Grand Blue Dreaming Episode 8 Review: A Man's Cocktail

As promised, we’re back already with the review of Episode 8 for Grand Blue Dreaming! If I thought the last episode was a low point in this series, this episode definitely snatches away the crown for ‘most boring episode’ so far. If you wonder why you can read the review to find out why I thought this way and sorry in advance!

Japanese Title: 男のカクテル (Otoko no Kakuteru)

Episode 8 – Men’s Cocktails

Even though the diving club has won the tennis game, the money only covers the trip to Okinawa for the club members. The money they spend there is not included, so they need a part-time job and quick! Luckily for Iori and Kohei, one of the naked-senpai has a job for them. Turns out it is a moving company and they have to carry heavy things all day. It only takes them one day to realize that this is not something they could do for more than one day, especially since they spend the night drinking away the money they had earned with their hard labor… The girls laugh at them at first, but they offer help and show them where the other naked-senpai is working. His workplace is at a bar and the two get to try out how working as a bartender would be. The second part of the episode is spent trying to have a ‘friend’ break up with his girlfriend.

Highlights

No Nakedness

My personal highlight in this episode is when Iori and Kohei get to wear the bartender outfit and then get all uncomfortable because ‘keeping clothes on around alcohol doesn’t seem right’. That was a good joke and I had to smile a bit.

Choose your friends wisely

Dear lord, what did the guy with the girlfriend do so wrong that he deserves this kind of friends? The whole second part of the episode might be funny if you are in high school and a bitter guy without a girlfriend, surrounded by friends with girlfriends. However, as a female adult, I just wondered… what the heck are they doing? Why are they so keen on destroying their friend’s relationship? Yes, it turns out that he is a stupid idiot at the end of the episode. He would have destroyed his relationship with the girl sooner or later anyway. Why couldn’t they wait for that? How will anyone of them ever get a girlfriend, if they resort to these kinds of methods? It might not be the funniest part of the episode, but it left me something to think about.

Alcohol introduction

This part was rather interesting. I am not sure for the rest of the world, but in German-speaking countries, we do not call our drinks moscow mule or screwdriver. So it was great to see them introduce the drinks. I also like that we get to see the PAB oolong cha (Peek-a-boo Oolong Tea) recipe written down like that. Whiskey and Vodka. Nothing else, just these two. That’s what they always drink if it’s not beer. If they don’t die from liver failure, I don’t know from what else they could die.

Drinking Game

It’s hard to foresee what will happen in next week’s episode. I hope there will be enough chances to drink when I say this: let’s drink whenever they give a command during the truth or dare! One sip per person (so if the rule is Number 1-7 have to undress, that’s seven sips!). Also, we will drink to the king whenever there is one announced. Cheers!

See you next week!

At this point, I feel bad for giving this series a not very enthusiastic review. It’s not that I don’t like it or that I think it’s bad. I am just a tiny, tiny bit bored by the repetitive jokes that are only mildly amusing the first time and no fun at all the second time they come around. So if they actually would try and get a bit of story into this, or at least some diving, that would be deeply appreciated. We will see where this story moves next if there ever will be more than alcohol and drinking. Since they saved money for a trip to Okinawa I expect to see some diving soon enough, but we will see.

NEXT EPISODE: Truth or Dare