Amanchu!: Renewed Memories Shared at Sea on The Promised Summer



Friends come and go but real friends still stay close despite distance.

All they need to do to rekindle and deepen the friendship is a summer visit to reconnect the bond that weakened when distance separated them. 

And when old friends go, new ones come over to form another beautiful kind of friendship. But, new friends and old friends can't always be friends at once.

Sometimes, jealousy sparks over new friends barring to create a new friendship. Especially, when a certain special friend involved is now the new bestfriend of the new one that comes along, disrupting and by passing the old friendship bond forged as old friends move on with their regular lives.

Such is the theme of the story portrayed in the OVA of the 13th episode of Amanchu!, entitled Yakusuko no Natsu to Atarashii Omoide no Koto (The Story of the Promised Summer and New Memories).

Hikari Kohinata has two bestfriends namely Chizuru and Akane back in middle school and these two girls moved to live in metropolitan Tokyo for high school. They came over to Izu for a summer visit. The two girls were fetched by Hikari in the airport.

As they left the airport, Chizuru and Akane were surprised to be excitedly introduced to a new girl called Teko in the parking lot. Her actual name is Futaba Ooki, a new girl in town who came to Shizuoka just when Chizuru and Akane left town.

Teko excitedly chatting to Chizuru and Akane on the car

The girls stayed at the inn and Hikari and Teko gave Chizuru and Akane a tour of the place. While wandering on the rocky steps by the seaside, the girls chatted. Hikari talked about her newfound friendship in Teko.

Chizuru noticed Hikari's closeness to Teko and felt a pang of jealousy on their friendship though knowing and understanding that Teko has now replaced her and Akane as Hikari's closest buddy.

Teko and Pikkari
While touring by the bridge, Hikari and Teko animatedly talked about their scuba diving club and mentioned contacting their club teacher to come over  the next day so they can give Chizuru and Akane, who both immediately and excitedly signed up on the suggestion, a taste of beginner's scuba diving experience. While Teko was texting their teacher, Chizuru who was looking down by the bridge felt a twang of fear underwater and subconsciously lost balance while standing. Teko saw her just before she fell and immediately ran to her rescue before Chizuru fell on the ground.




Mato  Katori-sensei
The next day, Mato Katori-sensei, the club advisor came over and picked them up. They went to the beach and donned the diver's suits. Underwater, Chizuru felt a sprain on her right foot and wasn't able to move. Teko noticed her and helped her swam all the way underwater.

Having exhausted their short two day visit in Izu, Chizuru and Akane has to leave town. While still gathered inside the inn, Chizuru openly complained about the discomfort she experienced while underwater and thanked Teko for saving her. Saving her twice in a row, Chizuru no longer felt jealous over the close friendship that Hikari and Teko now shared. She apologized about her rude behavior to Hikari and considered Teko as her new friend, too.

They bid heartfelt goodbyes in the airport and Teko burst out telling them to visit again. Chizuru immediately replying her that they will visit soon. 

Teko and Hikari's flushed faces  while
waving goodbye at the airport

That was how summer went in Shizouka, Izu with the four girls. A rekindling and rebonding of old friendship and forging of a new one. Frank Chizuru befriended vibrant and helpful new girl Teko who filled the hollow Hikari lost from distant separation from her and Akane. Influenced by Teko, Hikari changed from being timid to being more open and assertive Pikkari now, maintaining Teko's friendship deepened by their underwater bond while wearing their scuba diving gears.





Amanchu! is an anime adapted from Kozue Amano's manga. J.C. Staff, the creator of anime's Kaichou wa Maid-sama! and Honey and Clover produced the 12 episode + OVA and released the anime from July to September 2016. Each episode ran for 23 minutes.





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