For those unaware, this anime's source manga has the same mangaka as the more well-known Aria series.
The anime is (superficially) focused on diving but I feel that the activity is just a suitable allegory for the true character-driven story. Superficially it's a SoL show, but it is steeped heavily in romance. I was not expecting yuri romance going into this but I welcome it with open arms.
Romantic. So romantic. The two main characters have great chemistry. Romance is probably the strongest aspect of this anime. There are so many elegantly crafted romantic scenes.
Very nice character designs, especially the faces. I like the school outfits -- they're unique (although apparently an homage to Aria?). Actually all of the outfits in the series are really cute.
Good character animation sometimes. Not consistent but it is good when it counts like during close-up scenes. Some episodes are more sloppy than others in this regard. The cinematography during some scenes can be quite nice.
Nice setting. Nice atmosphere. Very relaxing. Soft and sweet. I can practically smell the salty ocean air as I watch this anime. Setting and atmosphere are definitely strong aspects of this show. Very immersive. The setting is the classic coastal Japan that you've probably seen before, but nevertheless it is executed very well.
The OST is decent, depending on your tastes. It mainly consists of acoustic string instruments. It fits the setting well. All the OP and ED songs are good too. Generally speaking, I liked the voice acting of the two main characters, although sometimes Hikari has some mildly annoying quirks. The script can be surprisingly thoughtful sometimes, particularly during more-emotional scenes.
The two redhead sibling characters are kind of weak and drag down a lot of scenes they're in. They are somewhat unlikable and often used for unfunny humour. I found myself dreading their appearance on screen. These two characters are probably the most significant flaw of the anime. That said, they don't really soak up that much screentime, so this is a fairly minor criticism. Generally speaking, Amanchu is at its best when it is focused exclusively on the two main characters.
Overall the romantic aspects of the anime are terrific but strictly as a SoL it is comparatively weaker (although still good in this respect too). The diving scenes are pretty nice, as are the various activities around town, but many scenes are steeped in some kind of underlying character-related drama, so it often doesn't really function as a typical comfy SoL. This is more than fine with me and I really enjoyed the anime, but it's important for the viewer to set their expectations accordingly.
One 'complaint' I have about the anime is that it introduced a few new characters during the latter half of season 2. These characters seemed really promising to me and it was somewhat disappointing that there wasn't enough time to give them more attention. This is a perennial issue with manga adaptations though. Things are rarely tied up neatly -- Amanchu is no exception to this. The introduction of these promising new characters late in season 2 impeded the feeling of finality I might have felt at the end of the anime. On the other hand, this has also amplified my desire to read the manga. This kind of thing comes with the manga-adaptation territory. It would be more of an issue for an anime that is more plot-heavy than Amanchu. It's also worth noting that the ending of season 1 was handled really well and left me feeling very satisfied.
My overall rating: 8/10
Some of the best girl-girl romance I've seen in a while, and it's wrapped up in a nice soft and relaxing atmosphere. Very pleasant.
This show seems to be underappreciated/underviewed by fans of shoujo ai. If you like yuri romance then I strongly recommend watching this. On the other hand, someone who doesn't enjoy yuri romance would probably find this anime slightly boring, which might explain the show's lukewarm reception.
I should mention that, at the time of writing this, I have not yet seen or read Aria. I expect that I'd enjoy it though.
I haven't been able to find the specials for this anywhere so unfortunately I have not seen them yet.
ADDENDUM: I was not aware of the yuri/hetero controversy when I wrote this. I have since been informed. Doesn't change my opinion of the anime though.
