Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara

I normally don't write reviews and forgive me if my thought process is all over the place. This review will contain spoilers (kind of) as well as my own personal experience, so please bear with me. This is my first review.

When I first saw the trailer for this film, I thought it would be another romance anime, but it was more than that to me. I'll start with the six points and why I scored them as such. I hope you enjoy this review. And even if our opinions differ, I'm glad I was still able to share my experience with you all.

Story ... (7): The story was nothing overly spectacular, but was very relatable in terms of someone starting their own path in life and working their way towards their future with each bump in the road along the way. Even so, I enjoyed the journey and really felt it on a personal level. Which I will discuss at the end of this review.

Art (9): The art style and animation in this film was absolutely gorgeous. The colors were bright and used effectively and I really enjoyed the pleasant look of the whole film. The movement of the waves were honestly what stood out to me most.

Sound (8): The soundtrack in this movie was very well done. The composition was put together in a way that I thought worked well. I'm no expert on sound design or music scores, but I enjoyed how everything flowed with the movie like a wave. It matched the tone and I had no problems with it.

Character (7): I enjoyed the characters. Nothing to write home about, but I was invested in them nonetheless. Nothing really more to say here. No complaints.

Enjoyment (10): As I stated in the beginning of this review albeit being short and to the point, I felt this movie on a personal level. I enjoyed watching it and I hope to see more from this studio.

I wrote this review because in April of 2019, my father who was eldery passed away and left this earth. He had been struggling for a long time but chose not to tell me because he knew I would worry. Even though he passed peacefully, it's been tough grieving someone who had been there my whole life.

I lost my job, my sense of purpose, my interests in a lot of things and have felt conflicted on where to go and what to do. I was sobbing by the end of this movie because even when people leave us they're always there in spirit. I felt my own father was trying to reach out to me while I watched this film trying to tell me that he wanted me to be happy and to get back on my feet.

Thank you for reading this if you did and I do recommend you watch this film.

The showing date for Tenki no Ko was announced the day right after I booked my flight to Japan, and that showing happened to be just a day after my flight back. In pure frustration, I decided I would watch at least one anime movie while I was there, and that happened to be this: Kimi to Nami.

After seeing only the trailer, I didn't really have much expectation for this other than a sappy, supernatural love story, but it was surprisingly good. The story was simple, the characters were easily relatable, and the music was fantastic. I still find myself humming BRAND NEW STORY every ... now and then.

It's a pretty good movie. Just don't raise your expectations too much; it's nothing groundbreaking, but not a waste of time either.

You can make something groundbreaking by doing nothing groundbreaking and everything else really damn good.

Just a quick heads up for anyone who may want to watch this movie: DON'T WATCH THE TRAILER. The trailer for some damn reason spoils the entire movie and makes it not near as intriguing to watch. I'm glad I didn't watch the trailer until after the movie.

I am just blown away about how surprisingly spectacular this movie was. Looking at the score and the reviews, I thought this would either be a disappointing, boring ass movie like Shikioriori or a real solid, heartwarming movie like Summer Wars; and it was ... none of the above.

I deeply ADORE this movie and Science SARU has become one of my all-time favorite studios.

Yes in fact, the reviews do speak the truth; the movie does nothing groundbreaking, but DAMN IS IT AMAZING. The writing is maybe slightly above average, the plot has been done a million times before, the execution was exquisite, the character design is simple, but beautiful, the characters themselves are memorable, the animation is so clean it puts Mr. Clean himself to shame, and I still can't get the soundtrack out of my head.

Does this movie deserve the score it has? In my opinion, hell no.

Ride Your Wave is one of those movies that does nothing different, but absolutely everything extremely well.

Do not sleep on this emotional, heartwarming mastapiece of a film. You may not love it as much as I do, but I can assure that you are in for a tasty-ass treat.

Watch this sh*t now.

Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara or Ride Your Wave is Masaaki Yuasa's latest film and coming from a long time fan of his, I'd say this is probably his weakest one so far. But even his weakest work makes for a great watch that's enjoyable and has at least some interesting things about it.

Before watching this film it's best that you know what you're in for so that you'd be in the right mindset. This is a relatable and sweet (if cheesy and a very fairy tale-esque) portrayal of young love which then turns in to a story of overcoming loss, letting go of ... the past and finding new passions in life. The surfing and catching waves motif in the film is akin to catching new opportunities in life instead of hiding underwater and letting opportunities pass over you.

Not a bad concept and this is tied together nicely with every aspect of the film. I especially like the hints we get about the main character early in the film about her clinging to her childhood by having her move in to her childhood town, using her childhood surfboard, eating her childhood food, listening to a song from her childhood... etc' etc'
it's a little heavy handed, but it makes for good foreshadowing to what she's about to cling to later in the film.
The male lead observed baby sea turtles struggling to enter the sea which hints at what he's going to cling to as well.
The chemistry between the two leads is pretty solid, if a bit cheesy and the film is able to set up a fairly cute love story in its first act, using montages, seeing them have fun together and hearing them have nice casual conversations too.

The supporting characters don't have too much of a character arc of their own, but they're also given enough personality, screen time, serve enough of a purpose in the story to justify their existence and they do just that - support.
You have a another firefighter who's not very good at his job, but is trying his best to improve and is also used as a red herring to make the audience think he's gonna be another love interest for the main character. There's also the real love interest's little sister who's the voice of reason and does play more of a role later in the film.

The thing you really need to know going in to this film is that it relies heavily on happenstance and fairy tale logic:
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
The inciting incident of the film is that the main character is saved by a fireman from a fire who (later turns out) just so happens to be the same guy she saved from drowning when they were kids.. Who later becomes her boyfriend, who later drowns in the sea, dies and becomes a firefighting ghost with water powers who saves the day in the climax (yeah it can't be her imagination at that point).. It's also worth mentioning that the climax is set up pretty conveniently too, with one of the supporting characters who just so happened to overhear the same punks who set off fireworks illegally and caused the fire in the beginning of the film, planning their next fireworks playtime in an abandoned building where there happens to be a dried up tree that catches fire easily..
[End of SPOILERS]

Maybe making this feel like a fairy tale was intentional, I have no way to know that. I'm just pointing this out because this does hamper some of the character's control over the story in retrospect. It feels like the scenarios are driving the characters half the time and not the other way around. This isn't too bad though since in a lot of the film the characters do act in a way that's significant and that's tied to their personalities, it's just that the transition between acts or the actual plot points that feel kinda forced and establishing that ghosts exist in the middle of the film isn't the best decision.

Visually, the film is quite beautiful in terms of imagery and background art that seems to have great depth of field and has very fluid character motions, impressive character acting, as well an emphasis on food and coffee animation that is also very elaborate. Coming from Yuasa Masaaki this is probably his most mainstream looking film, in the sense that the characters look a lot more "animeish" and further away from Masaaki's usual abstract style. Which is fitting since the film in general is more of a crowd-pleaser (not that there's anything wrong with that) and further away from his more abstract and weirder works.

Soundwise it has breezy pop music, great sound design and excellent voice acting all around, especially from the main character who is the only one to sound like an actual anime character, while the rest sound like they have more realistic speech patterns (not the first time this has been done).

Overall, I'd say it's Yuasa's weakest work, but still a terrific film that's emotionally powerful, fun, has nice atmosphere and hits all the right notes.
Yeah, it's pretty sappy, but I guess I'm a sap..

Holy Cannoli, does this movie have an Opening. Almost immediately out of the gate, we're thrust into an intense, high stakes situation that not only gets your blood pumping but sets the stage for everything else to come in the story. You get a very clear picture of who are characters are, what they're like, and just what kind of movie this is going to be.

Personally, I was enthralled from start to finish. Invested in the characters, in love with the story, impressed by the animation, there's nothing I have to complain about. Even the twist, which I didn't see coming at all, was superbly ... done and emotionally resonant.

Of course, this movie couldn't start the way it does without ending in a similar fashion, and boy does this movie have an Ending. Another intense, high stakes, blood pumping situation that has you on the edge of your seat.

This movie made me smile, it made me cry, it made me walk out of the theater feeling content, and it will do the same for you.

Story (7):
The story presented in Ride Your Wave is one that I was able to enjoy, if only for the fact that it is a relatable enough story. The main character, Hinako, is attempting to figure out what direction to go in for her career and life (hence "riding her wave"), and she enjoys surfing. She falls in love, something tragic happens, she becomes lost, something dramatic happens, and she is made to realize which direction she feels compelled to go in. It falls a bit flat, as it is not anything incredibly detailed. Unlike the core of the story, the path through the story ... is not nearly as relatable. Hinako relies heavily on the other characters to find herself, which makes her seem dangerously dependent. What she accomplishes is diminished by the fact that she does very little of it for herself.

Art (9):
While the story falls a bit flat, the art is beautiful and the colors work well with the various settings. The movement of different things-- such as the waves that Hinako surfs on-- shows true strength in animation. The only thing that I think bothered me was how thin the characters' legs are. In some scenes, the characters appear to be walking on little sticks, even if they are not super distant. It is definitely a trait that stands out.

Sound (8):
Having a specific song as a recurring theme throughout the movie does lend to the story a bit, but the song started to wear on me by the end of the movie. The main song is a cute song, and the lyrics definitely fit the story, but I got a bit tired of hearing Hinako and Minato singing it.

Character (5):
The characters are where the movie truly falls flat. The main character, Hinako, is very dependent on others. She learns very little on her own, and therefore, her character development seems largely unearned. The other characters feel like someone you meet once and never see again, despite their presence throughout the movie. They are not very dynamic. Certain aspects of certain characters-- including their desires-- are cut terribly short or jarringly switch directions. In fact, Minato is probably the most interesting character in the movie, which is a shame. His story gives him the most depth and purpose of all of the characters, and he shapes all of the other characters in some way. I would say he is the true main character.

Enjoyment (7):
While the movie was not the most spectacular thing I have ever seen, I did enjoy it. It was simple and cute, and relatable, and there were parts that brought tears to my eyes or made me feel very warm and fuzzy. I would be willing to show it to someone else, but I would not rewatch it on my own. There are other stories out there that do everything this movie was intended to do, but with a bit more strength. Overall, though, this movie was not bad.

Great anime that takes you on a ride (ha, get it) of emotions, I personally do not like romance or sad anime's but this one made me actually shed a tear, I highly recommend it, it is not for the feint of heart though. It is beautifully written as well as drawn, the visuals compared to most anime's is astonishingly better and easier to the eye. The storyline does keep you interested throughout the whole movie, as someone that has a hard time focussing on one thing for an extended period of time this was very relaxing and easy to follow all whilst keeping my ... full attention.

Ride Your Wave is the story of a young and naive surfer who falls in love with a firefighter; the two have a whirlwind romance that eventually leads to something supernatural. This movie is the latest anime feature from director Masaaki Yuasa (Lu Over The Wall, Night Is Short), who I find very hit or miss, but I'm happy to say I thought this was a hit! In fact I loved this movie so much I almost gave it a 9/10, but a few things held it back to a strong 8/10. When I first saw the trailer I rolled my eyes a bit because ... it comes off as a cheesy romance movie, but honestly the romance was VERY well done. Probably one of the best anime romances, ever. The main couple just have such natural chemistry and are so likable, they feel like a real couple and you just want to see things work out for them. I LOVED the design for lead girl, Hinako! She is just so cute and upbeat and strong and a total surfer babe! I'm not kidding when I say I'd literally watch a movie with any plot that has her in it, I just find her so entertaining to watch. Like that opening scene when she gets a surprise call from mom and she's trying to make lunch while trying to keep every box in her house from falling on her? I was in stitches! I wanna point out Hinako's tan, how she's much darker skinned than the male lead. For me this is a big deal since I almost always see the opposite in anime, where a tan male lead is accompanied by a much lighter skinned female lead (I could give so many examples but look at Natsu vs. Lucy in Fairy Tail or Ash vs. Misty in Pokemon). Anyway, Hinako's tan skin to me shows how atypical, how against the grain she is. Furthering my point is the fact that her boyfriend admires her surfing skills so much that he says SHE's HIS hero, when in a normal romance anime I feel like the female lead would be going goo goo eyed over the male lead's athletic ability, y'know? Minato's a pretty loveable lead as well, a dude who became a firefighter solely because he loves helping people. You can see why Hinako falls in love with him so fast. Side note: I couldn't help but notice that Minato's got the same design as Ryo from Devilman Crybaby (only with dark hair), so I kept thinking to myself that this was an alternate reality where Ryo wasn't an asshole and got a girlfriend lol. I also have to mention that Minato's best friend Wasabi and Minato's sassy little sister Youko have a side romance that's actually VERY well done and cute as well. Even minor characters shine in this film! The animation is really solid, the designs are a bit lanky and noodley, but less so than normal Yuasa outings. The animation almost looks like a normal anime movie!

OK, so if I loved it so much why did I only give Ride Your Wave an 8? Well, this is where it's hard to avoid spoilers, but I'll say the film doesn't stay light hearted for very long: it's actually a movie about coping with tragedy, which might throw some people off guard. It's a very sad film that can be hard to watch at times, so please don't watch this if you're already in a sad mood. Where I subtract some points is the supernatural twist related to the tragedy, which I found a bit silly and kind of hurt the film. Though it did lead to some great comedy, like when Hinako accidentally summons the water spirit in a toilet. Another big minus for me was that the film plays its theme song "Brand New Story" WAYYY too fucking much! It's a catchy song but I heard it so many times I just wanted to puncture my ear drums! Don't believe me? It's the theme of the movie, so they play it as part of the OST, AND it happens to be the fave song of the leads so they are CONSTANTLY singing it or humming it or listening to it on the radio, AND it's actually plot related because Hinako can only summon the water spirit by...you guessed it, singing that DAMN song! There's also a tiny twist at the end where you find out Hinako and Minato were like destined to meet, blah blah, it's really unnecessary and forced and stupid. My biggest complaint is that Youko and Hinako's actions at the climax are very dumb, like they kind of deserved to drown. Why would you follow these dangerous characters without contacting the police? And then Youko says they have to wait for the gang to light the fireworks, but then she says they have to take a perfect picture of the gang in the act, but THEN she says she needs a good video of it before they call the cops!? Ugh, just call the damn cops and get outta there, dummy! Anyway, please watch this film, it's worth it for the lovable cast and exceptionally well done romances.

I honestly enjoyed this movie for the most part. Unfortunately, like Game of Thrones, I feel they butchered the ending. The story and the visuals itself were very well done but...the ending was so lackluster it took away a lot from the initial appeal of the movie. (I feel personally)

I don't know if anyone else felt that way but, I honestly just felt 'meh' after it ended. I was so enthralled and engaged up until the last 5 minutes or so and then....blah. That was it. Honestly, a little disappointing considering how much I enjoyed it up until that point.

Movie overall: 7
Ending: a 4 at ... best

Very much recomend If you're looking for a very emotional movie. It does a very good job at getting you invested from the very first song. I found myself physicaly wanting to sing with Hinako, and crying hard with the ending. It's just a good story about moving on and finding yourself through love. I also think it did a realy good job with other characters besides the leads, giving them proper story and development. The animation is good, it does a great job in conveying the event, but nothing breathtakingly beautiful.
It's not as much focused on actions as it is on emotions of the ... characters, but that is to be expected from a movie of this genre. The general flow of the story is pretty predictable, but with a few scenes and moments that take you by surprise.

If you - like me - were fooled by the strange animation style from the poster, or - like me - are not fond of the ocean theme, please, correct yourself and give this movie a chance! Plus - it doesn't seem like it, but it's a real tearjerker and at the same time carries very cool message about loss and moving on!

I've had this title in my Plan to Watch list for a while but because of the above said I've plain ignored it. I was never so worng! The plot manages to combine firefighting with surfing !! and very sweetly presented and fun ... love story with the despair after losing someone close to you. Very nice mixture and very original presentation of the story! Big PRO for me - main characters are not highschoolers but damn GROWN PEOPLE! Very relatable for a 30+ like myself.

I recommend this not onlly for a nce change of scenery but if you've been through a loss recently. It conveys a really nice message of acceptance and getting a grip of your life after you've been shaken. Yes, tears will be shed, but overall the feeling through the whole movie is very positive.

I watched Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara expecting a lot, because its director is Masaaki Yuasa, the same person who directed incredible shows like Devilman Crybaby or The Tatami Galaxy, and what I got was nothing but an amazing emotional movie that never stops impressing. It is a rollercoaster of emotions that in the end almost left me with tears in my eyes. It is a beatiful, wholesome movie about how people can influence other people´s lives even if they do not realize that. It never gets melodramatic, it never gets boring. It is just what it is, and is not trying to be ... pretencious in any way. I am trying to keep this short to not give any spoilers away, so, if you somehow are interested in this movie and managed to find this review, I tell you: Go watch it. The eight I am giving this picture might seem a bit low, and this movie is not nearly as good as, for example, Tatami Galaxy, but it is still one of the best anime movies of 2019. Do not hesitate and go catch this wave, you will not regret it.

**Warning: Contains Spoilers**

I am writing this review straight after watching 'Ride Your Wave'. I went in thinking it was a nice bittersweet story between our main characters; Hinako and Minato. I was not excepting to not only cry not once, not twice, but three times during this movie!

Story: 8/10
We start off with our female protagonist; Hinako Mukaimizu who moves next to the sea in order to surf again, as she did during her childhood. While still unpacking in her new apartment, a firework mishap sets her apartment building ablaze. while trying to escape the blaze she is saved by our next main character; Minato ... Hinageshi. Hinako tries to teach Minato to catch the waves, teaching him how to surf.

Minato decides to practice surfing to surprise Hinako, while having a break, he begins texting her. He gets interrupted however once he hears a cry for help. Minato swims out and manages to save the persons life, but with the cost of his own life.

As Hinoko struggles with the loss of her loved one, she would hum the song they both sang together. In doing so, Minato begins to appear as a spirit in any body of water.

I hear a lot of people disliked the ending of this movie but I quite liked it, just the fact when Hinako was training to be a lifeguard, She still panicked as it reminded her of Minato. She got inspired by Minato to help others who were in danger.

Art: 10/10
The art style is very unique in this movie, at first i didn't like how they did thier necks at the start of the movie but eventually it grew on me. Water animations were excellent. The viewing experience was really enjoyable as the movie progressed. The animation style especially demonstrated the emotional scenes really well.

Sound: 10/10
Music was great! The main song in the movie was extremely catchy. The fact that Hinako and Minato were singing during the middle of the film while spending time together was such a nice touch, gave more meaning to the song. The voice acting was great also, fitting their character roles very well. Excellent work to Rina Kawaei for Hinako's emotional scenes.

Character: 8/10
I thought that I would end up writing a lot about Youko by the end, but I really liked her character during the end of the movie as she warms up a bit towards Hinako. However I did have an issue when Wasabi 'confessed' to Hinako as it felt so unnecessary and was pushed under the rug during the movie.

Seeing how our main characters bloom during their time together was very wholesome and enjoyable to watch. The fact Minato had conflicts with himself about not being able to help or touch Hinako really made it more realistic, I'm glad that he just doesn't accept that fact that "Hey, This is fine." cause lets admit, most people wouldn't just accept that fate with their significant other.

Enjoyment: 9/10
Other then the fact I was bawling my eyes out during this film, I did really enjoy it. It was a really emotional film. Normally with cliche emotional series I rarely cry, but this is one of them that made me did. I would definitely watch this film again!

Overall: 10/10
I can say this is an underrated movie in my opinion. I recommend this to any anime fan who likes romantic-drama films. I can see why someone would dislike this movie as it can be cliche for this genre but other then that, its quite an enjoyable film. Highly recommended from my part.

This romance story will bring quite a wave of emotions.

My top scores would have to be Art and Story. Lowest would be Characters then Sound. Heres what I think:

Art: 9| While the art really brings out the emotions, it kind of looks weird at certain times, kind of alien. It is so much better than some lip flapping picture though!
Story: 8| The plot of the story brings you in and the beginning sets up the romance story to be something great, but the amount of timeskips or quick speed ups to try to fit a romance story that should be more fleshed out into a ... 1hr time frame, kind of kills the big tragedy that's suppose to set up for the revival at the end.
Sound: 5| The theme song is super chipper, really sets the fun in the waves and how nice it is in that summer surfing season. Its just when its sung the 11th billion time that is gets old. Not to mention the very mediocre soundtrack that accompanies a scene. Wouldn't mind just listening to background or sfx over the music.
Characters: 7| While the main (Misako) has a lot of bright, cheery eyed, star struck, klutz you learn to love and cry and cheer with. The other characters aren't so fleshed out and are more like story placeholders rather than actual beings.
Overal & Enjoyment: 8| I enjoyed it! The art is captivating, funny, sad, and the story is well thought out. Misako is a character I would love to have as a friend. I wish I could talk with someone I love by singing a song and calling them up from the water. It has some bad sides, but that's what happens when a big romance tragedy and revival arc all have to fit in a 1 hr time slot. I would love to be able to read this as a manga or even watch it as an episodic anime show.

Spoilers Ahead!
The story the art and even the characters are so nicely drawn, with so much emotions. You wish that you could be there in those heartbreaking moments, or wish you can slap those fire making gangstas' faces.

The art style really brings out those emotions. Instead of static faces with a lip flap, you can see their whole face contort or scrunch up or even get super red. It makes them more animated and relatable than some 2D mouth moving picture. The story is a wave of emotions itself. From the beginning where it sets up some guy admiring his "hero" and this girl who wants to be out there, do things, show the world she is more. Then the two meeting up realizing they have so much more in common and a past too. Their love story blossoms until it is all taken away from him saving someone's life. In the end though, the girl realizes her dreams, finds her place in the big world, and realizes she can take on any wave.

But what this story lacks, is the time it needs to flesh out a romance. The beginning is sweet. Its romantic. It drags me in because I see the romance blossom in real time, but then I'm suppose to believe in tiny glimpses of the romantic adventure these two have in short tiny story points? Yes it's cute they are singing the theme with tiny laughs and so much emotion, but I can't relate or really see everything blossom.

Its like trying to figure out what the ocean is except you live in the middle of a continent and all you have is a snow globe that's has a small replica of "Panama Beach".

So when the big dramatic climax comes in, I'm not invested enough in the relationship to realize how big the drop, the tragedy, will become. I'm sad that such a lovable character was taken away from me, but how can I feel heartbreak when I haven't even felt love? I'm sad that Misako is so broken down, I'm sad that her passion to surf died with her boyfriend. I'm sad that such a bright sun like her is so broken. Yet her boyfriend who is the tragedy, I'm not so sad about and their now broken relationship.

Okay, so time is one downside. In romance you have to take it slow sometimes to really make the drop so much more painful. Another downside to this story is...the side characters.

So we have Wasabi and Kyoko, and also Misako's two friends. In the beginning we see a bit of all of them. All their different personalities but they seem more like static characters or placeholders then actual beings. Misako's friends are just that "her friends". I don't see the quirky or the hip or the sloth or anything. Just two placeholders friends for two scenes.

Kyuoko seems just like another placeholder too, except with a larger role. She is the little sister Hinako and pretty protective too. She has this running gag with "Love is bad" but she isn't really funny or something cute. She's just kind of pops up sometimes. The we go back to Misako sulking, or a timeskip, or her talking to water Hinako.

Wasabi, I had high hopes for. Like maybe by the end he would be so much more. Maybe be a senior firefighter or help Misako with the flower shop. Instead we are pushed this weird, "So like, I know you were my former bff's gf but like...I've always liked you soooo, wanna like me?" At this point I'm disappointed. The story does skip over this mistep, "by not bringing him back till the end (and one scene with Kyoto) [yes I spelled it wrong]." Eventually he becomes a "good firefighter" and eventually gets a girl that actually likes him.

The sound is pretty mediocre too. The waves don't really sound good, but I'll leave that out, cause I can see the recording issues. The soundtrack is pretty bland, and my the time you hear the theme song the 11th billion time it kind of gets pretty boring too. I'm not a sound expert but I could have just watched the movie with just regular sfx and I would have still been fine.

Nb: Sorry for my bad english, i partially write this review as a tool to get good at english (

This movie is the first Masaaki Yuasa movie I checked out. As a new anime fan, i've already heard this director name in several places. Just out of curiosity I go and watch one of his movies.
This movie was quiet an enjoyable one In my Opinion. From the story standpoint there is no particularly special about it, but it has a pretty good story still. The ending has somethings that don't really stick the landing Imo, I won't spoil it here just in case. The characters ... are fine I guess, my favorite one being Hinageshi Minato the boyfriend guy.
Most of my enjoyment comes from the animation and the art style. As a mostly visual and auditory person this movie was super enjoyable all the way through.
One last random thing, I really love the song that they use throughout this movie.

Vi Kimi to,Nami ni Noretara con mi novio Yago porque desde hace días me estaba diciendo que la veamos juntos y que era mejor que Kimi no na wa, y no me quedan dudas de que la supera por mucho tanto en animación, trama como así también, en la banda musical. Decir que lloré es poco, se podría decir que es una película muy realista, jamás me había sentido tan identificada con una personaje principal como lo fue Hinako.
Por otro lado, mi novio se sintió muy identificado con el amigo de Minato, un personaje que tuvo muy buen desarrollo desde mi punto de vista, ... ya que en vez de ayudar en la explosión siendo bombero, decidió contener y abrazar a Hinako en un momento de locura, eso es algo que haría y ha hecho mi novio por mí sobre todo cuando le lloraba a mi ex.
Después de ver esta película, dado que él y yo mantenemos una relación a distancia, comencé a ver a mi novio Yago en el agua, por lo cual hablar con él en el inodoro se hizo una rutina habitual y nos ha unido más que antes, esto me ha ayudado a superar las dificultades que se producen en relaciones de este tipo y por eso recomiendo que vean esta película y la pongan en práctica con sus parejas.

Romance movies are a dime a dozen. They're practically everywhere, so any attempt at making any form of romance media will inevitably seem cliche, because at this point, there's literally no original storytelling ground for them anymore. I myself have never been much for romance stuff, mostly because many of them are either annoyingly cliche, formulaic, melodramatic, or indulge in tropes that are so aggravating, you just want to punch a wall. I especially hate it when the main leads come across an obstacle, NEVER talk to each other about it in favor of dragging out the drama longer than it needs to, thereby ignoring ... healthier solutions, or when a love triangle gets shoved in and the writers feel the need to make everyone as mean-spirited and antagonistic about it as possible. So when I heard that famous animator/director Masaaki Yuasa, famous for works such as Mind Game, Kaiba, Devilman Crybaby, and his most recent TV series Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken, was making a romance romp called Ride Your Wave, I thought I'd check it out. It looked nice enough, and he can be good at character development and storytelling when he actually puts effort into it, so when it aired in theaters in my area, I decided to see it, thinking it'd be a cute and serviceable, but still formulaic, unmemorable movie.

Boy, was I wrong. I went into this with absolutely no expectations, and not only did the movie blow my ass away, it officially became the gold standard for which I hold all romance media as a whole! Where has this movie been all my life?!

So what's the story? A young surfer named Hinako just moved into a new town, happy to be able to surf in the nearby beach. But when her apartment catches fire thanks to irresponsible kids setting off fireworks, a young firefighter, Minato, manages to get her out of the building. The two gradually become closer to the point where they start dating. For a while, things are great for Hinako...until Minato gets into a surfing accident and dies unexpectedly. Hinako and Minato's friends and family try to cope with his death, but Hinako is the most hurt by his passing. Then, one day, she starts seeing Minato's face in bodies of water whenever she sings a song they heard on the radio. Hinako is shocked by this development, and decides to make the most of this discovery by spending as much time with spirit Minako as possible, never wanting to be apart from him. But the two realize that this kind of lifestyle can't go on forever.

In terms of premises, this isn't exactly new material. Coping with the death of a love interest is the kind of story that's been done over and over again since the beginning of movies, and Ride Your Wave is no different. Since you can't really break new storytelling ground with that kind of premise anyway, it all really depends on the execution, and honestly, Yuasa and his team at Science Saru really brought their A game for this one, and I'm still wonderstruck by just how well everything came together and how great the whole thing turned out. The animation, for one, is absolutely sumptuous. Yuasa is well known for his dynamic, fluid animation and his use of bold colors to really make everything pop and feel lively, and it really shows here, especially when it comes to animating the water, and considering the series has a very heavy water theme, it really works. From tiny droplets hanging off leaves to roaring waves crashing into the ocean, with good use of camera angles that show Hinako surfing as if she's part of the ocean. It's pretty much on par with Ponyo in terms of how great the water animation is, and everything else is great, too.

The soundtrack I have mixed feelings about. I mean, the background music itself is good, though nothing too memorable, but the main theme, "Brand New Story" by Generations from Exile Tribe (Yes, that's the band's actual name) is not only a fun song, but is a vital part of the story. It becomes Hinako's way of summoning Minato after his death, and it's sung professionally and by amateurs all throughout the movie, being both its opening, the insert song, and the ending. The song itself is good, but...I'm not gonna lie, the movie REALLY milks it, having it be literally the only song in the movie, and having it sung over and over and over, especially by people who can't sing for the life of them, really starts to get grating and make it lose its emotional impact. I think it'd be better if the song was just the insert song, and have different ones be the opening and ending, rather than having the same song for all three. I'm docking points on this one, because the movie could have benefitted from not milking the song for all it's worth, even if the song itself is both good and a really important part of the story overall. But I'm probably just nitpicking, as the positives far outweigh any negatives I can find.

One of those positives being the characters. It's hard to develop a cast of characters in a movie in a believable way, even more so when it's a romance. In the hands of less talented people, something like Ride Your Wave could have easily been a complete disaster. Some creators force characters to be in a relationship just for the sake of it, even when they have no reason to be together, or try to make a really unhealthy, even abusive relationship seem romantic or even the ideal relationship (Looking at you, Twilight saga). Most of the time, especially in scenarios involving love triangles, characters are either too stubborn to talk about their relationship issues or are needlessly mean to each other all for the sake of forcing drama. Boy am I happy to tell you that Ride Your Wave has absolutely NONE of these things. All of the characters here are intelligent, relatable, three-dimensional, and they all get their fair share of development and have great chemistry with each other. For one, when they have issues and problems, THEY ACTUALLY TALK TO EACH OTHER AND TRY TO SOLVE THINGS!!! You have NO idea how much I wanted this in any romance movie I ever watched! When Hinako asks Minato about why he went out to sea and wound up dying, Minato gives her a solid answer. When Minato's friend Wasabi (Who names their kid Wasabi?) develops a crush on Hinako and tells her about it, she outright rejects him in no uncertain terms, but is still nice about it. Youko, Minato's younger sister, is blunt and doesn't sugarcoat anything she says, but has no hard feelings towards Hinako in regards to her brother's death, as she knows full well it wasn't her fault and tells her such. Both Minato and Wasabi see that Hinako's lifestyle is hurting her because she still wants to be with Minato as a watery spirit, and explain to her in detail how she needs to come to terms with things and heal so she can move on in life. There's no dumb love triangle, no stupid romantic hijinks, nor is there really any antagonist. Do you have ANY idea how much I wanted to see a romance movie that avoids all of these terrible cliches? How rare this even is? Because Yuasa completely eschews the typical formulas and tropes involved in romance media, cuts out the bullshit, and plays the whole thing completely straight, showing a perfectly healthy, loving relationship between two people and their friends, he manages to make the audience, me mostly, care about the two leads. Wasabi and Youko both have their own arcs as well, where they have their own different ways of coping with Minato's death and finding peace with it and themselves.

The film has a typical three-act structure, but the first part focuses on Hinako's relationship with Minato, the second her struggles with accepting his death and the lifestyle she lives by summoning him in water bottles or water filled inflatable fish, and the third centers on her healing: How she's learning more about Minato and herself as people, and making the effort to try and move on, even if her attempts at doing so don't succeed at first. There's also the running theme of what it means to save someone, whether it be actually rescuing someone from the edge of death, or how simply saying the right thing at the right time can help someone just as much as the physical act. More than that, it's even possible to save someone without even being really aware of having done so. Seriously, I want to just gush about this movie all day long, it's that good! As far as where it places on my top favorite movies of all time, I wouldn't say it reached the top, as let's face it, nothing can beat Dog of Flanders for me. But seriously, the past few years have been great for anime movies. There's no denying that. But Ride Your Wave did place pretty high in my overall favorites list. Maquia was great but does have some storytelling issues caused by questionable writing decisions, Mirai had a concept that sounded good on paper but doesn't make sense when having a four year old as a main character, Liz and the Blue Bird was held back by its setting and lack of conflict, Okko's Inn had an annoying soundtrack and may seem too kiddy for certain viewers, and Your Name had too many convoluted plots and overused many dumb jokes to the point that they overstayed their welcome.

So, yeah, Ride Your Wave is awesome. It's simple but very effective, making optimal use of its run time to develop its reasonably small cast of characters, the romance was sweet and genuine, if a little twee at times, and while the premise is nothing new to romance movies, all of the positives outweigh the negatives in my personal opinion. If you're looking for something genuinely sweet and touching that's actually free of so many of the problems that consistently plague the romance genre, Ride Your Wave is a good way to get your feet wet.

Kimi to, Nami ni Noreta Rambles.

If this film fails at only 1 thing, it is the inability to establish conflict within it's narrative. The film quickly introduces and resolves conflicts at a rapid pace, never lingering long enough to explore how or why any of these conflicts might be meaningful. Which in itself may not be such a large problem, but it is because the conflicts themselves irrationally justified within the narrative, that the film fails to convey it's themes in a graceful manner.

That being said, while science Saru are not fantastic animators, they are fantastic digital artists. This film is absolutely captivates the eye. ... There is an abundance of visual creativity in the film, and while the second to last scene of the film has terrible narrative justification, it certainly has a visually justification. The character designs, color scheme, and general visual 'design' are something anyone will be able to appreciate.

This movie might be worth watching just for the visuals; or perhaps it's something you can watch with your significant other (as that is certainly this movies target demographic). But if you are looking for something that might make you reconsider something, or explore an aspect of human relationships, or really make any statement on anything, this ain't it chief.

This movie was honestly a masterpiece, and extremely beautiful.

This movie tugged at my heartstrings and had me feeling so many different emotions. It was a roller coaster ride.

It was a story of falling in love, of self-growth and figuring out who you want to be and what your purpose is, and about loss.

The relationship between the two main characters was beautiful and very healthy, and they continually encouraged each other to be better and to work on themselves before their relationship. It was really sad watching her lose her lover and having to watch him watch her from the other side, but I guess ... that's just life for you.

Also, this movie had stunning graphics and it was very beautiful to look at.

All in all this movie had a very deep meaning, and it showed the story of one hero falling in love, the story of someone who wanted to give back in life and save others the way he was saved, the story of losing someone you love, and also about finding yourself and being able to let go. It was a beautifully told story and it was really emotional for me. 100% recommend to anyone.

This movie was overall an ethereal experience. The vibes I get from this entire animation is breathtaking to another level. I picked up this movie out of pure curiosity, and left with a lot of emotional baggage. -- The art and animation is beyond words describable. The colors are so bright and light, its very refreshing and reminds me a lot of (of course) the summer time and brought a lot of nostalgia. The music is on a whole next level. I absolutely adore the song "Brand New Story," especially the version where Hinako and Minato sing, its the most adorable music to go with ... the whole feel of the movie. -- Now about the story, personally it is very well written. Simple, yet beautifully crafted. The conflict of each character is so relatable and understandable. -- I felt so entranced by this film, thus my perfect rating. I had such an enjoyable time with this film, I'd recommend watching it with all my soul just for something nice and light to get carried along with. Rather than following the story, the story was able to lead me along nicely.