I first picked up DIVE!! during its seasonal release, and added it straight to my queue. The premise of following young athletes chasing Olympic dreams really caught my interest. A series about divers felt refreshing, and I was eager to see how it would portray a sport we don’t often see in anime.
ABOUT ANIME NAME:
- Full Genre List: Comedy, Sports
- Key Themes: Teamwork, perseverance, self-discovery, coming-of-age, chasing dreams
- Type: Series
- Number of episodes: 12
- Duration to watch the entirety of the anime: ± 5 hours
- Age Restriction: PG-13 – Teens 13 or older
- Release Date: Jul 6, 2017
- Animation Studio: Zero-G
- English Dub: No
- Source: Novel by Eto Mori
- Average Rating: 6/10
- Watch it here on Prime Video, HIDIVE
- Website
- Social media: X,
- Official Hashtags: #dive_anime
DIVE!! follows 14-year-old Tomoki Sakai, a dedicated member of the Mizuki Diving Club. He fell in love with diving after witnessing the stunning talent of Yoichi Fujitani, a diver three years his senior. Now the club is on the verge of shutting down due to financial troubles, unless their new coach, Kayoko Asaki, can ensure one of the boys earns a spot on Japan’s Olympic team. With everything on the line, Tomoki and his friends throw themselves into intense training and competitions, hoping to achieve the once-in-a-lifetime goal that will save their club
My Thoughts on Anime Name:
The anime turned out to be fun and motivational. It had some strong moments of character resolve, particularly when Youichi Fujitani stands up to both his father and the rigid “system” behind the Olympic selection process.
The pacing felt natural and never dragged, though I was left wanting more by the end. One missed opportunity for me was in the final episode: I wish we’d seen Tomoki Sakai’s qualifying dive and score play out on-screen instead of cutting away. Even so, the narrative kept me engaged, and the goal of saving the club by reaching the Olympics provided a clear, driving tension throughout.
In terms of characters, while I didn’t form an especially deep connection with any single character, I did enjoy following Tomoki Sakai and Youichi Fujitani. Their mentor-mentee dynamic and personal growth were satisfying to watch. On the flip side, some characters tested my patience. Hiroya Sakai (Tomoki’s younger brother), for example, openly admits he’s interested in his brother’s girlfriend – honesty aside, pursuing her while she’s still dating Tomoki crossed a serious line. The result? A permanently damaged sibling bond that hardly felt worth it. That subplot added some drama, but it definitely made me dislike those characters’ choices.
Still, I will say the relationships overall felt believable and well-developed; we see friendships tested by rivalry and romance, and I only wish we’d gotten to spend more time with the divers outside of the MDC (perhaps in school or at home) to deepen their characterisation even further.
Visually, DIVE!! delivers a solid art style and respectable animation quality, especially commendable for a water-sports anime, since fluid motion can be tricky to portray. The diving scenes use a mix of full animation and some still frames (to avoid having to animate every twist and turn in detail), but the key moments (takeoff, mid-air pose, and the splash) are depicted well.
The colours are bright, and the character designs (by Suzuhito Yasuda) are appealing. The voice acting was enjoyable, with a cast of well-known seiyuu bringing life to the team. The soundtrack supported the atmosphere nicely, adding to the emotional beats without overpowering them. While it’s not a visual masterpiece, I was satisfied with the presentation; the anime captured the height and summer sunlight of the diving platform scenes in a way that felt nostalgic and summery.
There were definitely moments that made me feel excited, tense, and inspired, the kind of feelings that keep you hooked on a sports anime. Certain episodes (especially during the competition trials) really stuck with me. And while the season wrapped up the main storyline neatly, I couldn’t help wishing it had been longer. A 24-episode run could have allowed for richer character interactions and more time to build up the rivalries and tensions in competition. The single cour (12 episodes) meant the story had to move quickly through training, personal conflicts, and tournaments. It was satisfying as is, but imagining what the show could’ve achieved with more breathing room is a bit bittersweet.
Overall Verdict
It’s an enjoyable, motivating, and worthwhile watch, especially if you like sports anime or coming-of-age stories centred around personal growth and competition. I’m content with the single season we got, but I can’t help imagining how much more impactful it could have been with a bit more time to develop its story and characters.
DIVE!! may not reach the very top tier of sports anime for me, but it left me with a positive, inspired feeling by the end. It’s the kind of show that reminds you why chasing a dream is worth the hard work.
In Summary, DIVE!! Can Be Described As:
Motivational underdog story with a splash of summer sports drama.
Favourite Character: Fujitani Youichi
My favourite character in DIVE!! has to be Youichi Fujitani. I really admired his disciplined and stoic nature as the ace of the club; he’s the kind of person who always aims for perfection. But what really endeared him to me was seeing the cracks in that calm, cool exterior. For instance, I found it cute (and surprisingly humanising) how embarrassed he became when Shibuki jokingly revealed in front of others that Youichi has never had a girlfriend. This moment showed a shy, vulnerable side to an otherwise confident guy, making him feel more relatable. On top of that, I absolutely adore Youichi’s determination and drive. He pushes himself relentlessly toward the Olympic goal, and he isn’t afraid to call out things he sees as wrong, even if it means challenging his own father or the selection committee. That sense of justice and resolve, combined with his mentorship of Tomoki, made Youichi the standout character for me. I was always excited to see what he would do next, and I rooted for him all the way.
The character that irritated me: Miu Nomura
On the other end of the spectrum, Miu Nomura really irritated me. Cheating is bad enough in any situation, but the way she handled it made it even worse. Miu is Tomoki’s girlfriend at the start, and she ends up getting involved with Tomoki’s own brother, Hiroya, behind his back. That betrayal completely threw me, it’s a harsh blow to Tomoki, and basically shatters the brothers’ relationship. What really got under my skin was how Miu acts like she’s the victim when the affair comes to light. Yes, she’s a teenager, and teenagers make mistakes, but playing the victim after hurting others felt like poor conduct regardless of age. Even though she had practically been neglected by Tomoki. In a show that’s largely about supporting your friends and striving together, her (and Tomoki’s brother’s) choices stood out as especially selfish. By the end, I felt that her character’s impact was almost entirely negative; she caused a lot of pain for very little payoff, and it left me with little to no sympathy for her.
Would I recommend this anime? Yes, I would recommend DIVE!!, particularly to fans of sports dramas and underdog stories. It’s a relatively short series (about 5 hours in total), so it’s easy to binge, and it delivers a good mix of inspiration and youthful energy. If you enjoy anime like Free! (which also involves teens in aquatics) or Haikyuu!! (team sports and personal growth), you might find DIVE!! to your liking as well.
It’s not as polished or emotionally heavy as some of the top-tier sports anime, but it has its own charm. The show offers insight into a lesser-known sport with high stakes, and it emphasises themes of hard work, friendship, and chasing your dreams. I’d particularly recommend it to teens and anyone who appreciates coming-of-age competition stories – the PG-13 content and upbeat tone make it suitable for a younger audience. Still, older viewers who are young at heart (or love sports) can enjoy it too.
Do you believe DIVE!! made a splash, or did it bellyflop for you?
If you’ve seen DIVE!!, I’d love to know your thoughts. Did you enjoy the series, and who was your favourite character? Do you think the anime hit the mark in portraying competitive diving, or were you left wanting more? Perhaps you have a different take on Miu’s subplot or wish to see a second season? Feel free to share your opinions, and let’s discuss this series.
My Rating: 7/10
A solid and uplifting sports anime that succeeds in motivating the viewer, though it falls a bit short of its full potential due to the limited runtime
Date Re-watched & completed: 11 August 2025
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