We continue our series of reviews chronicling all of the (non-Studio Ghibli) animated films distributed by GKIDS Films — some of the most original and breathtakingly beautiful animated films from around the world — and how they hold up for an American audience.

The entire retrospective is found here, and this time we’ve got…

On-Gaku: Our Sound (2020):
Kenji Iwaisawa, director

What’s it about?

On-Gaku follows a trio of high school losers – Kenji, Ota, and Asakura – who, on a whim, decide to start a band. Forget the fact that none of them knows how to play an instrument. Forget the fact that none of them even owns an instrument. Since when have little things like that gotten in the way of dreams?

Once they steal a couple drums and two bass guitars, they set to work… and their “music” is exactly what you think it’d sound like: repetitive notes in a hypnotic beat, with no variation at all. But it’s good enough for them, and it’s good enough to catch the ear of fellow musicians who invite them to join the lineup of a local rock festival.

Despite all the odds stacked up against them – which includes a rival gang from another high school that wants to beat up Kenji – the three friends follow their newfound passion, explore the sounds they create, and forge a new path in life.

What are the cultures at play? And how about the languages?

The film is Japanese, based on a manga created by Hiroyuki Ôhashi, and set in modern-day Japan. The film is also only available to watch in the original language; there is no English dub. Despite that, there’s nothing particularly difficult for a foreign audience to understand. At its heart, On-Gaku is a teenage buddy comedy with a nearly universal message.

Will my kids like it? Is there anything objectionable for young kids?

There’s nothing really objectionable. No language, violence, or “adult situations.” But the pace of the film will likely bore most young kids. Kids will probably not have much patience for the long pauses in dialogue and extended sequences of… not much happening.

Will I like it?

If you’ve ever been passionate about something, then you’ll probably relate. The film focuses on three high school delinquents who discover a passion they never knew they had, which ultimately changes their lives. Behind the scenes, the film was a nearly 8-year labor of love by director Kenji Iwaisawa. With an ultra low budget, animation that was almost entirely done by him and a small team of animators, and no guaranteed release, On-Gaku was a true passion project.

There’s a scene early in the film where the three friends – Kenji, Ota, and Asakura – first pick up their instruments and play by banging out a repetitive sequence of notes. Their response is revelatory for them: “What just happened felt so good.” That same response can be seen on the faces of the young animators in the making-of documentary on the Blu-ray. As they watch the first completed scene of animation – a mere 5 seconds they’ve spent months animating – their emotions bubble over, and it’s obvious their work “just feels so good.”

However, I should mention that the animation style is certainly unique. The character designs are somewhat basic and entirely hand-drawn over video shot for the film. Iwaisawa used a form of rotoscoping for the animation where they drew over the live-action shots. The backgrounds, by contrast, are lush watercolors, and the dichotomy between them is sometimes jarring.

The story and dialogue are also delivered with an… intentional pace. Meaning: This is a slow movie, with plenty of long, awkward, quiet pauses. Which you might not expect in a movie centered around music.

How can I see it?

GKIDS and Shout! Factory recently released a Blu-ray edition of the film with a bunch of special features: an hourlong making-of documentary, a behind-the-scenes featurette, a live musical performance (that was filmed for “rotoscope” reference), a demo, a storyboard gallery, trailers, and four short films from Kenji Iwaisawa (Mountain, Mourning Ice Pop, Nicky, and Taro Wanted to be Water). The film is also available digitally from most retailers (subtitled).

Final word?

The animation style and somewhat glacial pace of the storytelling might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the story behind the film is truly inspiring. And if you’ve ever been consumed by a passion – no matter how impossible the task might sometimes seem – it’s brilliant to see the result of someone else’s dream.