Whatever one's favorite flavor of anime is, they all have one thing in common: the infamous "beach episode". From horror to romance, isekai to slice of life, this one-off adventure is like a show's rite of passage. Inevitably, needing a break from the action and drama, the characters will find themselves donning their swimsuits and heading to the nearest body of water.
Another, Hamtoro, Food Wars, Bleach--no anime series is safe from going through at least one episode full of fun in the sun. But why are beach episodes so common? Viewers may see them as just the dreaded anime filler used between story arcs, or an excuse for some mild fan service. The truth is, there's a lot more to these random episodes than meets the eye. Beach Episodes are sometimes also called "bottle episodes", and that is a fitting name for them. When characters are pulled from their usual environments and plopped down in the sand, the beach acts as a small, contained area where there isn't much to do besides letting viewers watch them more closely than one could in a typical episode.
Beach Episodes Reveal New Sides To Characters
This type of setting presents a perfect opportunity for the characters to explore their personalities and relationships in a new light. Take Dragon Ball GT. Their beach episode, while relegated to a flashback, was so impactful that it allowed Goku to unlock Super Saiyan 4. My Dress-Up Darling takes advantage of the beach to reveal the increasingly close relationship between Marin and Gojo. The conversation they have regarding Gojo's grandfather's advice to experience new things showcases the growing intimacy between the two in ways that are both obvious and subtle. Gojo's confession feels like something he hasn't admitted to anyone else before. Marin's response that they should continue to try new things together is a blatant confession of her feelings for him, with her realization becoming one of the show's cutest moments.
Anime can have a lot of weird tropes that fans have learned to embrace, and the beach episode is one of them. These breaks from the main story aren't just filler or an excuse for the viewers' favorite characters to show a little skin. In many cases, they can reveal aspects of the characters that even they may not have known existed. And sometimes, it's nice to just explore what happens when the cast is allowed to let loose and enjoy some classic summer fun.
Beach Episodes Are A Lot More Than Filler
Love them or hate them, beach episodes are common in anime for a reason and will undoubtedly stick around for a long time yet. While most fans have come to regard these negatively, as unwanted breaks in a show's main narrative, beach episodes are actually a lot more than filler. Sometimes even the most action-packed anime need a break to let the characters explore their relations and develop their personalities, and this is exactly what beach episodes are for.
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