Dive!!
A Japanese novel series about a diving club's Olympic quest.
Dive!! (stylized as DIVE!!) is a Japanese novel series by Eto Mori, released in four volumes through Kodansha from August 2000 to August 2002. The story follows Tomoki Sakai, a member of the struggling Mizuki Diving Club (MDC). The club’s sponsors agree to continue funding for one more year only if new coach Kayoko Asaki can send one of its divers to the Olympics within that timeframe. Tomoki, a middle schooler who has been diving for six years, possesses natural flexibility and sharp dynamic vision; initially a mediocre athlete, he improves rapidly under Kayoko’s training. Other main characters include Yōichi Fujitani, a high school diving prodigy with two former diver parents, and Shibuki Okitsu. The MDC roster also includes Reiji Maruyama, Ryō Ōhiro, and Sachiya Yoshida. Coaches include Kayoko Asaki, Keisuke Fujitani, and Chikara Ōshima. Rivals consist of Kenichirō Teramoto, Kiyotaka Matsuno, Atsuhiko Yamada, Toshihiko Tsuji, and Jirō Hirayama. Tomoki’s acquaintances include his brother Hiroya Sakai and Miu Nomura.
The series has spawned multiple adaptations. A manga collaboration with Masahiro Ikeno ran in Shogakukan’s *Weekly Shōnen Sunday* from June 2007 to June 2008, collected into five volumes. A live-action film premiered in June 2008, directed by Naoto Kumazawa and starring Kento Hayashi. A second manga adaptation, illustrated by Ruzuru Akashiba, was serialized in Kadokawa Shoten’s *Young Ace* from June 2017 to August 2018; Yen Press licensed it for English release in 2018. An anime television series by studio Zero-G aired on Fuji TV’s Noitamina block from July to September 2017, directed by Kaoru Suzuki with scripts by Touko Machida and music by Yuki Hayashi. The opening theme “Taiyō mo Hitoribocchi” was performed by Qyoto, and the ending theme “New World” by Yūta Hashimoto. Amazon streamed it via Anime Strike, and Sentai Filmworks released it on Blu-ray in North America in December 2018. A live-action drama series began airing in Japan in April 2021, with three main actors from the idol group HiHi Jets.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Comedy, sports
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The story centers on the Mizuki Diving Club (MDC) member Tomoki Sakai. The MDC has fallen on hard times, and their sponsors are preparing to pull their support. They promise to give the club another year of support if the new coach, Kayoko Asaki, can get one of the members into the Olympics in a year's time. Tomoki Sakai is a middle schooler who has been diving for six years, possessing natural flexibility and excellent dynamic vision; he was a mediocre diver at first but quickly improved under Kayoko's guidance. Other main characters include Yōichi Fujitani, a diving thoroughbred with two former divers as parents, and Shibuki Okitsu.
Reader's Guide
Dive!! originated as a novel series by Eto Mori and expanded into a multimedia franchise. A manga adaptation by Masahiro Ikeno ran in Weekly Shōnen Sunday from June 2007 to June 2008, and a live-action film premiered in June 2008. A second manga adaptation by Ruzuru Akashiba was serialized in Young Ace from June 2017 to August 2018. An anime television series by Zero-G aired on Fuji TV's Noitamina block from July to September 2017, with an opening theme by Qyoto and an ending theme by Yūta Hashimoto. Sentai Filmworks licensed the anime for North American release on Blu-ray in December 2018. A live-action drama series began airing in Japan in April 2021, featuring three main actors from the idol group Hihi Jets. Reception of the anime was mixed, with critics noting issues with animation, character design, and pacing, though some praised the story's potential and focus on character insecurities.
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