Ride Your Wave

Ride Your Wave
Japanese theatrical release poster
Directed by	Masaaki Yuasa
Written by	Reiko Yoshida
Produced by	Eunyoung Choi Yuka Okayasu
Starring	Ryota Katayose Rina Kawaei Honoka Matsumoto Kentaro Ito
Cinematography	Toru Fukushi
Edited by	Kiyoshi Hirose
Music by	Michiru Oshima
Production company	Science Saru
Distributed by	Toho
Release dates	June 10, 2019 (2019-06-10) (Annecy) June 21, 2019 (2019-06-21)
Running time	96 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese
Box office	$4 million (worldwide)[1]

Ride Your Wave (Japanese: きみと、波にのれたら, Hepburn: Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara) is a 2019 Japanese animated romantic fantasy film produced by Science Saru and directed by Masaaki Yuasa. The film premiered at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 10, 2019 and was released in Japan on June 21, 2019.

Plot

19-year-old Hinako Mukaimizu moves to an oceanside town to attend college and go surfing, without future thoughts. When a fireworks display sets her apartment building ablaze, she is rescued by Minato Hinageshi, a 21-year-old firefighter with a strong sense of justice. Hinako is drawn to his capable personality, and they bond when he learns how to surf. They spend time together. After telling Hinako the waves are the best to surf in after Christmas because if you make a wish it will come true, he goes to the beach the next day by himself and goes surfing without Hinako, but dies when attempting to save a jetskiier.

Hinako is distraught by his death and moves to an apartment away from the beach. One day, she finds out he appears in water whenever she sings "Brand New Story", a song the two of them often sang together. While the others cannot see him, Hinako and Minato spend time with each other again, even in public. However, Minato is reminded of his mortality, after realizing he cannot physically touch Hinako and when his co-worker, Wasabi, confesses to her. He asks Hinako to move on with her life, but she declines. However, she realizes she is too reliant on him after she stops him from going to heaven. When Hinako goes to pay her respects at Minato's house, his sister Yōko tells her what inspired Minato to become a firefighter. Hinako learns she was the one who saved Minato from drowning when they were young, and when she unlocks his phone, she reads his drafted text message telling her to "ride her own wave." She enrolls in a lifeguard training course, hoping to stop being dependent on Minato. Meanwhile, Yōko confesses to Wasabi, reminding him he had inspired her to return to school when she was bullied.

At her part-time job, Yōko overhears the same group that set off the previous fireworks planning to do so again at the abandoned building housing a large Christmas tree. Hinako accompanies her as they tail the group to collect evidence. The fireworks cause the building set ablaze, and Hinako and Yōko are trapped. However, Hinako summons Minato, who sends a wave of water up the building, extinguishing the fire. Hinako and Yōko ride on a backboard down the wave. After exchanging final farewells with Yōko, Wasabi and Hinako, Minato's spirit ascends to heaven. The next Christmas, Hinako, Yōko and Wasabi, the latter two now dating, visit the Chiba Port Tower to celebrate Hinako receiving her lifeguard certification. As Yōko and Wasabi leave, Hinako sings to a fountain, but Minato does not appear. The tower reads a message he wrote for her the previous year and Hinako breaks down. Afterwards, Hinako continues her lifeguard duty and surfing.

Voice cast

Minato Hinageshi (雛罌粟港, Hinageshi Minato)

Voiced by: Ryota Katayose,^[2] Tomohisa Yamazaki (young) (Japanese); Joey Richter^[3] (English)

A 21-year-old firefighter interested in Hinako, whom he calls his hero. He is talented in cooking.

Hinako Mukaimizu (向水ひな子, Mukaimizu Hinako)

Voiced by: Rina Kawaei,^[2] Hina Kino (young) (Japanese); Merit Leighton^[3] (English)

A 19-year-old college student, part-time florist and a surfer.

Yōko Hinageshi (雛罌粟洋子, Hinageshi Yōko)

Voiced by: Honoka Matsumoto^[4] (Japanese); Sarah Anne Williams^[3] (English)

Minato's younger sister and a high school student working part-time at a café. Her nickname is blue-ringed octopus.

Wasabi Kawamura (川村山葵, Kawamura Wasabi)

Voiced by: Kentaro Ito^[4] (Japanese); Michael Johnston^[3] (English)

Minato's firefighting partner.

Production

The film was announced at the Tokyo International Film Festival in 2018, where Yuasa stated that he would direct.^[5] He described the film as a "simple romantic comedy" that will have "a lot of exciting scenes", including some depicting the contrast between water and fire.^[5] Yuasa compared life to "riding a wave", using it as the basis for the story.^[5] The film was produced by Science Saru.^[6] Reiko Yoshida served as the scriptwriter and Michiru Oshima served as a music composer.^[6] Rina Kawaei and Generations from Exile Tribe member Ryota Katayose joined the cast on leading roles in January 2019, with the film being Katayose's first voice acting role.^[2] Honoka Matsumoto and Kentaro Ito joined the cast on supporting roles in February 2019.^[4] The film's theme song is "Brand New Story" by Generations from Exile Tribe.^[7] A music video animated by Science Saru, featuring the members and new original scenes from the film, released on June 21, 2019.^[8] To promote the film, a two-chapter manga adaptation by Machi Kiachi was serialized in Deluxe BetsuComi, which contains an original story about Hinako and Minato.^[9] On July 2, 2019, GKIDS announced they had licensed the film in North America and was released in 2020.^[10]

Release

The film premiered in Japan on June 21, 2019.^[6] It premiered in the United Kingdom at Scotland Loves Anime on October 11, 2019,^[11] ahead of a home-video release via distributor Anime Limited on November 23, 2020.^[12] In China, the film was released theatrically by distributor JL Film Entertainment;^[13] the release was originally scheduled for August 7, 2019, but was delayed until December 7, 2019.^[14] The film was released theatrically in North America by GKIDS, first as a one-day special screening on February 19 in cooperation with Fathom Events, and subsequently via traditional release on February 21, 2020.^[15] It was later released by GKIDS and Shout! Factory on Blu-ray and DVD on August 4, 2020,^[3] with a streaming release on HBO Max following on January 12, 2021.^[16]

Reception

The film was released in 299 theaters across Japan on June 21, 2019 and debuted at #9 on opening week with ¥80 million.^[17] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 93% approval rating based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10.^[18] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 63 out of 100 based on 9 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[19]

Matt Schley from The Japan Times gave the film four out of five stars, complimenting the "charming cast of characters," while mentioning the film seemed too "normal" for a work by Yuasa.^[20] Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Charles Solomon called the film Yuasa's "best anime yet", citing its believable characters and polished animation style.^[21] Peter Debruge from Variety noted that the film's use of a hit single as its theme song helped broaden its appeal to a more mainstream audience, but also criticized it for pushing its romance themes too strong.^[22]

The film became one of the Jury Recommended Works in the Animation category at the 23rd Japan Media Arts Festival in 2020.^[23]

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Recipient	Result
2019	Annecy International Animated Film Festival	Cristal du long metrage	Ride Your Wave	Nominated[24]
	Shanghai International Film Festival	Best Animation	Won[25]
	Fantasia International Film Festival	Best Animated Feature	Won[26]
	Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival	Won[27]
	Scotland Loves Anime	Jury Award (Golden Partridge)	Won[28]
2020	Mainichi Film Awards	Best Animation Film	Nominated[29]
	Florida Film Critics Circle	Nominated[30]
	48th Annie Awards	Annie Award for Best Animated Feature – Independent	Nominated[31][32]
		Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Directing in a Feature Production		Masaaki Yuasa

References

1. "Ride Your Wave". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on July 13, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
2. Ressler, Karen (January 14, 2019). "Masaaki Yuasa's 'Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara' Anime Film Reveals Lead Cast, Character Details". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
3. Sherman, Jennifer (May 8, 2020). "GKIDS, Shout! Factory to Release Ride Your Wave Anime Film on Home Video". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on May 12, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
4. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (February 27, 2019). "Masaaki Yuasa's 'Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara' Anime Film Adds 2 Cast Members". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
5. Loo, Egan (October 27, 2018). "Devilman Crybaby Director Masaaki Yuasa Unveils New Anime Film 'Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara'". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
6. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 13, 2018). "Masaaki Yuasa's 'Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara' Anime Film Reveals More Staff, June 21 Debut". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
7. Sherman, Jennifer (March 8, 2019). "Masaaki Yuasa's 'Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara' Anime Film Trailer Previews Theme Song". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
8. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (June 21, 2019). "Anime Music Video for Ride Your Wave Film's Theme Song Posted". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
9. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (February 24, 2019). "Masaaki Yuasa's 'Kimi to, Nami ni Noretara' Anime Film Gets 2-Chapter Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
10. Giardina, Carolyn (July 2, 2019). "GKIDS Acquires North American Rights to Animated Feature 'Ride Your Wave'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 2, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
11. "Ride Your Wave". Scotland Loves Anime. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
12. "NEWSWIRE - November 2020 Releases Preview". Anime Limited. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
13. "JL Film Entertainment - Ride Your Wave". JL Film Entertainment. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
14. "Award-winning animated film Ride Your Wave set for December China screening". Xinhua News Agency. November 24, 2019. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
15. "GKIDS and Fathom Events Bring Masaaki Yuasa's Film Ride Your Wave to Select Movie Theaters Nationwide". GKIDS. January 21, 2020. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
16. Hodgkins, Crystalyn (December 24, 2020). "HBO Max Adds Promare, Ride Your Wave, Re:Zero, Night is Short, Walk on Girl Anime in January". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
17. Komatsu, Mikikaze (June 24, 2019). "Japan Box Office: Ride Your Wave Debuts at 9th with Disappointing 80 Million Yen". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
18. "Ride Your Wave (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
19. "Ride Your Wave Reviews - Metacritic". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on July 5, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
20. Schley, Matt (June 19, 2019). "'Ride Your Wave': Love, loss, the sea and a surfboard". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
21. Solomon, Charles (February 19, 2020). "Review: Masaaki Yuasa creates his best anime yet with fantasy-romance 'Ride Your Wave'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 21, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2020.
22. Debruge, Peter (November 9, 2019). "Tokyo Film Review: 'Ride Your Wave'". Variety. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
23. "Ride Your Wave | Jury Selections | Animation Division | 2020 [23rd] Japan Media Arts Festival Archive". Japan Media Arts Festival. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
24. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (April 16, 2019). "Ride Your Wave, Relative Worlds, Wonderland, Children of the Sea Films Compete at Annecy (Updated)". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
25. "Winners of the 22nd SIFF Golden Goblet Awards". Shanghai International Film Festival. June 23, 2019. Archived from the original on June 24, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
26. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (July 26, 2019). "Ride Your Wave, Human Lost Films Win Awards at Fantasia Int'l Film Festival". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
27. Sherman, Jennifer (October 14, 2019). "Ride Your Wave Wins Best Animated Film at Spain's Sitges". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on October 16, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
28. Scotland Loves Anime [@lovesanimation] (October 20, 2019). "As well as our audience award, we're proud to announce that the Scotland Loves Anime 2019 Jury Award Winner is: RIDE YOUR WAVE" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
29. "Mainichi Film Concours 2020". IMDb. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
30. "Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 2020". IMDb. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
31. Desowitz, Bill (March 3, 2021). "'Soul' and 'Wolfwalkers' Lead 48th Annie Awards with 10 Nominations". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
32. Flores, Terry (April 16, 2021). "'Soul' and 'Wolfwalkers' Take Top Honors at Annie Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• Ride Your Wave (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
• Ride Your Wave at IMDb