Grand Blue: A Manga About Diving, Drinking, and Destroying Your Liver
Welcome to Izu, Where Dreams (and Sobriety) Go to Die
Alright, let’s get one thing straight: Grand Blue is not just a manga—it’s a lifestyle. A guide. A way to realize that college is less about education and more about poor decisions with equally poor life expectancy. Written by Kenji Inoue and illustrated by Kimitake Yoshioka, this absolute masterpiece of degeneracy follows Iori Kitahara, a fresh-faced college student whose only goal is to live a “normal” life.
Spoiler alert: That dream gets waterboarded with tequila in the first chapter.
The series follows Iori as he moves to Izu to start his new life at Izu University, where he plans to study mechanical engineering, make new friends, and maybe even find love. Instead, within about five minutes of stepping into the world of higher education, he’s stripped naked, force-fed enough alcohol to embalm a rhino, and indoctrinated into the most chaotic diving club known to man, the Peek-A-Boo Diving Club (which sounds like a strip club but is actually much worse).
And thus begins Iori’s legendary descent into madness.
Catch a support chair or something, for this Reaper is going to change tones and sing you poetry.
The True Plot: Is Grand Blue About Diving or Drinking?
Oh, what’s that? Grand Blue is about diving? Wrong. That’s propaganda. You know what is about diving? The two times in 20 volumes where they actually go underwater. This manga has more panels dedicated to shotgunning beers than to actual marine life. In fact, we need to address this right now:
The Grand Blue Drinking Breakdown:
Beer is the sacred drink of Grand Blue. It is not just a beverage—it’s an identity. If you’re in the Peek-A-Boo club and you haven’t woken up naked in a bathtub full of beer bottles, are you even trying? Then we have whiskey, which is strictly for moments when things need to go from bad to “somebody wake up Iori before he drowns in a puddle.” Shochu? That’s what fuels 90% of the worst ideas in the manga. And then we have tequila, the harbinger of blackouts, and wine, which is only introduced when they need to pretend they’re sophisticated (they’re not). Cocktails are only ever mentioned when some poor soul at the bar thinks they can outdrink Aina. Spoiler: they can’t.
Let’s be real, the only real water these guys touch is the ice in their drinks. You know a manga is unhinged when the only moment the protagonist is genuinely afraid is when he realizes he’s sobering up.
The Gang of Dysfunctional Geniuses
Iori Kitahara: The Human Punching Bag
Our protagonist. Our hero. Our suffering. Iori starts off with good intentions but quickly realizes that everyone around him is a menace to society. Despite being the main character, he has about as much control over his life as a raccoon on Red Bull. His hobbies include getting tricked into drinking (every single time), failing exams (because drinking), running from the consequences of his actions (not fast enough), and getting his ass beat by Chisa (deserved).
Kōhei Imamura: The Weeb Who Could Have Been an Engineer
Iori’s best friend and fellow walking disaster. Kōhei is a massive anime nerd who only joined Izu University because he heard the voice actress for his waifu went there. A true scholar. He and Iori spend most of the manga trying to out-dumb each other, with Kōhei bringing otaku knowledge to the table and Iori bringing nothing of value.
Chisa Kotegawa: The Goddess of Violence
The best girl, hands down. Chisa is Iori’s cousin (not by blood, don’t panic) and the only competent diver in the entire manga. She is a legitimate diving enthusiast, unlike the rest of these degenerates, and also serves as the physical embodiment of karma for Iori and Kōhei. Every time they mess up, she’s there to slap the IQ out of them.
Nanaka Kotegawa: The Sister with Questionable Motives
Chisa’s older sister, who is dangerously obsessed with Chisa to the point that you have to wonder if the real love story here is between them. She’s also an absolute beast at drinking and has an insane tolerance for alcohol. If you need someone to outdrink a Russian mafia boss, she’s your girl.
Shinji Tokita & Ryujiro Kotobuki: The Senior Alcoholics
The true villains of Grand Blue, Tokita and Kotobuki are the legendary senpais of the Peek-A-Boo Diving Club. Their hobbies include forcing freshmen to drink themselves into a coma, creating scenarios so bizarre that even Shakespeare would go, “Bro, chill,” and laughing as Iori and Kōhei destroy their reputations.
They are also the main reason nobody in this manga has a working liver anymore.
The Art of Chaos: How Grand Blue Breaks Reality
What makes Grand Blue an absolute masterpiece is its ability to take any situation and turn it into a whirlwind of absurdity. There is no such thing as a normal conversation in this manga. A simple misunderstanding can lead to an international incident. A casual night out can turn into an FBI-worthy event. And a friendly bet? That’s a one-way ticket to despair.
The sheer rage faces in this manga could power an entire country’s meme economy. You could frame any panel from Grand Blue and immediately win Best Comedy at the Oscars.
The Beauty of Enjoying Little Moments
For all its insanity, Grand Blue has an undeniable charm in how it celebrates life’s simplest pleasures. Whether it’s a peaceful dive in the ocean, a barbecue with friends, or just watching the sunset with a drink in hand, the manga sneaks in these heartwarming moments amidst the chaos. It’s a reminder that sometimes, life isn’t about big achievements or grand plans—it’s about laughing with friends, taking a deep breath, and enjoying the ride (even if that ride involves getting blackout drunk and waking up in a boat).
Unknown Facts About Grand Blue (200% Accurate)
The author, Kenji Inoue, was so broke while writing Grand Blue that he could barely afford food. Which explains why the manga reads like a man with nothing left to lose.
Grand Blue has been banned in some countries for “excessive alcohol consumption.” This is both hilarious and completely understandable.
There are actual scuba diving tips hidden in Grand Blue. But let’s be honest, nobody reads this manga for education.
Kōhei’s love for anime is so real that he once chose figures over friendship. And honestly? I respect it.
THE BIG NEWS: Grand Blue SEASON 2 IS HAPPENING!
Yes, you read that right. After years of begging, drinking, and threatening Studio Zero-G (legally, we cannot confirm or deny this), Grand Blue is finally getting a second season! Soon, we’ll see even more of Iori’s suffering animated in all its glory. More drinking. More diving. More getting arrested for public nudity.
Get ready, because Grand Blue is coming back, and it’s going to be grand.
＼俺たちの夏は終わらない！／
— TVアニメ『ぐらんぶる』公式 (@gb_anime) September 29, 2024
⠀⠀TVアニメ『ぐらんぶる』
⠀⠀🍻Season 2制作決定🍻
PaBメンバーが夏空の下で乾杯する
ティザービジュアルが到着！
▼新情報配信中📻https://t.co/CQ6vAe4gUc#ぐらんぶる pic.twitter.com/HWm41Ovm71
TL;DR: Grand Blue is peak comedy, peak alcoholism, and peak chaos. If you’re not reading it, fix your life choices. Now pass me a drink.
