4 stars of irrepressible and infectious optimism.
Amanchu! is based on the Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kozue Amano (Aria) and is adapted to anime by Studio J.C. Staff (A Certain Magical Index, Golden Time. It is directed by Junichi Sato and Kenichi Kasai and presented here in the original Japanese with English subtitles in Collector’s packaging courtesy of Anime Ltd.
“You came all the way out here to see the ocean. So why not take a good look?”
Ooki Futaba is a young girl forced to move from her home in Tokyo to the small coastal town of Shizuoka. She did not want to leave and she misses her old friends, constantly checking for messages from them though they rarely arrive, and looking at the photographs she has saved on her phone.
One day while out practicing on her new scooter, she decides to go to see the ocean. It is here that she first meets Kino Kohinata, an elderly lady who runs a scuba gear rental shop, Amanchu-Ya!. Her granddaughter Hikari is a keen scuba diver and helps out with the new divers.
Upon starting school, Futaba discovers that she is in the same class as Hikari who, realising how lonely she is, immediately decides to befriend her. With her happy go lucky attitude and sunny outlook on life, she is the exact opposite of Futaba and the ideal person to help her settle in.
With the help of their homeroom teacher Mato Katori, who also runs the school diving club, they begin to help her to open up and learn how to scuba dive and appreciate the beauty of the ocean.
Amanchu! is a very enjoyable anime to watch. It is lighthearted and sunny and the the overall feel is constantly happy and optimistic. The animation style is slightly strange in places, particularly the way the faces are drawn, with many more reaction faces than is normal, however the settings are glorious.
All in all this is an excellently put together slice-of-life anime and the perfect antidote to the winter blues. Well worth adding to your collection.
“Fun makes might! Fun makes right! Fun is infinite…”
Amanchu! is available to buy now on Collector’s Edition Blu-ray.
| Director | Junichi Sato, Kenichi Kasai |
| Author | Kozue Amano |
| Genre | Slice-of-life, friendship |
| Starring | Eri Suzuki, Ai Kayano, Shizuka Ito, Kikuko Inoue |
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