Grand Blue Dreaming Season 3 Releases Creditless Opening and Ending Videos With Summer Chaos
Grand Blue Dreaming Season 3 has released its creditless opening and ending videos, giving fans a clean look at the latest wave of summer madness from Iori, Kohei and the Peek-a-Boo diving club.
The opening video features “Natsuko” by FUNKY MONKEY BΛBY’S, while the ending video is set to “Hadaka no MERMAID” by MAMESHiBA NO TAiGUN. Both videos lean directly into the ridiculous energy that has made Grand Blue Dreaming one of anime’s most chaotic college comedies.
The third season is now streaming on Crunchyroll as part of the Summer 2026 anime season. In Japan, the season began airing on July 6, 2026, on TOKYO MX and BS11, with additional broadcasts on MBS and AT-X.
Based on the manga written by Kenji Inoue and illustrated by Kimitake Yoshioka, Grand Blue Dreaming continues Iori Kitahara’s spectacularly unhinged university life, where a diving shop, a college club and far too many absurd drinking rituals keep turning youth into disaster.
The Creditless Opening Brings “Natsuko” to the Screen
The new creditless opening video for Grand Blue Dreaming Season 3 is set to “Natsuko” by FUNKY MONKEY BΛBY’S.
The opening immediately captures the season’s summer mood. It is bright, energetic and deliberately ridiculous, using mixed-media style visuals and playful staging that feel perfectly matched to the anime’s tone.
Grand Blue Dreaming has never been a normal college comedy. Even when the story begins with diving, ocean views and the promise of a refreshing campus life, it quickly collapses into naked chaos, screaming faces, drinking games and the kind of friendship that looks more like mutual psychological damage than healthy bonding.
That is exactly why the opening works.
Instead of presenting Season 3 as a clean, elegant diving adventure, the video understands the real identity of the series. This is a story about youth at its most stupid, loud and unforgettable. The opening does not hide that. It celebrates it.
“Hadaka no MERMAID” Gives the Ending a Wild Summer Finish
The creditless ending video uses “Hadaka no MERMAID” by MAMESHiBA NO TAiGUN.
The ending has a very different flavor from the opening, but it is just as faithful to Grand Blue Dreaming’s identity. It uses cute SD-style characters and fairy tale-like presentation, creating a deliberately silly contrast with the anime’s more chaotic adult comedy.
That contrast is part of the fun.
Grand Blue Dreaming is always playing with the gap between expectation and reality. Viewers may expect a beautiful diving anime. The series gives them a diving club that spends much of its time creating social disasters. Viewers may expect college romance. The series gives them misunderstandings, emotional sabotage and characters who are often their own worst enemies.
The ending video continues that tradition by wrapping the cast in a cute, energetic visual style while still carrying the ridiculous spirit of the show.
Season 3 Is Now Streaming on Crunchyroll
Grand Blue Dreaming Season 3 is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
The new season continues the anime after its long-awaited return in Season 2 and moves the story into a new summer stage. This time, Iori and the others are heading toward Palau, marking the series’ first major overseas setting.
That change of scenery fits the franchise perfectly. Grand Blue Dreaming has always promised the beauty of the ocean, but the characters almost never allow that beauty to remain peaceful for long. Whether the setting is Izu, a university campus, a diving shop or now Palau, the real threat is never the sea. It is the people around Iori.
Season 3 keeps that core joke alive.
The ocean may be stunning. The diving may be legitimate. The friendships may even be meaningful under all the stupidity. But if the Peek-a-Boo crew is involved, peace is never guaranteed.
When Did Grand Blue Dreaming Season 3 Premiere?
Grand Blue Dreaming Season 3 premiered in Japan on July 6, 2026.
The season began airing on TOKYO MX and BS11 at 24:00, effectively placing the first late-night broadcast around midnight. MBS followed on July 7, while AT-X began airing the season on July 9.
The Japanese broadcast schedule includes:
- TOKYO MX: Mondays at 24:00
- BS11: Mondays at 24:00
- MBS: Tuesdays at 26:30
- AT-X: Thursdays at 21:00, with repeat broadcasts
The new creditless opening and ending arrived after the season had already started, giving viewers a clean version of the musical sequences after the anime had reintroduced its familiar brand of college chaos.
What Is Grand Blue Dreaming About?
Grand Blue Dreaming follows Iori Kitahara, a young man who begins university life in the seaside town of Izu.
At first, everything sounds perfect. Iori is moving into his uncle’s diving shop, Grand Blue. He expects ocean views, college freedom and maybe a bright new chapter surrounded by beautiful people and summer memories.
Instead, he meets the diving club Peek-a-Boo.
The club technically exists for diving, and the series does include real diving scenes, ocean training and moments of underwater beauty. But the club is also infamous for its outrageous parties, constant nudity, ridiculous drinking rituals and total lack of shame.
Iori is quickly dragged into a world where university life is less about elegant youth and more about surviving the idiots around him.
The result is a comedy about diving, friendship, humiliation, romance, alcohol, misunderstandings and the kind of college experiences nobody should imitate but everyone can laugh at.
Season 3 Moves the Chaos to Palau
The official story introduction for Season 3 confirms that the next stage is Palau.
Iori has only been living his university life in Izu for a few months, but things are already far from normal. He lives at the diving shop Grand Blue with his cousin Chisa Kotegawa, while Nanaka, Azusa and Aina remain close parts of his increasingly unstable campus life.
At least, that would sound like a bright college story if Peek-a-Boo were not involved.
Most of Iori’s university life has been consumed by the wild men of the diving club, especially his otaku partner in stupidity, Kohei Imamura. The club’s idea of bonding often involves drinking, stripping and causing the kind of public embarrassment that would destroy a normal person.
Season 3 raises the question of what happens when this group leaves Japan.
Nanaka asks Iori to help at a new branch of the diving shop Dolphin in Palau because they are short on staff. That should be a beautiful chance for real diving in a tropical paradise. But since this is Grand Blue Dreaming, the real question is whether it is safe to let these people travel internationally at all.
The Opening Fits the Palau Summer Mood
“Natsuko” fits Season 3 because the new story is built around summer, travel and ocean energy.
Grand Blue Dreaming has always carried a strange balance between genuine marine beauty and absolute human idiocy. The Palau setting gives the anime a chance to lean harder into that first half. Clear water, tropical locations and diving abroad can make the season feel bigger and visually fresher than previous arcs.
But the opening reminds viewers that the second half is still here.
No matter how beautiful the location becomes, Iori and the others will remain themselves. The series can move overseas, but it cannot escape the club’s behavior. That is why the opening’s playful energy is so appropriate. It sells the sense of summer adventure without pretending the characters have matured into responsible adults.
They have not.
And that is the point.
The Ending Keeps the Comedy Cute and Ridiculous
“Hadaka no MERMAID” gives the ending a different kind of summer flavor.
The ending video uses cute stylization and energetic movement to make the cast feel almost harmless. That is funny because Grand Blue Dreaming’s characters are rarely harmless to one another. They lie, scheme, prank, drink, panic, overreact and constantly make bad decisions.
Turning them into smaller, cuter figures only makes the contrast funnier.
The title of the ending theme also fits the show’s long-running obsession with the body as comedy. Grand Blue Dreaming has always used nudity less as eroticism and more as absurdity. The naked male body becomes a punchline, a weapon, a social disaster and sometimes the natural state of Peek-a-Boo’s most shameless members.
An ending theme with “MERMAID” in the title, performed with high-energy idol brightness, feels exactly like the kind of strange mismatch the series loves.
Shinji Takamatsu Returns as the Key Creative Force
Shinji Takamatsu is credited as director, sound director and scriptwriter for Season 3.
That is a major role because Grand Blue Dreaming depends heavily on timing. The jokes are not subtle, but the rhythm behind them matters. A scream that comes half a second too late, a reaction face that does not land, or a drinking joke that moves too slowly can weaken the comedy.
Takamatsu’s job is to keep the absurdity moving quickly while still allowing the cast’s relationships to feel recognizable.
Grand Blue Dreaming is loud, but it is not random. The characters have clear patterns. Iori is selfish but oddly loyal. Kohei is an otaku disaster but also a perfect partner in crime. Chisa tries to maintain sanity, while everyone around her keeps destroying it. Aina wants acceptance but is often dragged into humiliating situations. The older Peek-a-Boo members are terrifyingly confident in their stupidity.
The direction must understand all of that for the comedy to work.
Zero-G and Saber Works Handle Animation Production
Animation production for Season 3 is handled by Zero-G and Saber Works.
That studio combination continues the anime’s visual identity, especially its exaggerated reaction comedy.
Grand Blue Dreaming does not need constant action animation, but it does need strong comedic expression. The series lives on faces: horrified faces, smug faces, drunken faces, dead-eyed faces and the kind of expressions that make characters look like they have briefly escaped the rules of normal human anatomy.
The animation also needs to handle diving sequences with enough sincerity that the comedy has contrast.
If the underwater scenes are beautiful, the stupidity on land becomes even funnier. If the club’s genuine love of diving is believable, their complete lack of self-control becomes more charming rather than only annoying.
That balance is essential to Grand Blue Dreaming.
The Main Staff Behind Season 3
The main staff for Grand Blue Dreaming Season 3 includes:
- Original Story: Kenji Inoue
- Manga Art: Kimitake Yoshioka
- Original Publication: good! Afternoon by Kodansha
- Director: Shinji Takamatsu
- Sound Director: Shinji Takamatsu
- Script: Shinji Takamatsu
- Animation Production: Zero-G and Saber Works
- Opening Theme: “Natsuko” by FUNKY MONKEY BΛBY’S
- Ending Theme: “Hadaka no MERMAID” by MAMESHiBA NO TAiGUN
The central creative setup tells viewers exactly what to expect: a continuation of the series’ chaotic comedy formula, now with a fresh summer destination and new music to match.
The Returning Main Cast
The returning cast includes many familiar voices from the series:
- Yuma Uchida as Iori Kitahara
- Ryohei Kimura as Kohei Imamura
- Hiroki Yasumoto as Shinji Tokita
- Katsuyuki Konishi as Ryujiro Kotobuki
- Chika Anzai as Chisa Kotegawa
- Maaya Uchida as Nanaka Kotegawa
- Toa Yukinari as Azusa Hamaoka
- Kana Asumi as Aina Yoshiwara
- Ayane Yamane as Sakurako Busujima
- Takuya Eguchi as Hajime Nojima
- Junya Enoki as Shinichiro Yamamoto
- Natsuki Hanae as Yu Mitarai
- Jun Fukuyama as Kudo
- Sumire Morohoshi as Shiori Kitahara
- Nana Mizuki as Kaya Mizuki
- M.A.O as Karina
- Sayaka Ohara as Sayaka Kotegawa
- Asami Seto as Chief
- Aya Suzaki as Maki
The size of the cast matters because Grand Blue Dreaming is at its best when the chaos spreads. Iori and Kohei are the main engine, but the series needs Chisa’s frustration, Nanaka’s intensity, Azusa’s confidence, Aina’s vulnerability and the terrifying older members of Peek-a-Boo to create its full comic ecosystem.
Iori Kitahara Remains the Perfect Victim and Accomplice
Iori is one of the funniest comedy protagonists in anime because he is both victim and accomplice.
At first, he seems like a normal young man whose life is ruined by the insane people around him. That is partly true. Peek-a-Boo does corrupt him, embarrass him and repeatedly drag him into situations no reasonable person would accept.
But Iori is not innocent.
He lies, schemes, panics and makes selfish decisions with impressive speed. He often deserves what happens to him, which makes the comedy even stronger. The best Grand Blue Dreaming jokes come from the realization that Iori is not surrounded by idiots. He is one of them.
Season 3’s Palau arc gives him a new setting to make terrible choices in, which is exactly what the series needs.
Kohei Imamura Is Still Iori’s Worst Best Friend
Kohei remains Iori’s perfect partner in destruction.
He is handsome, intense, shameless and completely controlled by his otaku obsessions. His friendship with Iori is built on rivalry, mutual sabotage and the kind of loyalty that often looks like betrayal until the last second.
That dynamic is one of Grand Blue Dreaming’s strongest weapons.
Iori and Kohei are not a noble duo. They are two idiots who understand each other too well. They can be enemies over something trivial, then become instant allies when the situation requires shared stupidity.
Season 3’s overseas setting creates many opportunities for that dynamic to get worse in the best way. Put Iori and Kohei in a new country, give them club pressure, travel complications and social misunderstandings, and disaster almost writes itself.
Chisa Still Represents the Diving Side of the Story
Chisa Kotegawa is important because she keeps the series connected to diving.
While many characters treat the diving club as an excuse for parties, Chisa genuinely loves the ocean. Her presence reminds viewers that Grand Blue Dreaming is not only about drinking jokes and public embarrassment. Beneath all the chaos, there is a real passion for diving and the sea.
This is especially important in Season 3.
Palau is a famous diving destination, and the new arc gives the anime a chance to show more of the sport’s beauty. Chisa’s perspective can make that beauty feel meaningful, even when everyone else is busy ruining the mood.
She also remains one of the best straight-man characters in the series. Her deadpan reactions, irritation and occasional participation in madness help keep the comedy balanced.
Aina, Sakurako and the Romantic Chaos
Grand Blue Dreaming also works because its romance is almost always interrupted by stupidity.
Aina Yoshiwara brings insecurity, sweetness and a desperate desire to be seen differently from her embarrassing past. Sakurako Busujima brings a sharper, more aggressive energy that often pushes Iori into uncomfortable territory.
Neither relationship path is simple, because Grand Blue Dreaming does not allow emotions to remain clean for long.
Someone will misunderstand. Someone will overreact. Someone will sabotage the moment. Someone will be drunk, naked or screaming. Often, all of these things happen at once.
Season 3 has room to continue that messy romantic tension while also letting the Palau setting create new kinds of pressure. Travel arcs are perfect for comedy because they put characters outside normal routines and force them to interact in unfamiliar environments.
Why the Music Matters for Grand Blue Dreaming
Music is more important to Grand Blue Dreaming than it might seem.
The series is loud, physical and extremely reaction-driven. A strong opening theme needs to feel like the start of a party that might become a crime scene. A strong ending theme needs to close each episode with enough energy to make viewers forget how much dignity the cast lost in the previous twenty minutes.
“Natsuko” gives the opening a bright summer identity. It feels like a song built for heat, ocean air and a season that should be unforgettable, even if the characters would probably prefer to forget several parts of it.
“Hadaka no MERMAID” gives the ending a playful, idol-driven finish that matches the series’ obsession with mixing ocean imagery and absurd body comedy.
Together, the two songs help Season 3 feel like a fresh summer chapter rather than just more of the same.
The Manga Remains One of Kodansha’s Great Comedy Hits
Grand Blue Dreaming is written by Kenji Inoue and illustrated by Kimitake Yoshioka.
The manga runs in Kodansha’s good! Afternoon magazine and is published in English by Kodansha. It has become known for its extreme facial expressions, outrageous college comedy and the strange way it combines genuine diving appreciation with some of the most unhinged social behavior in modern manga.
That combination is the reason the series has lasted.
If Grand Blue Dreaming were only about diving, it would be a pleasant sports and hobby story. If it were only about drinking and nudity, it might become repetitive. The strength of the series is that it uses both. The ocean gives the story beauty. The cast destroys that beauty. Then, occasionally, the ocean brings back enough sincerity to remind viewers why the characters keep returning to the water.
Why Season 3 Feels Like a Reward for Fans
Season 3 feels especially rewarding because Grand Blue Dreaming fans had to wait a long time between earlier anime installments.
The first season premiered in 2018. The second season followed years later, bringing the anime back to life and reminding viewers why the series had become such a beloved comedy. Now, Season 3 has arrived quickly enough to keep the momentum going.
That matters.
Comedy anime often lose energy when adaptations pause for too long. Grand Blue Dreaming has the advantage of a strong manga foundation, but the anime’s revival needed continuity. Season 3 gives fans exactly that, continuing the story while the excitement from Season 2 still feels fresh.
The creditless opening and ending videos add to that feeling of momentum. They are not major plot announcements, but they are part of the seasonal ritual that makes a new anime installment feel fully alive.
The Creditless Videos Are Worth Watching
Creditless opening and ending videos are especially enjoyable for a series like Grand Blue Dreaming because the visuals are packed with personality.
Without text covering the screen, viewers can focus on the details: character expressions, visual jokes, movement, framing and the strange creative decisions that define each sequence.
The opening’s mixed-media approach and absurd presentation make it feel different from a standard anime OP. The ending’s cute SD style and high-energy rhythm create a fun contrast with the main series’ more extreme comedy.
These videos also work as promotional tools. A viewer who has not started Season 3 yet can understand the mood immediately. This is summer, diving, friendship, idiocy and the collapse of all dignity.
That is Grand Blue Dreaming in one sentence.
What Makes Grand Blue Dreaming Different From Other College Anime?
Grand Blue Dreaming stands out because it refuses to romanticize youth in a clean way.
Many college or youth anime focus on growth, dreams, love and emotional memories. Grand Blue Dreaming technically has all of those things, but it buries them under absurdity.
Iori’s university life is meaningful, but not graceful. His friendships are important, but often destructive. His experiences are unforgettable, but usually for the worst possible reasons. His connection to diving is real, but so is his connection to terrible decision-making.
This makes the series feel honest in a weird way.
Youth is not always beautiful. Sometimes it is embarrassing, loud, stupid and only funny after the damage is done. Grand Blue Dreaming understands that and turns it into comedy.
Why Palau Is a Smart Setting for Season 3
Palau gives Season 3 a strong visual and narrative reason to exist.
Instead of simply repeating the same locations, the anime moves the cast into a new environment that naturally supports diving, travel comedy and culture-shock jokes. The setting also raises the scale of the story. Iori and the others are no longer only causing problems around Izu. They are being released into the wider world.
That is both exciting and terrifying.
A beautiful overseas diving location lets the anime deliver genuine ocean imagery, while the cast’s behavior ensures that beauty will be constantly interrupted by nonsense.
This is exactly the balance Grand Blue Dreaming needs. Palau gives the season freshness without changing the series’ core identity.
What Has Not Changed?
Despite the new setting and new music, Grand Blue Dreaming remains Grand Blue Dreaming.
The characters are still terrible influences on one another.
The diving club is still only partly about diving.
Iori is still trapped between wanting a normal college life and being fully capable of ruining it himself.
Kohei is still a disaster.
Chisa still has to endure people who should never be trusted with responsibility.
Peek-a-Boo still believes friendship and public humiliation are often the same thing.
That continuity is important. Fans do not come back to Grand Blue Dreaming because they expect the cast to become mature. They come back because they want to see how far the madness can go while still somehow feeling like friendship.
Where Can You Watch Grand Blue Dreaming Season 3?
Grand Blue Dreaming Season 3 is streaming on Crunchyroll.
The series continues Iori Kitahara’s chaotic college life as the Peek-a-Boo crew heads toward Palau for a new overseas chapter. The creditless opening and ending videos are also available through the NBCUniversal Anime/Music YouTube channel.
The opening features “Natsuko” by FUNKY MONKEY BΛBY’S, while the ending features “Hadaka no MERMAID” by MAMESHiBA NO TAiGUN.
For fans who want the full seasonal experience, the videos are worth watching separately from the episodes. They highlight the specific energy of Season 3: hot weather, ocean travel, absurd comedy and the terrifying certainty that nobody in this club should be left unsupervised.
Why Season 3 Is Already a Summer Comedy Highlight
Grand Blue Dreaming Season 3 is already positioned as one of Summer 2026’s major comedy returns.
It has the advantage of a beloved manga, a returning cast, a familiar creative direction and a new setting that naturally fits the franchise’s ocean theme. More importantly, it understands exactly what fans want from it.
They want beautiful diving locations.
They want terrible drinking decisions.
They want Iori and Kohei acting like enemies and soulmates in the same scene.
They want Chisa’s exhausted reactions.
They want Peek-a-Boo to turn every peaceful situation into a test of human dignity.
The new opening and ending videos promise all of that with a summer soundtrack attached.
Grand Blue Dreaming Is Still the King of Beautiful Disaster
The best way to describe Grand Blue Dreaming is beautiful disaster.
The ocean is beautiful. The diving is beautiful. The friendships are sometimes beautiful. The characters, however, are disasters.
That contradiction is the entire charm of the series.
Season 3 takes that contradiction overseas, and the new creditless opening and ending videos make the return feel official. “Natsuko” brings the summer rush. “Hadaka no MERMAID” brings the chaotic finish. Together, they frame a season that knows exactly what it is.
Grand Blue Dreaming does not need to become more respectable.
It only needs to keep being hilarious, embarrassing and strangely sincere beneath all the nonsense.
With Season 3 now streaming, the Peek-a-Boo crew is back, the ocean is calling and Iori’s dignity is already in danger.
