The pleasure of feeling the sea! Kimi to, Nani no Naniwa no Torareruba" and "Kaiju no Kodomo" [If a Dog Walks, It Will Hit an Anime. No.47]

We want to meet more and more anime that excite our hearts, anime that will cheer us up tomorrow, and anime that we will always love!　Our anime writers will introduce you to anime that are hot at the moment, regardless of whether they are new releases or long-term favorites.

This time, we will be looking at the two currently released "Kimi to, Nami no Norareta" and "Kaiju no Kodomo" (Children of the Sea).

Both "Kimi to, Nami no Norareru" directed by Masaaki Yuasa and "Kaiju no Kodomo" (Children of the Sea Beast), an anime adaptation of Daisuke Igarashi's comic, are set in the "sea. During this season of rising temperatures and humidity, why not visit a movie theater and feel the freshness of the water?

The author, who has been looking forward to the release of the film, will introduce the charm of the work.

Floating sensation is a superb pleasure of animation

One of the pleasures felt in anime that can be experienced in movie theaters is the feeling of levitation. Flying in the sky, floating in the sky, being thrown into the sky. It is sometimes accompanied by a sense of speed and exhilaration, as if you are riding a roller coaster. Often, as the body is freed from gravity, the character's mind is also freed from its yoke and filled with a sense of happiness. This is the reason why levitation scenes are often used as climaxes.

A similar sensation can be experienced with water. Supported by water and buoyed by its buoyancy, one can be free from gravity for a short time.

If possible, the ocean is a good place to do this. The endless expanse of the horizon, with its slight arc, and the wind and waves that allow us to feel the energy of nature. The heavy salt water supports the human body more lightly than fresh water and keeps it afloat. Enjoying leisure time on the beach is great, but there is another kind of fun to be had if you take a boat out to sea. If you look under the water, you can observe countless lives in action.

I want to go to the sea, but I can't get there very often. I was looking forward to the release of "Kimi to, Naniwa no Nororareta" (If You Ride a Wave) and "Kaiju no Kodomo" (Children of the Sea), both of which were released in June.

Both were wonderful films that I highly recommend to "people who love the sea.

If I Catch a Wave with You" is a surfing experience to the fullest.

Kimi to, Nami no Norareru" is a theatrical film directed by Masaaki Yuasa and produced by Science SARU, following "Yoru wa Tanashi Arukete yo Otome" and "Yoake ni Narau Ru no Uta" in 2017.

The main character, Hinako Mukaimizu, is a university student who is very good at surfing. She falls in love with Minato Hinageshi, a firefighter, and develops a relationship with him. However, Minato is killed in a sea accident, and Hinako is so exhausted that she can no longer see the sea, which she loves. When Hinako hums their favorite song, Minato appears in the water and the two are reunited. Hinako rejoices in the miracle, but what will happen to their feelings for each other? ......

In "Dawn Rising Song of Roo," the water is stretched into a rectangular shape and shimmers like a tokoroten, and the same fantastical expression can be enjoyed in this work.

However, as the title suggests, the main attraction of the water in this work is the "wave," which can also be seen in the real sea, and "Nami no Riri," or "surfing. You can enjoy watching Hinako freely ride the waves using her flexible body from all angles and from her point of view.

After watching this film, you will think, "I want to surf too! I want to surf too! In fact, you may even feel like you already can!

Surfing the waves" means to catch the energy of nature in the form of wind and waves, seize the momentum, and turn it into power to propel oneself forward at the boundary where the sky meets the sea, where the air, where humans can live, meets the water, the world of death, where we cannot live.

A port that has lost its life in a sea accident can only appear in the water. He can flirt with Hinako in the water, but he cannot touch her. Water is a symbol of their bond and miracle, but it is also the wall that divides them.

This rather heavy theme is depicted refreshingly, sweetly, and sadly in a shoujo manga-like style.

It is a fantastical yet life-sized love story that is extremely straightforward in both setting and theme. This straightforwardness is not found in any other anime or drama these days. It can be found at .......

Rear viewer warning! Sweet, ticklish, sad and lovely.

There is one monday point in this work. However, if you go to see it alone, you may feel as if you can't stand the sweet-sourness of the film, and may even feel as if you are saying, "Exploding with Riaju! If you go to see the movie on your own, you may feel like "explode!

The scenes of happiness between Minato and Hinako as they deepen their relationship with each other are so carefully depicted that you may find yourself asking, "What kind of movie is this? I was so impressed with the film that I asked myself, "What kind of movie is this? I laughed a little when the cast and crew commented in the official pamphlet that the film was "embarrassing" and "shows us off (laughs).

From another point of view, it could be said that even those who are not in the rear can experience a life of loving and losing someone. Meet them, develop a relationship with them, love them, and feel happy. Then the sadness and despair of losing them.

Another theme of this work is "I want to be a person who can help others. Through the four characters, we can feel what it means to live a life of sincerity, gain someone important, and become a life-sized hero.

Children of the Sea Beast" lets viewers experience life in the sea

Kaiju no Kodomo" is a film adaptation of Daisuke Igarashi's comic book. It is produced by STUDIO4℃, which also produced "Tekkonkinkreet" (2006).

Ruka, a junior high school student living in a seaside town, meets a bright and innocent boy named Umi at the aquarium where her father works. Umi and another boy, Sora, are "children raised by dugongs" who move freely in the sea and cannot live without water. Together with the sea and Sora, Ryuka comes into contact with the mysterious world of shining comets and the "songs" of whales. Eventually, all manner of sea life begins to move toward the "festival" of the sea. ......

I have not seen the original work and this was my first experience with the film. I enjoyed the film from beginning to end and would definitely like to read the original work. Although I cannot say that I understood everything, I felt a pleasant sense of satisfaction as my body was filled with overwhelmingly beautiful and life-filled images.

The sea and the sky have the same physical capabilities as marine mammals, and the scene of the two swimming underwater is full of speed and exhilaration. In this work, the world in which life lives is precisely in the water. Ryuka, who had felt uncomfortable living in the earthly world, is at first awkward in the sea, but eventually regains her lively body and mind.

Watching the dolphins, one feels as if he or she were a dolphin living underwater. I strongly recommend this exhibit especially for people who like to see huge tanks at aquariums, people who like marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, and seals, people who want to try diving and snorkeling, and people who love nature.

From the cosmos to the microscopic, you will be overwhelmed by the wonders of life.

The characters are so finely drawn that you can see each eyelash, and the backgrounds have a presence that speaks to you as much or more than the people. The screen is extremely dense and at the same time full of light and beautiful.

From huge creatures such as whales to tiny insects, everything is painstakingly depicted, and the entire film is awe-inspiring and a paean to nature and life. It stimulates the imagination.

Life on earth was born in the sea, evolved, and then advanced to the surface of the earth. It is said that a human fetus growing up in amniotic fluid is similar to following that evolutionary process.

There is also a theory that the seeds of life were originally organic matter contained in meteorites that flew from outer space.

From the grandeur of the universe to the microscopic world of fertilization and cell division, all of these images are captured in the experience of one young girl, Ryuka, in modern Japan. The power of the original story is evident, and the staff who made it into a film is also outstanding.

The art direction by Shinji Kimura, who also directed "Tekkonkinkreet," and the music by Joe Hisaishi, whose first animated film since "The Tale of Princess Kaguyahime" six years ago, were the pillars of the worldview and made the film worth seeing.

Feel the coolness of the "sea" filling the screen!

You can feel the power of life in "If You Were a Wave".
The overwhelming imagination of life in "Children of Sea Beasts.

Summer is just around the corner, and the sea is just as comfortable in a movie theater as it is in the real sea. I hope you will experience it on the big screen.

(Text by YAMAYU)

Recommended Articles