Beach Day! This Summer’s Must-Watch Beach Episodes

August 17, 2021

The summer isn’t over just yet! There are a few constants in life, and thankfully anime beach episodes are one of them.

Not only are audiences treated to fun in the sun, but beach episodes often give our favorite characters time to chat without distractions. (And, yes, they also give us a chance to see those favorite characters in cute swimsuits!) Buried feelings and deep thoughts often find a way to the surface after a lazy afternoon relaxing on the seashore.

An anime day at the beach or poolside usually includes swimming, playing a traditional watermelon game called suikawari that’s similar to hitting a piñata, grilling up tasty treats and fishing. If you need a little sunshine when you can’t get to the beach yourself, we have just the list for you.

Take a quick vacay to catch some must-watch beach episodes right here on Funimation. There’s so much summer fun, you can practically smell the sunscreen through your screen!

My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia’s heroes-in-training might go through a lot during their studies at U.A., but they also find time to relax now and again. Veteran hero Selkie insists on a little R&R for Froppy, Ochaco, Nejire and Sirius in the middle of a mission. He wants to remind them what they’re fighting for, and he tells fellow hero Ryukyu in “Long Time No See, Selkie.”

“We heroes are constantly confronting evil and constantly being shown evil,” Ryuku agrees. “That’s why you wanted to show them this peace and give them a strong desire to protect it.”

And so the young heroes take a moment to play in the salty sea air. BBQ, swimming, and fishing give the girls the break they sorely needed before taking on the bad guys.

Want to see all of Class 1-A enjoy some time in the water? Don’t forget the pool episode at the beginning of Season 3!

SK8 the Infinity

“Steamy Mystery Skating?!” is SK8 the Infinity’s beach episode, and it is perfection. It doesn’t get much better than this. Skaters Reki, Langa, Miya, Shadow, Cherry Blossom and Joe all have the same idea for a relaxing getaway. Their mini vacation starts with skateboarding down the smooth streets of Miyakojima before the beach hijinks begin.

The energy of the boys on their beach trip is so contagious you’ll find yourself longing to dive into the clear blue water yourself. The boys are masters at pulling pranks on each other. And we haven’t even told you about the secluded hot springs and spooky ghost story…

All these elements combine to make this one must-watch episode—not just of SK8 the Infinity, but all of anime!

Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid

If you love beach episodes, “Summer Staples” from Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid is a can’t-miss. Swimsuit shenanigans? Check. Watermelon smashing? Check. Long conversations and personal insights? Check. Fishing from the back of a floating dragon? Check—wait, what?

You’ll get all your favorite parts of beach episodes, plus an incredibly funny look at another summer staple in Japan. Comic Market, a comic convention more commonly called Comiket, is a place for artists to sell their self-published manga works and gain new fans. The rare chance for the dragons and other creatures to be themselves as they hide among the cosplayers makes bearing the August heat worth it.

It might have “fan service” in the episode title, but this beach episode is unquestionably sweet and heartwarming.

One Piece

The Straw Hat Pirates sail through the open sea, but they rarely get a chance to play in the sun! Their adventures at Spa Island in episodes 382 – 383 give the crew of The Thousand Sunny a much-needed break. It’s also a fantastic standalone adventure for anyone who’s never seen One Piece, or if it’s been a while.

While enjoying their day in the sun at an island resort, Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and the rest of the crew meet two young girls searching for their father. But they’re rudely interrupted by a former foe on the hunt for the girls, Captain Foxy. The crew shows off their fighting skills to protect the young girls and the secret they’re hiding.

Even with nearly 1,000 episodes under their belts, the heroes of One Piece hardly ever get time to relax poolside—so don’t miss this one!

Interviews with Monster Girls

The beach (well, poolside) episode of Interviews with Monster Girls is a rarity. Not only is it the fun in the sun episode, it’s also the last one of the series.

“Demi-chans Want to Swim” has romantic misunderstandings, monster lore, and a sense that the monster girls know who they are and have accepted themselves completely. It’s a cheerful combination that makes this beach episode stand out.

Taking a vampire and other demi-humans to the beach seems like a wildly bad idea, so their teacher Tetsuo Takahashi schedules a day at the school pool for them instead. They laugh and splash and play. Tetsuo has the chance to chat with them one more time, and they open up about what they’ve discovered about themselves.

It’s a lovely, quiet wrap-up to a sweet slice of life series.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Beach fun and a murder mystery? Sign us up. The two parts of “Remote Island Syndrome” tell a standalone story of Haruhi and her fellow SOS Brigade members on vacation. Things don’t go as planned on their beach getaway—or do they?

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is unpredictable but plays on familiar tropes because Haruhi herself is a fan of them. In this two-part beach episode, it’s the “closed circle mystery” on an isolated island that has her wheels turning. When the SOS Brigade is invited to a private villa, their fearless leader knows it’s the perfect setting for a detective story. She’s quickly proven right as a lifeless body is discovered in one of the rooms.

You won’t guess where this mystery is headed, but there’s a little bit of beach fun before you find out!

Do you have a favorite anime beach episode? Share this post and tell us about it! Stay tuned to Funimation for the latest news on all things anime, this summer and beyond.