori shows surprising skill at tennis, but his partner Kohei can't even hit the ball over the net, forcing Iori to take drastic action to win the match. With their extra winnings from the match secured, the club plans an outing to Okinawa. 
8 "Men's Cocktails"
"Otoko no Kakuteru" (男のカクテル) 		September 1, 2018
Shinji offers a part-time job to Iori and Kohei with a moving company, but they spend most of their pay on a bar tab the following night. Looking to earn more money for the upcoming Okinawa trip, the club takes a trip to a local bar where Ryujiro works as a bartender part-time. After watching him work, Iori and Kohei try to tend the bar themselves, but don't know how to mix drinks and anger Aina with their antics. Later, Iori and his classmates hang out and discover that Yu Mitarai is missing from their gathering. Iori then finds out that Yu is busy with his girlfriend, and leads his classmates to sabotage their night together out of spite. 
9 "Shopping"
"Ōsama gemu" (王様ゲーム) 		September 8, 2018
Iori and Kohei try to set up another mixer for their classmates. Their plan involves dragging Chisa into a "King's Game" with the rest of Peek a Boo. Kohei chooses the wrong player while holding the King stick, leading Shinji to set up their mixer with a local men's rugby team. Later, Iori mentions he got another temp job directing traffic for a convention. The Peek a Boo crew head to a diving equipment store to buy new gear for their trip. Kohei spots a pair of women's wetsuits that pay homage to a very popular anime, and is elated when Chisa and Aina try them on, even though only he understands the reference. When the crew returns home, Nanaka tells them that they'll have to do more work to make up for the money they spent on new diving gear. The next day, Azusa, Chisa and Aina end up working at the same convention as Iori and Kohei. 
10 "Arrival in Okinawa"
"Okinawa jōriku" (沖縄上陸) 		September 15, 2018
Peek a Boo arrives in Okinawa for their trip. Aina looks forward to making happy memories, but her initial happiness is quickly dashed when the men of the group start running around naked, leading her to convince the men to head to a public beach where they have to wear swimming trunks. At the beach, Iori and Kohei decide to ride a banana boat to determine which one of them stays in the men's bedroom with Shinji and Ryujiro. However, the two boys both try to sabotage each other in the same way, falling off the boat at the same time. Back at the beach house, Ryujiro determines that Kohei won "by a wave." Azusa lets Iori sleep in the same room with her and Nanaka, but he can't fall sleep with the two voluptuous women on either side of him, so he ends up studying the diving license exam guide instead, before taking drastic measures to fall asleep. The next day, Iori, Kohei, and Aina take the diving exam in two parts: a written test and a pratical exam in deep water. During the test, Aina gets tempted to lie about her remaining oxygen, but Iori helps by reassuring her that the seniors of Peek a Book are better than the ones from her former club. As the group celebrates, Nanaka tells Iori that he's about to fail the test. 
11 "You Have the Wrong Idea"
"Gokaina ndaga" (誤解なんだが) 		September 22, 2018
Iori tries to think of a way to privately practice for the remaining test portion, fearing how Kohei and Aina might react if they see him fail. Peek a Boo decides to rent a car so they can go to a nearby fish market. However, the only vehicle left that will fit them is a flatbed truck. At the fish market, Aina and Kohei overhear the others asking for lewd things, but Chisa points out they are actual names of fish. Back at the beach house, the group splits into pairs to cook dinner in shifts. Iori manages to pair up with Chisa, and asks for help on his diving practice. However, Aina and Kohei think they are dating. That night, Aina follows Chisa downstairs and finds out from her that she was trying to help Iori practice. Aina then helps as Iori strips off his swim trunks. However, a policeman appears, forcing Iori to stay in the pool for fear of being seen nude by him. The next day, he ends up sick in bed. While Aina and Kohei continue their exam, Azusa stays behind to nurse Iori. After some questionable first-aid choices, Azusa "half-jokingly" offers to have sex with Iori, but Iori refuses. He then discovers through Azusa that Shinji already has a girlfriend, and the two of them end up getting drunk, just as Kohei and Aina return with their diving licenses. 
12 "Otori"
"Otōri" (オトーリ) 		September 29, 2018
The members of Peek a Boo meet up at Miyakojima to go deep-sea diving. Iori, who never finished his exam due to sickness, is forced to stay in shallower waters while being teased about it by Kohei. As the licensed group goes diving, Chisa decides to stay on the boat to comfort Iori, who turns out to be suffering from seasickness. He then tells Chisa that despite missing the license, he had fun diving and would love to come back again. That night, after news that the group has been banned from their chosen restaurant, Shinji and Ryujiro announce that they will hold their own "Otori" in the hotel, where everyone will drink from a giant pot of mixed alcohol. Everyone begins by pouring in Spirytus, as Iori and Kohei try to find a way out of drinking such a high level of alcohol, but soon give in. Aina later takes a trip with a mostly-naked Iori to get more booze for the party, and rants about his lack of clothing upon returning. Azusa offers Aina a drink, but she accidentally picks the heavily-alcoholic beverage, and her personality completely flips as she scares Iori and Kohei into fleeing from the hotel. Iori and Kohei reflect on their time in the diving club as Aina quickly tracks them down. 

Notes

  1. ↑ The series is listed to premiere on July 13 at 26:25, which is the same as July 14 at 2:25 AM.[18]
  2. ↑ All English titles are taken from Amazon Video.

References

  1. ↑ Loveridge, Lynzee (June 1, 2018). "Watch Grand Blue Dreaming Cast Hit the Waves in Short Video". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hodgkins, Crystalyn (April 27, 2018). "Grand Blue Dreaming Anime Reveals Main Cast, New Visual". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Loo, Egan (July 8, 2018). "Grandblue Dreaming Anime Reveals 7 More Cast Members". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  4. 1 2 ぐらんぶる(11) (in Japanese). Amazon Japan. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  5. ↑ "Grand Blue Dreaming, Volume 9". Kodansha USA. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  6. ↑ ぐらんぶる(1) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  7. ↑ ぐらんぶる(2) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  8. ↑ ぐらんぶる(3) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  9. ↑ ぐらんぶる(4) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  10. ↑ ぐらんぶる(5) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  11. ↑ ぐらんぶる(6) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  12. ↑ ぐらんぶる(7) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  13. ↑ ぐらんぶる(8) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  14. ↑ ぐらんぶる(9) (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  15. ↑ ぐらんぶる(10) (in Japanese). Amazon Japan. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Grand Blue Dreaming Manga Gets TV Anime". Anime News Network. February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  17. ↑ "Grand Blue Dreaming TV Anime Reveals 1st Promo Video, Staff, Summer Premiere". Anime News Network. March 1, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  18. 1 2 Hodgkins, Crystalyn (June 1, 2018). "Grand Blue Dreaming Anime's 2nd Promo Video Reveals July 13 Premiere". Anime News Network. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  19. ↑ "BD/DVD" (in Japanese). Retrieved July 15, 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.