Manga Review: "Grand Blue" (pt. 1)
Manga: Grand Blue (chapters 1-47)
Mangaka: Kenji Inoue and Kimitake Yoshioka
Publisher: Kodansha
LB Rating: 4/5
Mangaka: Kenji Inoue and Kimitake Yoshioka
Publisher: Kodansha
LB Rating: 4/5
Grand Blue follows freshman Iori Kitahara's plunge into the rambunctious maelstrom that is college life, propelled by his involvement with the scuba diving organization, Peek-A-Boo.
I really enjoyed Grand Blue. Looking back at the chapters I've gone through, Grand Blue is a stereotypical slice-of-life comedy in some respects. The thing is, the journey doesn't feel stereotypical. Sure, the story contains tropes and commonplaces that have gone stale such as a tsundere girl, a villa-by-the-ocean vacation and a sluggishly paced love story; however, Grand Blue has this magic that camouflaged these cliches such that I didn't realize I'm in the trope until later. Even then, I honestly had fun with the journey anyway.
The thing I highly appreciate with Grand Blue is its honesty with its characters. Iori and the gang are basically a bunch of degenerates. They are violent alcoholic exhibitionists and the story is unashamed of it. But they aren't at all unlovable; in fact, quite the opposite. Their characters strongly exude "fun" and "adventure" coated with slapstick, crude, and sexual comedy.
But please don't misunderstand: Iori and the gang aren't simply assholes. Their aggressive surface covers a classic genuine care and concern with each other. It's just that, readers would have to dig an inch short of a ocean trench to uncover their soft moral side. Sometimes, the way that the characters enjoy life makes me assume for myself that these drunkards are proper people deep inside. The story is set in a college setting after all. Having gone through college myself, I can attest that students aren't purely evil despite all the wild stupid stuff they do for the sake of fun.
The gang's good fun rowdiness opens up an entirely fresh perspective to slice-of-life comedies which are usually filled with kids who are so afraid to hurt each other. The limits are substantially more relaxed than typical high school set stories. When I expect them to not go far, they go farther. For instance, when Iori attended his first class naked and hungover, I thought that the joke is over. That situation is so scary of a consequence that it's nearly life-changing. I would never drink again for quite some time after that. But lo and behold, he attended the second day of classes in the same fashion, overturning all my expectations. This skit would never have worked in usual slice-of-life comedy because of their young characters. But in Grand Blue, in a setting where the people are pushing for young adulthood--it worked. Grand Blue is unbelievably hilarious!
Grand Blue's honesty with its characters also did some work in creating depth in their personal motives. Since the characters strive to be honest with each other, whether in being drunkards or being exhibitionists, they are also on the path to boldly unlock their hobbies. Iori's closest "friend" Kohei Imamura is an otaku. His obsession is so manifest that he becomes a gullible idiot whenever his enthusiasm is used, making great roads for punchlines here and there. On the other hand, Chisa Kotegawa, another protagonist, is obviously obsessed with scuba diving. In her case however, she strives to develop her own style of appreciating scuba diving as she longs to escape the comparison with her more abled older sister. In sum, their honest behavior towards having stupid fun also translates to their honesty with their personal goals. That, I think, creates good layers within the characters.
This brings me to the common thread among the diverse characters: scuba diving. Things can get chaotic a lot of times but when its diving time, it's serious time. Scuba diving appears to be their guide to character development, as a break from their crazy adventures. The characters all have their personality issues: Iori seems directionless and is afraid of water; Kohei does not know how to socialize; Chisa yearns to learn people skills appropriate for a scuba diving instructor. All of these defects get their share of development during scuba diving or any activity related thereto. In scuba diving, Iori and the gang are pushed beyond their comfort zones to experience an entire new world, literally and figuratively.
Grand Blue is by no means a perfect manga. Some jokes get too repetitive. I am also not fond of the budding development of a huge harem around Iori who is inevitably dense about it. There are times when the ecchi bits are too forced to the point of being unhelpful and distracting. And etc.
However, Grand Blue definitely ticked the right boxes. It feels fresh and unconventional for slice-of-life comedy while simultaneously being truer than most to the said genre. The punchlines coupled with the Gintama-esque face sketches really killed it. There is also a well-paced character development and an obviously large room for growth. Hence, I really enjoyed Grand Blue.
PS: Damn, this review was in my drafts for more than a year. I'm relieved that I'm finally posting it.
 |
| The main Peek-A-Boo gang. Do not be fooled: this manga is not as wholesome as it may appear. (Image source: otakuusmagazine.com) |
I really enjoyed Grand Blue. Looking back at the chapters I've gone through, Grand Blue is a stereotypical slice-of-life comedy in some respects. The thing is, the journey doesn't feel stereotypical. Sure, the story contains tropes and commonplaces that have gone stale such as a tsundere girl, a villa-by-the-ocean vacation and a sluggishly paced love story; however, Grand Blue has this magic that camouflaged these cliches such that I didn't realize I'm in the trope until later. Even then, I honestly had fun with the journey anyway.
The thing I highly appreciate with Grand Blue is its honesty with its characters. Iori and the gang are basically a bunch of degenerates. They are violent alcoholic exhibitionists and the story is unashamed of it. But they aren't at all unlovable; in fact, quite the opposite. Their characters strongly exude "fun" and "adventure" coated with slapstick, crude, and sexual comedy.
But please don't misunderstand: Iori and the gang aren't simply assholes. Their aggressive surface covers a classic genuine care and concern with each other. It's just that, readers would have to dig an inch short of a ocean trench to uncover their soft moral side. Sometimes, the way that the characters enjoy life makes me assume for myself that these drunkards are proper people deep inside. The story is set in a college setting after all. Having gone through college myself, I can attest that students aren't purely evil despite all the wild stupid stuff they do for the sake of fun.
 |
| Just another day in the PAB store. (Image source: goboiano.com) |
The gang's good fun rowdiness opens up an entirely fresh perspective to slice-of-life comedies which are usually filled with kids who are so afraid to hurt each other. The limits are substantially more relaxed than typical high school set stories. When I expect them to not go far, they go farther. For instance, when Iori attended his first class naked and hungover, I thought that the joke is over. That situation is so scary of a consequence that it's nearly life-changing. I would never drink again for quite some time after that. But lo and behold, he attended the second day of classes in the same fashion, overturning all my expectations. This skit would never have worked in usual slice-of-life comedy because of their young characters. But in Grand Blue, in a setting where the people are pushing for young adulthood--it worked. Grand Blue is unbelievably hilarious!
Grand Blue's honesty with its characters also did some work in creating depth in their personal motives. Since the characters strive to be honest with each other, whether in being drunkards or being exhibitionists, they are also on the path to boldly unlock their hobbies. Iori's closest "friend" Kohei Imamura is an otaku. His obsession is so manifest that he becomes a gullible idiot whenever his enthusiasm is used, making great roads for punchlines here and there. On the other hand, Chisa Kotegawa, another protagonist, is obviously obsessed with scuba diving. In her case however, she strives to develop her own style of appreciating scuba diving as she longs to escape the comparison with her more abled older sister. In sum, their honest behavior towards having stupid fun also translates to their honesty with their personal goals. That, I think, creates good layers within the characters.
 |
| Teasing Kohei a bit about his voice actor stans would leave him instantly to tears. (Image source: goboiano.com) |
This brings me to the common thread among the diverse characters: scuba diving. Things can get chaotic a lot of times but when its diving time, it's serious time. Scuba diving appears to be their guide to character development, as a break from their crazy adventures. The characters all have their personality issues: Iori seems directionless and is afraid of water; Kohei does not know how to socialize; Chisa yearns to learn people skills appropriate for a scuba diving instructor. All of these defects get their share of development during scuba diving or any activity related thereto. In scuba diving, Iori and the gang are pushed beyond their comfort zones to experience an entire new world, literally and figuratively.
Grand Blue is by no means a perfect manga. Some jokes get too repetitive. I am also not fond of the budding development of a huge harem around Iori who is inevitably dense about it. There are times when the ecchi bits are too forced to the point of being unhelpful and distracting. And etc.
 |
| Everybody calls it the "titan" face, but I call it the "Gintama" face because I saw these stupid face sketches first in Gintama. (Image source: thebiem.com) |
However, Grand Blue definitely ticked the right boxes. It feels fresh and unconventional for slice-of-life comedy while simultaneously being truer than most to the said genre. The punchlines coupled with the Gintama-esque face sketches really killed it. There is also a well-paced character development and an obviously large room for growth. Hence, I really enjoyed Grand Blue.
PS: Damn, this review was in my drafts for more than a year. I'm relieved that I'm finally posting it.
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