As this animated movie’s title suggests, this tale is a celebration of taking on life’s challenges your own way. Or, more specifically, finding the courage to do that. And yes, surfing is the dominant metaphor.
A long-limbed, cheerful teenager, Hinako, sets down in a seaside town for the summer, catching waves with expertise. Observing her from a rooftop, a young firefighter, Minato, describes her to a friend as his hero.
The two meet cute, more than once, before embarking on a fairy tale anime romance, their affinity defined by a song they love. There is making out, there is talk of finless dolphins, and these creatures hold a key to one of the movie’s mysteries. And there is soon loss, and the process of piecing life back together afterward.
The director, Masaaki Yuasa, is adept at stories and visuals where water is a major character. His antic, imaginative feature “Lu Over the Wall” featured a mermaid as a central figure, constantly navigating between sea and sand and sidewalk. Here, one of the couple becomes a water spirit of sorts, manifesting in different settings (a stream, a glass of water, and so on) and imparting wisdom to the earthbound partner.
While the movie’s overall gist may be a little too young adult for entirely pleasurable consumption by some, its finale, in which deadly fire appears in an echo of an earlier scene in the movie, and is confronted by supernaturally powered waters, does in fact achieve a form of animation nirvana.
Ride Your Wave
Not rated. In Japanese, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 34 minutes.
Source: Movies - nytimes.com
