Ep 5. THE DAYS OF GRAY

The show DIVE!! follows the story of Tomoki Sakai, a high school student who dreams of becoming a professional diver. In season 1 episode 5, titled "The Days of Gray," Tomoki and the members of the Mizuki Diving Club continue their preparations for the upcoming prefectural preliminaries.

The episode starts with the team participating in a training camp in Shimane Prefecture. There, they meet the Tottori Diving Club, the defending champions of the prefectural tournament. Tomoki and the others are in awe of their skill and technique, and they realize that they still have a long way to go before they can compete at their level.

As the training camp progresses, the team faces various challenges and setbacks. One of the divers, Shibuki Okitsu, injures his shoulder during practice, which puts his participation in the tournament in doubt. Meanwhile, Yoichi Fujitani, the coach of the Mizuki Diving Club, is faced with personal issues that affect his ability to focus on the team.

In the midst of all this, Tomoki starts to question his own abilities. He feels like he is not improving fast enough and wonders if he is truly cut out for diving. However, his teammates and coach encourage him to keep going and remind him of his potential.

The episode also explores the relationships between the different characters. Tomoki's best friend, Youichi, has a crush on their teammate, Kayoko Asaki, but is too shy to confess his feelings. Kayoko, on the other hand, is more focused on her diving and worries that her lack of experience compared to the other girls on the team will cost them in the tournament.

Despite all the challenges, the team manages to pull together and give it their all during the tournament. The episode ends with the results of the preliminaries, which determine which teams will advance to the regional finals. The Mizuki Diving Club makes it to the next round, but their victory is bittersweet as they learn that one of their strongest competitors, the Tottori Diving Club, did not make it through.

Overall, "The Days of Gray" is an exciting and emotional episode that showcases the struggles and triumphs of the Mizuki Diving Club. It provides insight into the characters' motivations and feelings, and sets up the stage for the next phase of the competition.