Ride Your Wave is a beautifully animated movie that has romance, drama, tragedy, and healing all at once. It teaches you to love yourself and, above all, to be independent and to ‘ride your wave.’
The protagonist, Hinako, finds a loving boyfriend who dies at the peak of his youth. She is bereaved and helpless, with no idea how to progress in life or to forget him. She needs to pull herself up from this melancholic predicament and learn how to love again.
So, without further ado, let’s jump into this gorgeous movie and discover the details that will help you watch it.
Ride Your Wave Plot
Ride Your Wave features Hinako Mukaimizu, who moves to an oceanside town. However, her apartment is set on fire due to fireworks, and she is saved by Minato, a firefighter.
Eventually, they both meet again and get closer before they start dating. Minato and Hinako love surfing together, and they have a lovely relationship. However, Minato dies in the process of saving a drowning person caught in the waves.
Hinako is distraught and moves away from the beach as it reminds her of Minato. One day, she sings the song she and Minato used to sing together and encounters Minato’s appearance in the water. Since then, she could summon him every time she sang the song. They begin spending time together again, while people think she is losing her mind.
Soon, Hinako realizes that she is being too dependent on him and begins the journey of self-discovery.
Trailer
The Ride Your Wave movie has received two trailers that were released on the YouTube channel of GKIDS with English subtitles.
The first trailer shows Minato calling Hinako his hero and having a lovely time together before disaster struck. Hinako starts seeing her boyfriend in water bodies, be it a pool, a puddle, or a jug of water. However, she cannot move on from him, and all Minato wants is for her to be independent of him and ride her own waves.
The second video is dubbed in English and shows Hinako wondering if she can really see Minato’s ghost. She tries to summon him by singing their favorite song. Once she sees him, she jumps into the water and sees him inside. Minato keeps his promise of always being there for her.
Ride Your Wave Key Visual
The official visual of the Ride Your Wave film shows Hinako and Minato reaching for each other while trapped in the waves.
Will Ride You Wave Receive a Sequel?
No, Ride Your Wave was a standalone movie and will not receive a sequel film.
Ride Your Wave Studio, Cast, and Crew
The Ride Your Wave movie was animated by Studio Science Saru. It was distributed by Toho in Japan, and GKIDS licensed the movie for release in North America.
The main staff members behind the anime movie are:
- Director: Masaaki Yuasa
- Script: Reiko Yoshida
- Music: Michiru Oshima
- Character Design: Takashi Kojima
The cast members of the film include:
- Rina Kawaei as Hinako Mukaimizu
- Ryota Katayose as Minato Hinageshi
- Honoka Matsumoto as Yōko Hinageshi
- Kentaro Ito as Wasabi Kawamura
Ride Your Wave Release Date and More
The Ride Your Wave anime film was released in Japan on June 21, 2019. It was later released by GKIDS in North American theaters in 2020.
The film debuted in the UK in October 2019. GKIDS and Shout! Factory later released it on BluRay and DVD in August 2020. HBO Max streamed the movie on January 12, 2021.
Where to Watch Ride Your Wave?
You can stream the Ride Your Wave movie on Max and Hoopla. It is also available to rent or buy on Apple TV, Vudu, YouTube, and Prime Video.
Ride Your Wave is a brilliant movie that will bring you to tears and should not be missed under any circumstances.
So give it a watch and tell us if the movie hit the spot in the comments below.
