Episodes: 12
Genre(s): Slice-of-Life
Aired: Jul 2016 to Sep 2016
Also Known As: あまんちゅ！
Summary: Ooki Futaba recently transfered to a city near the ocean where she meets Kohinata Hikari, a classmate who loves the ocean as well as scuba diving. Before long, Hikari manages to drag Futaba into this new, underwater world.
Review: I’ll keep this one on the shorter side (since it’s already 1 AM and I have several posts in mind I want to push out tonight I have to catch up on notifications and other people’s blogs…oh, and sleep) and say that Amanchu! isn’t for everyone. It’s definitely a slower series, but the pacing never really falters and each episode managed to keep my interest from the begining to the end. Still, it’s another slice-of-life show, so you should already have an idea of what you’ll be getting yourself into should you watch this.
In my opinion, there are three things that set this show apart from the other slice-of-life shows. First of all, the backgrounds are beautiful both in and out of the water. It just seemed both realistic and pretty while I watched the show.
Secondly, the show made good use of two distinct art styles. One style was hilarious (and more exaggerated / simplified) while the other style was used for more serious moments. It was through these two very different art styles that Amanchu! informed readers about a scene’s underlying tone. While the show definitely had its funny moments, it also had its fair share of sombering moments where good aesops and life lessons came to the foreground.
Finally (and probably most importantly), the main character, Ooki Futaba is incredibly adorable and endearing. If you’re an introverted person by nature, you can probably relate to her problems. Same goes for viewers who find themselves at a loss in regards to dreams and goals and aspirations in life. Futaba does eventually finds her way, however, but I still think the show can be rather inspirational to viewers who have yet to do so.
The other members in the Diving Club (as well as Futaba’s grandma) are likeable, too. It’s been a long while since I’ve liked every member in the main group of a show, so that was a refreshing change. They even all get episodes where they’re the focus instead of Futaba. No character is left behind!
The opening and ending songs for the show are both enjoyable. My brain is a bit too fried for me to describe them, but I could see myself adding them to a playlist and playing them on loop for a few times whenever they come up before I move onto a different song.
The yuri is light since the girls only say some embarrassing things to one another or hold hands, but that’s fine by me. The show is about a lost girl coming to realize that there’s more to life than just her phone, in short. As such, the yuri is just icing on the cake. Sweet, sweet icing, but just icing nonetheless.
tl;dr it’s a girl-meets-girl story with a touch of yuri subtext. Introverted and/or lost viewers will probably relate to the main character, but in the end this show is a slice-of-life show. If you’re a fan of the genre, you’ll probably like Amanchu! If you aren’t, then chances are you won’t. I personally enjoyed it a lot, however.
The Lily Garden 
Amanchu is a show which I’ve been meaning to watch at some point and your review has definitely helped bump it up the list. Easygoing slice of life is one of my likes and it seems like Amanchu must do it fairly well.
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I think this show should be right up your alley. I know you’ve been enjoying Long Riders! and this show strikes a similar note. I can definitely vouch for the show doing a good job representing easygoing SoL.
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Totally in my to-watch list.
It looks like a series with a good amount of subtext. (I can live with that) I’m currently reading the first half of the manga. Kinda good, albeit a bit slow. It reminds me of Aria (which is also a good thing)
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Yay!
Yeah, it has its fair share of subtext. I had heard the shiptease goes dramatically down after the first volume, though, but it flares up periodically from time to time? Haven’t actually read it though.
Mmm I’ve been meaning to watch and read Aria. I guess the author stuck with her roots since she did both. But man, I sure do love Aria the Animation’s OP.
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Flares up? Oh my god. It’s the agony of ship teasing!
I actually haven’t finished Aria yet myself but erryone is saying that it’s one of the best heartwarming, slice of life series out there. And it’s populated by a lot of grills too.
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Shipping is so great yet so painful at times ;_;
Oh, cool. One of these days we’ll get to the bottom of it and find out if those rumors are the truth.
A heartwarming SoL series featuring tons of females is always a winning combination in my book!
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“Ooki Futaba is incredibly adorable and endearing.”
YESSSSSSS
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It is a universal truth!
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Mhmm
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Nice review! Your description of the art style reminds me of the direction they went with for Your lie in April as well. That was heavily influenced by the manga, but the same strategy is implied in using the art style to fit the mood.
I’ve been wanting to give this a try but even my backlog is getting full at the moment. Reading about it is generating more interest for me though, so let’s see if I can bump it up into “near future” status.
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Thank you! I wish I could do a more thorough job when it came to describing the art style (I’m a big fan of your descriptive prowess and lexicon) but I’m glad my attempts at conveying what I thought of the art style made some sort of sense.
Ah, so they did something similar in Your Lie in April, too. I’ve been meaning to watch that one.
Mmmm the backlog never stops growing. It’ll be another slice-of-life for you to tackle, which is a genre you’ve been reviewing a lot recently. I’m glad that you’ve been enjoying what you’ve seen of the genre thus far. The whole bit about SoL living and dying by characterization is very accurate.
Still, I’m so excited about your next review after reading your Usagi Drop review. Looking forward to it.
Glad that I was able to put in a good word for Amanchu!
Thanks for dropping by!
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No problem! Always a pleasure talking anime with you.
If you’re planning to watch a certain series, you should know I’m planning a certain event in April. Clear your calendar!
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Mmm I feel the same way.
Oh that sounds very interesting. Will do!
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YAY! Someone reviewed Amanchu! Cutest show evar! The story reminds me of me and my bestie. with me always pushing my stupid self on her, I just love it.
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Haha I’m a little late to the party, but I’m glad I watched it. And I can’t believe I put it off while it was running last season! Mistakes were made.Definitely a super cute story, I agree~
Aw, that’s great. It’s nice that you two are so close with each other!
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Not a fan of the genre – shocking, I know – so probably not for me even though I can identify with the introverted/lost-in-life parts (I was tempted to quote a random poem at that part, oh god the exams are getting to me).
Nice review though!
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Mmm whenever I write up a review on a slice-of-life shoe I’m always thinking “D probably won’t give this one a shot.”
Even though I’m glad you can relate to the main character, I know this one would be a tough sell for you in particular. Thanks for dropping by nonetheless and thanks for the compliment!
(Do share the quote if you’d like. I love poems. I took a poetry class during my junior year of college)
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What can I say, I’m predictable 😀 Romance and Slice-of-life are the two tags I run from. Oh wait, Harem too. Thankfully, the best thing about anime is the variety.
It’s from A.D Hope’s ‘Death of a Bird’ and goes like “Lost in the blue unfriendliness of space”. I love the line both in context – which refers to both impending death and the alienation felt by immigrants – but also out of it. But then I typed that instead of ‘lost in life’ and was Wtf-ing at myself for a while.
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Nooo you just like that action! You ain’t got that time for people sitting around talking about this and that!
The wide variety of anime is definitely a huge boon!
I just looked up the poem and I liked it. Read it out loud, too, which is a must for poems, I feel.
The poem is rather layered, huh?
The line in question is also great. Small wonder why you. first typed lost in space!
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It is. I’m a fan of how he uses his words. There are some lines that just jump out at you and stick.
I really like it as well (though less when I have cook up a 3 page essay for it).
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You’re totally right.
But, dang, 3 pages is a lot. Hang in there ;__;
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