Hinako is a surf-loving college student who has just moved to a small seaside town. When a sudden fire breaks out at her apartment building, she is rescued by Minato, a handsome firefighter, and the two soon fall in love.
Direction
Yuasa's liquid animation makes water a character
Cinematography
Color theory that shifts with Hinako's healing
Score
Generik's surf-pop that becomes unbearably sad
Director
Masaaki Yuasa
Ryota Katayose
Minato Hinageshi (voice)
Rina Kawaei
Hinako Mukaizumi (voice)
Honoka Matsumoto
Yoko Hinageshi (voice)
Kentaro Ito
Wasabi Kawamura (voice)
Mami Horikoshi
Hinako's Mother (voice)
You Taichi
Junko (voice)
Mai Nishikawa
Ai (voice)
Daiki Hamano
Chiba Port Tower Public Address Announcer (voice)
Kenji Sugimura
Leader (voice)
Kunihiro Kawamoto
Commander (voice)
Shigeo Kiyama
Captain (voice)
Kento Hama
Man A (voice)
Haruki Ishiya
Man B (voice)
Satoshi Yamazaki
Young Minato (voice)
Hina Kino
Young Hinako (voice)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Yuasa insisted on hand-drawn water effects despite digital pressure; each wave took 3x normal animation time.
The film parallels actual 2018 Japanese firefighter memorial culture, making Minato's death hit harder for domestic audiences.
JP
