Amanchu! Advance
Movies
Synopsis
Spring is the season of changes. For Hikari Kohinata, a girl born and raised in Izu, and Futaba Oki, a girl who just moved from Tokyo, it held an encounter that would forever change their lives. Futaba accepts Hikari’s invitation to join the Diving Club at their school, and a whole new world opens up before her eyes. The two are inseparable and act as buddies even in their everyday lives, and they soon become irreplaceable to each other. The always optimistic Hikari and the joys of diving gradually melt away Futaba’s shyness as they experience new things and make beautiful memories together.
The second season picks up right where the first left off: Futaba has passed the “Open Water Diver” training, now she is aiming for “Advanced Open Water Diver.” The beauties of high school life have just started, and new encounters await, including Hikari’s little sister Kodama as well as Kotori Misaki and Kokoro.
Amanchu! is based on the manga written and illustrated by Kozue Amano, serialized in Mag Garden’s Monthly Comic Blade from November 2008 with 11 volumes published as of February 2018.
The series received its first anime adaptation in 2016, airing from July to September and spanning 12 episodes. Produced by J.C.Staff, It is directed by Junichi Sato and Kenichi Kasai and written by Deko Akao. The second season, titled Amachu! Advance, was announced in November 2017. It is set to run for 12 episodes and will premiere in April 2018. Most of the staff will resume their positions except for director Kenichi Kasai, who is replaced by Kiyoko Sayama, bringing a whiff of fresh air to the series.
Characters
Hikari Kohinata (CV: Eri Suzuki)
A first-year student at Yumegaoka High School, Hikari is a bright, optimistic girl who does thing her own way, often pulling those around her to join her. She has always loved scuba diving, so joining the Diving Club was a no-brainer. She was born and raised in Izu and dreams of becoming a pro instructor in her beloved hometown. Her nickname is Pikari.
Futaba Oki (CV: Ai Kayano)
A new student and Hikari’s classmate at Yumegaoka High, Futaba moved to the entirely unfamiliar town of Izu after graduating middle school in Tokyo. She is often brought down by negative thoughts and is afraid to try new things, but thanks to Hikari’s influence, she joins the school’s Diving Club and learns to open up to new experiences. Futaba loves taking pictures with her phone camera, saving them as precious memories. She is affectionately called Teko.
Ai Ninomiya (CV: Saori Onishi)
A second-year student at Yumegaoka High and the head of the school’s Diving Club. Although she’s not very flexible and always speaks her mind, she’s very caring. The only exception from this is her twin brother Makoto, with whom she is merciless and always kicks around. She loves hard-working people because she feels they give her strength.
Makoto Ninomiya (CV: Yuichiro Umehara)
Ai’s twin brother and the only male member of the Diving Club. Makoto’s easygoing and calm personality is the exact opposite of his sister’s. Although Ai always pushes him around, he’s not bothered one bit, instead, he worries about his sister’s future. He’s also a good sempai who watches over his kouhai. Makoto doesn’t like throwing stuff away, and he always has a hard time cleaning his room.
Mato Katori (CV: Shizuka Ito)
The homeroom teacher of Hikari and Futaba’s class as well as the advisor of the Diving Club. Her motto is “Endless fun,” and she thinks enjoying oneself is a part of studying. At first, she might look careless, but she is always precise when it comes to keeping an eye on her students. She pays attention to what she says and rewards herself with a “Well said, sensei!” whenever something good leaves her mouth.
Advisor Cha (CV: Yurika Kubo)
The principal’s cat. It was nicknamed Advisor Cha by Hikari after its brown (“chairo”) ears and tail. It acts like a club mascot as it’s often seen hanging around in the Diving Club’s room. He’s a good-natured kitty who doesn’t mind being messed around with.
Kino Kohinata (CV: Kikuko Inoue)
Hikari’s grandmother who runs the diving gear rental shop Amanchu-ya, where Hikari regularly helps out as a diving instructor. She often uses proverbs filled with connotations, which crept their way not only into Hikari’s speech but even Futaba’s, who just moved to Izu. She treats her guests to a bowl of delicious handmade tonjiru after diving.
Kodama Kohinata (CV: Aya Suzaki)
Hikari’s younger sister.
Kokoro Misaki (CV: Ai Yamamoto)
An 11-year-old girl who adores Hikari and thinks of herself as a “man” of the sea.
Kotori Misaki (CV: Ai Kakuma)
Staff
Original Work: Kozue Amano
Supervising Director: Junichi Sato
Director: Kiyoko Sayama
Script: Deko Akao, Yuko Fukuda
Character Design: Yoko Ito
Music: Gontiti
Music Production: Flying Dog
Animation Production: J.C.Staff
Production: Yumegaoka High School Diving Club
Cast
Eri Suzuki: Hikari Kohinata
Ai Kayano: Futaba Oki
Saori Onishi: Ai Ninomiya
Yuichiro Umehara: Makoto Ninomiya
Shizuka Ito: Mato Katori
Yurika Kubo: Advisor Cha
Kikuko Inoue: Kino Kohinata
Aya Suzaki: Kodama Kohinata
Ai Yamamoto: Kokoro Misaki
Ai Kakuma: Kotori Misaki
Broadcast information
TBA
Streaming Information
TBA
Blu-ray Releases
Vol. 1 (Ep. 1-3): May 30, 2018
Vol. 2 (Ep. 4-6): June 20, 2018
Vol. 3 (Ep. 7-9): July 25, 2018
Vol. 4 (Ep. 10-12): Aug. 22, 2018
Each will include a bonus manga drawn by Amano Kozue in collaboration with Aria.