When youre feeling in the mood for a nice comedy manga what do people usually recommend you? Maybe its 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 its 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 its 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 havent finished it but the thing about each of them is that I dont think Id want to read them a second time. Yes they are funny but thats about the extent of their appeal to me. Theres nothing about the characters or story that draw me in and make me want to spend more time with it. Thats totally different with Grand Blue though and its 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 doesnt matter if its 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 thats 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 its an integral part of what makes them who they are. This message isnt necessarily anything new or profound but the way that its expressed in this comedy manga is top notch. Because of the genre Grand Blue finds itself in its allow to have its characters be a bit more overthetop in their passions than most other mangas would allow before it feels really weird. But despite how crazy they might seem you cant help but feel a little jealous of them. I know that I personally dont like telling the world about all my passions. For example I dont 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 couldnt tell by how many reviews I write its 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 theyll 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. Its not often that I can get a great laugh while getting to think about things that really affect my life. Its 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.