Waterboys

Its spring time at an all boys high school when a new attractive female swim coach arrives to whip the, currently one man, swim team into shape. At least that’s what all the boys think when they are trying out for the new team. They soon learn that the new swim coach is a synchronized swimming teacher who was accidentally sent to an all boys’ school. Only a handful of pathetic boys stay, some can’t even swim, to be part of the team. However before they can even practice the coach finds out she is several months pregnant and takes maternity leave leaving the boys to fend for themselves. The boys stick together and sign up their routine as a show for the school festival even though they currently know nothing about synchronized swimming. But they cannot get any financial support, by selling tickets in advance, to pay off a debt that was earlier incurred when they drained the pool without authorization. Eventually they turn to the local drag queens at Okama bar and their friends who are the only ones willing to help them. They try to form a routine to show the principle but fail miserably and are banned from the pool. Its only when Suzuki gets the idea to get help from a Sea World dolphin trainer, who he met earlier in the film, that the group of boys really start to work together and persevere.

The film is a celebration of hilarious slapstick comedy and summer fun. Clear blue skies and a soundtrack, including steel drums, which can only bring to mind the careless fun during summer vacation, makes the viewing experience uplifting. The boys who are part of the team all join for different reasons, which are not apparent at first but are revealed throughout the film. This brings in another element to the film besides comedy, which ultimately allows for the viewer to feel and care for the characters as they develop. Comedic moments are at the core of this film and will leave you gasping for air. Although the comedy is rather simple it is well timed and the situations are quite creative. There are also several well known stars who play small roles in the film, such as Takenaka Naoto and Akira Emoto, which is quite fun for the viewer if they are fans of Japanese cinema.