Grand Blue S2, Episode 12 [END] — High Dives, Big Splashes!

The diving club enjoys the surf, sun, and sand before returning to the mainland in the season finale.

Episode 12 — “Now We’re Even”

Hmm.

First item for Grand Blue S2: There will be a Grand Blue S3! We won’t wait seven years between stories this time. This news connects to one detail I picked up about the Peek-a-boo diving circle. The college club lacks second-year students. That’s why it would fall to the first-year circle members to organize a send-off party for their seniors. Which raises the question of why there aren’t any second-year students.

The first episode of the first season of Grand Blue showed Shinji and Ryuujirou heavily recruiting circle members on the first day of college. And the first episode of the second season picks up almost immediately after the events of Season 1’s finale. The kids we see seven years later have those events fresh in their minds because it has only been a few months since they first met. But all those references to the first season cause confusion in viewers who don’t remember 2018. The quick answer is that the college sanctioned Peek-a-boo from adding new members for one year for the behavior you can imagine.

The second item benefits from Grand Blue S3 following this season so soon. Sakurako’s redemption arc will still be familiar to the audience. She took a step backward in the last episode because of her complicated feelings about Iori and issues of self-acceptance. But this week, she gave us a wistful glance at the diving club members gleefully jumping off a pier. She wanted that freedom. Perhaps she’ll gain it on the island of Palau in Season 3.

Grand Blue Make Me Go Heh.

Chisa is too drunk to notice that Iori went missing. Naomi worries about him, so he goes to search for him. Chisa advises taking a harpoon with him! Meanwhile, Iori and Kudou can’t climb up the steep beach cliff. They can only wait for rescue. Uh oh! Iori explained how he had mistaken Kudou for Chisa, and then Naomi jumped down the cliff! How many more people will join the trapped kids at the bottom of the cliff? Hahaha! Naomi switched Chisa’s harpoon for a Lalako magic wand. Kouhei should be next, then. Here he comes! Does Grand Blue have enough people in need of rescue now?

This beach bonfire lacks beach bunnies, so it could be more fun. Remember to always carry a lighter to test the alcohol content of water. Successful foraging brought back mushrooms and whiskey! So, how did campfire cooking on another beach turn out? The bulbils could be dicey because we don’t know which plant they came from. Kudou should have tried the wild mushrooms.

Ah. Grand Blue stuck Kudou down that cliff for a reason: to explain how college clubs say goodbye to their graduating seniors. Kouhei and Iori should start planning for Shinji, Ryuujirou, and Azusa’s departures. Finally rescued! Such dependable senpais.

Take a Flying Leap Off a High Pier

There’s still beach time left before they take the boat ride home. Thank you for the lovely sight, Azusa! Chisa has a roaring hangover, so Nanaka stayed behind to care for her. No more bikini shots of her today. Azusa suggests jumping off the pier to capture action shots. Azusa has an ulterior motive involving Nanaka and a missing swimsuit top. That’s how Grand Blue rolls. But wouldn’t Azusa’s tops fall off, too? She doesn’t care!

Oh? Nanaka said she’d jump off the pier! Chisa fell asleep after her nausea passed. The three have their cameras ready for Nanaka’s nip slips! Eep. Shinji and Ryuujirou’s peek-a-boo habits will ruin their shots! Ha! Kouhei and Iori sacrifice themselves to put the beefcakes in the water before Nanaka jumps off. Watch out for the coming payback!

Naomi and Maya watch from the shore. And Sakurako wears a face hinting that she’d like to join Peek-a-boo’s antics. But it’s time to go home. Iori and Maya talk about his preoccupied thoughts. But the vague language gives Chisa the wrong idea about “last night” and “relationships.” Thanks for piercing the fourth wall, Maya.

Grand Blue Goes Grander and Bluer

Did Chisa start overreacting to her delusion? That’s never happened before in Grand Blue! Iori would like to find an opening to discuss sending the seniors off, but not when Chisa is like this. How about fooling her with a diving trip? Iori hopes diving with customers from a fishing boat will calm Chisa down. Maybe not. She refused Iori’s buddy check. And she forgot her weight belt. Yay! More underwater diving scenes.

Back on land. Can Chisa tell Iori what has distracted her so much? Not yet. She needs a swig of liquid courage! Chisa asked him if his feelings for her were “love.” It’s love. Wait! Her heart isn’t ready to hear the answer. Panic time! Good. Iori short-circuited this round of misunderstandings in Grand Blue. Now is not the time to compliment her rack, though. The idea of Iori falling in love with her worries Chisa because their lives intertwine too much. Ridiculous. Iori thinks that Chisa is afraid of change, that the good times might end. Awkwardness defused.

Now, let’s talk about a senior diving trip. Last year was in Okinawa. How about overseas this time? The first-year students should upgrade their diving licenses. Oh? And where is Mrs. Kotegawa living right now? Let’s find out in Season 3 in Palau! I prefer the teaser visual on Grand Blue’s website.

Final Thoughts on Grand Blue S2.

Drinking, debauchery, nakedness, soft parts, and firm muscles. And super deformed gag reaction faces! This season of Grand Blue contained all these things. Oh, and it’s a diving anime? We saw more diving and diving tutorials in the first season. But Season 2 turned its attention to more slice-of-life university comedy after Iori passed his diving test. The audience had the opportunity to see more character development, new characters, and lots more gags.

Those who wanted more bikini fanservice had fewer scenes than in Grand Blue S1. And they were all the same, too! Real girls in real life wear different sexy swimsuits almost every time they go to the beach. I would have been okay with a rotation of swimwear, but seeing the same thing all the time was dull. How about some variety? Still, every moment that Azusa and Nanaka graced the screen, carrying jugs and flashing taut bellies, was a blessing.

And the best news is that we won’t spend seven years forgetting all the details of the characters’ lives in Grand Blue’s continuation. There should be more time underwater as the kids train for another level of dive certification. And we can look forward to more beach scenes, bare skin, and binge drinking soon.

Grand Blue Dreaming Season 2 (Grand Blue Season 2) streams on Crunchyroll in Japanese audio with subtitles in multiple languages.

Were you a fan of the aggressive humor in this anime? What about the otaku-related gags that fit J-List Blog’s sensibilities? Or were you only here for the bodacious bikini babes? You can admit to that last part. Any other parts of the show you liked? Let us know in the comments below!

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