"Ride Your Wave" Movie Review (Sometimes, it is better to let it go)

          Masaaki Yuasa, Japanese Animator,  brings up an amazing movie animation with the titled “Ride Your Wave” on June 21, 2019. This splash water animation will make your summer feels memorable. As same as “Lu Over The Wall", he keeps stand out his animated graphic art in this time, but in this movie, he had different genres from the previous movie that he made. With the genre melodrama, romantic, fantasy and focus in the love story of teenagers, Ride Your Wave managed to earn income $3.9 million in Box Office. Not only those things, "Ride Your Wave" has received many awards such as The Best Animation in Shanghai International Film Festival and Fantasia International Film Festival, and as the Best Animation Feature in Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival. 

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         This movie talks about the young woman named "Hinako" who just moved to an apartment near the beach. So she can do her hobby surfing. Then,  she meets with "Minato" a firefighter who had saved her when a fire broke out in her new apartment. From that moment they were in a relationship. They have sweet memories when they were dating like going surfing together, traveling and celebrating Christmas. When Hinako's feelings were very deep towards Minato, Suddenly Minato dies while saving a stranger on the beach. Until then Hinako became a gloomy person and she could not accept his death. Surprisingly, she meets Minato’s spirit in the water. Sometimes she meets him as a porpoise, and sometimes, he appears as a tidal wave of ocean water, which means that Hinako's emotions are as substantial as the surf under her board.

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           Well, if you read the summary with teary eyes, we are the same. Even though it has a sad story , this kind of story is rare. This one is really I like from the movie. It really show you how hard you have to move on from someone that you really love. I bet you will imagine the vibe will be gloomy, dark and other else, but actually is not. They're just like a short moment has a gloomy vibe especially when Hinako lose him, actually all over the movie has an energetic vibe. It’s like people around Hinako really support her. Especially when she sees the reflection of Minato in the water (the first time I think she just has a hallucination, in the end it is wrong, he is really living in water :V), I really love the color and the graphic, and also the vibe is changing and it becomes lively.

           By the way talking about the graphic animation, when the first time I watch the trailer, there is mention about water, so something comes in my mind,  this movie must have an awesome graphic. Then, I imagine it too high. I thought it will be great as Makoto Shinkai Animation or as charming as Nagi No Asukara from A-1 pictures studio. Unfortunetly, Ah... it doesn’t like as I expected. Because every Animator has a different style in art. The result is pretty good, the illustration of Minato in water refreshing. Especially when the wave drops off from the building, it is really like your summer so refreshing like Spr*t* :D. But the choice is yours, there are a lot of different Animator with different style, you can just watch the animation that suit in your taste. Since I like Makato Shinkai Animation, He is number one, and the second from A-1 pictures studio the third is Masaaki Yuasa Animation

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           The next is about the Voice Actor (in japan called Seiyuu). The voice actress from Hinako is Rina Kawaei and The voice actor from Minato is Ryota Katayose.  If you watching a movie, you can see the acting through the expression, body language and intonation of the actor/actress so you can see clearly the chemistry, but in animation movies, you just can hear the actor-actress voice. Actually, it is my first time that I will give my two thumbs, nope, I will give 10 thumbs for the voice actor/actress of Hinako and Minato. Why? Godness, since 6 years I really into the Japanese animation, this is my really really first time I can see their chemistry just through her voice, especially when they sing together, Oh My Lord, they really sweets. The character has really become lovey-dovey. It feels like I just want to kidnap him from Hinako:v

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           The choice of setting and sound is refreshing with the summer. The animation of the setting of the place is quite good like the beach, coffee shop, Firework Summer Festival it really resembles Japan's Culture when it comes to summer. the back sound it is really suitable for the situation. The pleasant thing to hear from the back sound is the sound of the water splash. Even the sound is really detail, like the sound of insects that resemble the summer. The editing is quite good, there is no defective, mistaken or bad editing. It really smooth. Ah, the one thing that I almost forgot. It is about the soundtrack. The soundtrack is playing in the middle of the movie, and they sing it along. It is really sweets. Honestly, This thing is really rare in Animation movie. As far as I know, the soundtrack just playing at the end of the movie, in the credit things like that. But it is different. It makes always reminds me of their sweets moment when I play it in the playlist:,). After I watch this movie, I got a new perspective. When I watch my friend can’t eat and have no energy to live after she break up from her boyfriend, I thought she just being overreacting. But now, completely I understand how it feels like through the movie. Sometimes we still have to stand out with ourself to become stronger. 

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          So, that’s all my review about the movie. All over of this movie, i give 8 out of 10 points, it is really worth it to watching. If you really bored with your summer with doing nothing and have a lot of free time, or maybe always bored with the same happy ending love story, you can watch this one. I really recommended it to you. 

Thank you.