When you're feeling in the mood for a nice comedy manga, what do people usually recommend you? Maybe it's some classic school time joking around like in Nichijou or Daily Lives of High School Boys, or maybe the sex joke filled Seikotai Yakuindomo or the yakuza house husband irony of Gokushufudou. All these are great stories in their own rights and deserve to have a spot among the list of best comedy/gag manga. However, the manga that I think takes the place at the top of these lists is Grand Blue.

Now, if you want a summary of what it's about and some of the parts that make it so appealing for a wide audience, I suggest checking out the other reviews here for a basic synopsis of what it's about. The thing that I actually want to talk about is what Grand Blue does that takes it a few levels deeper than any of the other manga I mentioned earlier and what really captures my attention: its deep understanding of passion.

I really enjoy reading the manga that I listed above (except for Nichijou actually since I haven't finished it), but the thing about each of them is that I don't think I'd want to read them a second time. Yes they are funny, but that's about the extent of their appeal to me. There's nothing about the characters or story that draw me in and make me want to spend more time with it. That's totally different with Grand Blue though, and it's because of the characters. Each character in Grand Blue is really unique and interesting with their various mannerisms, designs, and most of all, passions. It doesn't matter if it's diving, little sisters or anime, each character is really standout with what they enjoy, and they want the whole world to know it. Their passions permeate into their daily lives, like how Kouhei wears anime shirts every day or how Chisa immediately perks up at literally any mention of diving. None of them are ashamed of what they enjoy, and that's something that our main boy Iori understands. Even if the more rational characters around him will question and find his friends strange, he never sees them like that. He understands how much everything they do matters to them, that it's an integral part of what makes them who they are.

This message isn't necessarily anything new or profound, but the way that it's expressed in this comedy manga is top notch. Because of the genre Grand Blue finds itself in, it's allow to have its characters be a bit more over-the-top in their passions than most other mangas would allow before it feels really weird. But despite how crazy they might seem, you can't help but feel a little jealous of them. I know that I personally don't like telling the world about all my passions. For example, I don't actually talk about how I really enjoy reading manga to most people because there is that instant stigma that comes from being a 'weeb', but if you couldn't tell by how many reviews I write, it's obviously something I really like to talk about. So many people have so many things to say about the things they love, but are too scared since they think they'll receive backlash from the people around them. And this can apply to any area of life, be it hobbies, tastes, political/religious views, ideological stances, etc. Grand Blue reminds us that, yes, people will look at us funny for the things that we enjoy, but they are an integral part of who we are, and that in the end, life can be so much more enjoyable if we accept that.

So to sum up, Grand Blue is my favorite comedy manga because it is so much more than that. It's not often that I can get a great laugh while getting to think about things that really affect my life. It's lovably passionate characters give the story life and really push it beyond the level of most comedies. So the next time you read or reread Grand Blue, take some time to look past all the great comedy and experience what it feels like to freely life out your passions.