'Ride Your Wave' Is My Favorite Masaaki Yuasa Anime to Date

Ride Your Wave is the latest anime feature from Devilman Crybaby and Night Is Short, Walk on Girl director Masaaki Yuasa.   Clocking in at 96 minutes, it’s an affecting, beautiful film that tells the love story of a firefighter and a college girl who loves to surf.

Now, before I give more details about the movie, let me say this:  I believe that Ride Your Wave is more emotionally resonating if you go into it knowing only what I’ve provided at this point.  So, to maximize your own experience with it, I suggest that you stop reading this article and just go see the movie now.  But if you have already seen it, know what it’s about, or don’t mind knowing a bit more about it (and risk getting spoiled to a slight extent), please continue reading.

The aforementioned firefighter is Minato Hinageshi, a 21-year-old who has a strong sense of duty and who seems to excel in everything he does, especially when it comes to helping others.  Meanwhile, the aforementioned college girl who loves to surf is 19-year-old Hinako Mukaimizu.  After the former rescued the latter when her apartment caught on fire, the two start to go out, and eventually fall in love.  Their whirlwind romance proves to be one of true bliss, filled with idyllic days where they bond over surfing, coffee, rice omelettes, and karaoke.

One day, Minato drowns while rescuing a jet skier, leaving Hinako completely devastated.  A few days later, the grieving Hinako discovers to her surprise that if she sings their theme song, “Brand New Story” (which is a very winsome song, by the way), Minato mysteriously appears in the nearby water – whether that be a glass of water or a stream.  However, he’s intangible, and she’s the only one who can see or hear him.  But even so, she’s glad that they can still be together.  Meanwhile, her friends worry about her well-being.

Stories like this are actually a dime a dozen.  A happy couple is suddenly broken up by the tragic death of one of them, and the inability to move on by either partner (or both) brings about the return of the dead partner in some form, and it’s only when acceptance or closure is realized that the dead partner becomes free to pass on to the afterlife (e.g. Ghost, A Ghost Story, Odd Thomas, etc.).  Indeed, Ride Your Wave is essentially like that.  However, on top of executing such clichéd concept extremely well, it does have valid nuances that make it distinct from – and even superior to – similar such stories.

To be honest, its exceptionality is not immediately apparent.  Two-thirds into the movie, it felt to me that it was basically just another one of those stories.  It was being poignant, engaging, charming, and visually stunning, yes, but it didn’t feel as something truly special at that point.  Then the third act came, and the reveals genuinely blew me away.  After that, it seemed like everything clicked into place to make me realize that the film I was currently watching had been outstanding after all.  That third act really tugged at my heartstrings.  Hard.

How the character designs, color palette, and set pieces look should immediately give away that it’s a Masaaki Yuasa film.  His works simply have that distinctive animation style.  However, it isn’t as over-the-top as usual, especially when compared to the visual dynamics of Devilman Crybaby and Night Is Short, Walk on Girl.  His hand is also noticeable, albeit in a more subtle way, in how the narrative flow s and unfolds.  There is care and thoughtfulness about it.  One concrete way this manifests is that it doesn’t immediately ascertain whether there are indeed fantastical elements at play here or it’s all happening in Hinako’s head.  It keeps you guessing until it arrives at the point where it definitively settles that question.

In the end, this may be a case of recency bias, but after watching this film and letting it marinate for a while in my mind, I feel that it has become my most favorite Masaaki Yuasa anime to date.  It’s not only a smart, gorgeous, entertaining, and moving film, but it can also stir you to reflect deeply about your life so far, your present relationships, and your legacy.

I highly recommended Ride Your Wave.