Let's Go Surfing!
Wave!! Let's Go Surfing!! is a Japanese mixed-media project created by the multimedia studio MAGES. Set in the city of Oarai in Ibaraki prefecture, the story centers on Masaki Hinaoka, a clumsy and socially awkward high school freshman who befriends transfer student and surfing prodigy Shou Akitsuki before the summer break, and ends up getting hooked on surfing. Through his quest to master the sport, Masaki will get to know new friends, and will also drift apart from them in his journey to adulthood.
The series was initially released in Japan as a theatrical trilogy of films, before being re-cut into a twelve-episode anime series. It can currently be seen on Crunchyroll.
Wave!! Let's Go Surfing!! provides examples of:
- Aborted Arc:
- Just what exactly led Shou to do... that? It's never explained, nor is the phone message that seems to have triggered it ever revealed.
- Naoya also has clear underlying issues beyond his anime obsession. At one point the characters try to get to the bottom of it, but then it's just... forgotten about.
- The Ace: Rindo Fuke, who is stated to be Japan's greatest surfer. Even Shou, who is good at just about everything he does, recognizes him as a superior.
- Age Lift: The characters in the anime are clearly depicted as older than their stated ages in related media.
- Ambiguously Brown: Nalu, who is half-Polynesian.
- Break the Cutie: Naoya becomes positively despondent over his favorite anime being cancelled. His friends do everything they can to try and restore his spirits.
- Determinator:
- Masaki, quite frankly, sucks at surfing. But he will do whatever it takes, even if it means being mocked by his friends and nearly drowning more than a few times, to master it. He also attempts to learn how to surf before he even knows how to swim.
- Kosuke, who is so driven and competitive that he often overworks himself or trains too hard. He never misses a day of practice.
- Engrish: Masaki when he tries to order an egg salad sandwich in Hawaii. The others laugh at his attempt.Masaki: "Can I hava spinachi ando eggu!"Kosuke: "Your English seems worse than usual."
- Fanservice: A lot. The makers of this series knew full well that teenage girls would be watching.
- Female Gaze: Not nearly to the extent of Free!, but still ranks among the few non-yaoi anime series to employ this trope to such an extent.
- Good-Times Montage: When they arrive in Hawaii and are set up with swank lodgings.
- Humans Are White: The Japanese characters (save for Nalu) must be using some pretty strong sunblock throughout this series to maintain those skin tones.
- I Call It "Vera": Naoya names his surfing maneuvers after anime characters.
- Iconic Item:
- Naoya's waifu surfboard.
- Masaki's custom sunset surfboard.
- Nalu's ukelele.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold:
- Hayamichi comes off as this at first. However, he is trying to teach Masaki that he must develop his own style and technique in order to succeed, and not just imitate his hero.
- Similarly, Nalu can come off as very mocking (he calls Masaki "Corgi" after both his dog and the way he dog-paddles) but it's all in good fun.
- Lawyer-Friendly Cameo: Naoya has a less-than-healthy obsession with a character named "Magical Miruru", who is just Hatsune Miku with the serial number filed off. His surfboard even has a full-sized image of her on it.
- Meaningful Name:
- Nalu means "wave" in Hawaiian.
- Shou means "small" or "young" in Japanese. He has an older brother.
- Hayamichi means "quick path" in Japanese. He teaches Masaki some of the most important lessons towards his mastering the art of surfing.
- Naked People Are Funny: The recurring onsen gag.
- Never Got to Say Goodbye: Masaki, after Sho dies in a very likely suicide-by-drowning.
- Nice Guy: Shou is a very kind and patient young man. Naoya as well, though he is more reserved.
- The Power of Friendship: This is one of the more friendship-positive entries into the sports anime genre. These characters stick together no matter what, and their relationships, though sometimes tough, never become adversarial. This is actually Truth in Television, as surfing friendships are generally formed very fast.
- Pretty Boy: Naoya. A rare white-haired example who doesn't end up as the villain.
- Public Bathhouse Scene: The main characters have a favorite onsen they frequent after surfing. While it may seem odd to Western audiences, this is Truth in Television for many Japanese athletes.
- Sad-Times Montage: We get one in Episode 5, rainstorm and all.
- Scenery Censor: A running gag involves Masaki jumping up excitedly while in the onsen, forgetting that he is naked. In every case, he is covered from the waist down by an object in the foreground. The third time this happens, it becomes an I Am Spartacus moment when they all stand up naked to make a victory pact before the final surfing event.
- Scenery Porn: The series has some absolutely stunning visuals, particularly when the show moves to Hawaii. The surfing sequences are particularly impressive.
- Shopping Montage: A male example, when they go shopping for Hawaiian shirts.
- Shout-Out: Very possibly to Ride Your Wave - which was directed by a man named Masaki and features a lead character named Hinako. The lead character in Wave!! is Masaki Hinaoka.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Nalu Tanaka. See the poster above. Surfers on Reddit have called out this show for having him be so under-dressed while surfing.
- World of Muscle Men: Of the more athletic, as opposed to bodybuilder, type. Justified in that surfing will build your core and upper body very quickly.
