A special preview event for Granblu (ぐらんぶる) Season 3 was held on June 19 at Shinjuku Wald 9 in Tokyo, with four lead voice actors taking the stage: Uchida Yuma (Kitahara Iori), Kimura Ryohei (Imamura Kohei), Azumi Chika (Furutegawa Chisa), and Azumi Kana (Yoshihara Mana).

A Toast to Kick Things Off

True to Granblu event tradition, mugs of beer appeared on stage without explanation. Kimura Ryohei led the toast with a spirited “Kanpai!”, and fans in the audience raised their own drinks in unison. Even Uchida Yuma — who was not drinking alcohol that evening — matched the energy of the room with an enthusiastic “Let’s have fun!”, drawing loud cheers and laughter from the crowd.

Season 3 Takes the Story Overseas to Palau

Granblu is a youth comedy anime adapted from the manga by Inoue Kenji and Yoshioka Kimitake (serialized in Kodansha’s good! Afternoon), following university student Iori as he gets swept up in the chaotic antics of his school’s diving club in Izu. Season 1 aired in 2018, Season 2 is set for July 2025, and Season 3 will air in Summer 2026 — this time relocating the story to Palau for the first time outside Japan.

Uchida expressed amazement that an anime often described as a “naked youth diving comedy” has survived into a third season in an era of increasingly strict compliance standards, declaring “We made it through!” Azumi Kana asked plainly “How is this still allowed?”, while Azumi Chika added “I’m genuinely surprised they let it happen.” The cast then jokingly speculated that a particularly thick-skinned staff member must have joined the production to absorb all the complaints.

New Characters and Recording Sessions

The cast also discussed the new characters introduced in Season 3. Kimura said they “have serious impact and really inject energy into the story,” while Uchida described the experience as discovering “a drawer you never knew was there.” Kimura offered his highest praise: “It was already funny on the page, but once you add voices it becomes absolutely, stupidly hilarious.” Azumi Chika admitted she was “genuinely moved by how funny it turned out.”

On the subject of recording sessions, Kimura revealed that Granblu records all cast members together in the same booth — unusual for anime productions, which typically record actors separately. Uchida praised this approach, saying “the laughter builds up in layers and it carries through the whole show.” Kimura did note, however, that Azumi Chika has a habit of letting out audible laughs during takes.

“This Season Has the Most Ocean Scenes Ever”

The biggest laugh of the event came from Azumi Chika, who remarked that Season 3 “might have the most ocean scenes of any season so far” — a striking comment for a show ostensibly about diving. She followed up with: “In Season 2, you could only see the ocean in the opening credits.” The audience erupted.

When asked about highlights to look forward to, Uchida recommended watching “with alcohol, because things happen that you simply cannot process sober.” He described Episode 1 as having “the comfort of coming home” and Episode 2 as “the feeling of flying abroad.” Kimura agreed on the “coming home” feeling but questioned aloud who approved the content of Episode 1’s opening, warning newcomers: “Be careful who you watch this with — it could get awkward with your parents.”

Event Highlights and “That Lying Poster”

Other moments from the event included Azumi Chika pouring drinks on stage herself, and the cast making concrete plans for a long-discussed BBQ gathering. During the photo session, when the cast held up the bright, refreshing-looking Season 3 poster, Azumi Chika declared flatly: “This poster is a lie.” A fitting summary of everything Granblu stands for.

Broadcast Schedule

Granblu Season 3 airs in Summer 2026:

• TOKYO MX / BS11: Every Monday at 24:00, starting July 6, 2026
• MBS: Every Tuesday at 26:30, starting July 7, 2026
• AT-X: Every Thursday at 21:00, starting July 9, 2026

Staff

• Original Work: Inoue Kenji & Yoshioka Kimitake (good! Afternoon, Kodansha)
• Director / Sound Director / Series Composition: Takamatsu Shinji
• Main Animators: Ueda Yoichi, Abe Tomoyuki
• Art Director: Akiba Minoru (Studio Jack)
• Prop Design: jimao
• Color Design: Matsuyama Aiko
• Photography Directors: Kato Naoyuki, Saito Tomomi
• Editor: Tokuda Shun
• Music: Hashimoto Yukari
• Animation Production: ZERO-G × Saberworks

Cast

• Kitahara Iori — Uchida Yuma
• Imamura Kohei — Kimura Ryohei
• Tokita Shinji — Yasumoto Hiroki
• Kotobuki Ryujiro — Konishi Katsuyuki
• Furutegawa Chisa — Azumi Chika
• Furutegawa Nanaka — Uchida Maaya
• Hamaoka Azusa — Yukinari Toa
• Yoshihara Mana — Azumi Kana
• Bushijima Sakurako — Yamane Aya
• Nojima Hajime — Eguchi Takuya
• Yamamoto Shinichiro — Enoki Junya
• Miterai Yu — Hanae Natsuki
• Fujiwara Kenta — Robert Waterman
• Chairman Kudo — Fukuyama Jun
• Kitahara Shiori — Morohoshi Sumire
• Otoya Naomi — Aoyama Yoshino
• Furutegawa Toshio — Kawada Shinji
• Mizuki Kaya — Mizuki Nana
• Karina — M·A·O
• Furutegawa Sayaka — Ohara Sayaka
• Chief — Seto Asami
• Maki — Suzaki Aya