Shiosai

It would be all to easy to dismiss Sound Of Waves as a clichéd teen romance. There's the troubled young hero, the pretty and giddy young girl, the rival, the other girl, the girl's grumpy rich father, and the gossipy villagers. There are trials, misunderstandings, loss of faith in each other.

There is a measure of substance as well. Being set in a fishing village, the sea and the weather are major characters. The hero's relationship with the sea, and with his mother and young brother, are heartfelt and touching.

The story somehow manages to be both innocent and raunchy. The young couple (eventually) frolic around with innocent abandon, yet this only occurs after a scene where the girl, soaked by a storm on the way to meet the boy, strips down to her underpants, and is drying her skirt, held carefully in front, when the boy wakes up and gets a bit excited. Things don't go too far, and the girl admits she does want to marry him. However, news of the encounter spreads, and the other girl and the rival cooperate in creating a rumour that things did get too hot, and of course the gossip mills churns overtime.

So, what if this is somewhat clichéd and, apart from a couple of surprises, predictable ? It is still quite enjoyable.