Waterboys (2001)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Shinobu Yaguchi

Writers:

Yasushi Fukuda (screenplay)
Shinobu Yaguchi (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 September 2001 (Japan)

Genre:

Comedy | Sport

Plot:

In a Japanese school, 5 adolescent geeks join the new sport teacher and take up the challenge to take part in the competition, in spite of the mockeries of the "real sportsmen". |

Plot Keywords:

High School Athlete | Dolphin Trainer | Unusual Method Of Training | Synchronized Swimming | High School Friends

Awards:

3 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Satoshi Tsumabuki	...	Suzuki
Hiroshi Tamaki	...	Sato
Akifumi Miura	...	Ohta
Koen Kondo	...	Kanazawa
Takatoshi Kaneko	...	Saotome
Aya Hirayama	...	Shizuko Kiuchi
Kaori Manabe	...	Mrs. Sakuma
Takashi Kawamura	...	Ikeuchi
Hiroshi Matsunaga	...	Mochizuki
Yûya Nishikawa	...	Sakamoto
Katsuyuki Yamazaki	...	Yama-chan
Taiyô Sugiura	...	Taiyô
Koutarou Tanaka	...	Koutarou
Makoto Ishihara	...	Makoto
Naoshi Saitô	...	Naoshi
Eiki Kitamura	...	Eiki
Chikara Yamamoto	...	Chikara
Masateru Moromoto	...	Mori
Yasushige Kanehara	...	Kin-chan
Hiroki Hoshino	...	Hoshino
Yûji Suzuki	...	Yûji
Raji Saitô	...	Rajio
Kazumasa Kotaka	...	Kotaka
Tomoaki Kageyama	...	Kage
Masataka Nishino	...	Masa
Masaru Hirata	...	Masao
Kazuki Yamamoto	...	Kazu
Takashi	...	Takashi
Hirotaka Maeda	...	Maeda
Yosuke Ishii	...	Yo-chan
Rio Akisada	...	Yayoi
Eiji Moriyama	...	Yoshida
Naoto Takenaka	...	Isomura - the Dolphin Trainer
Tetta Sugimoto	...	Mr. Sugita, the Advisor
Kei Tani	...	Principal of Tadano High School
Akira Emoto	...	Mama-san of 'Okama Bar'
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yoshikazu Ebisu	...	Owner of Candy Shop
Lynne Hobday	...	Singer
Yoshimasa Kondo	...	Mr. Sakuma
Naomi Nishida	...	Female Newscaster
Sawa Suzuki	...	Female Owner of Meat Store
Yoji Tanaka	...	Security Guard
Yu Tokui
Kazue Tsunogae	...	Manager of Candy Shop
Shinji Yamashita	...	Male Newscaster

Directed by
Shinobu Yaguchi

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Yasushi Fukuda		screenplay
Shinobu Yaguchi		screenplay

Produced by
Yoshino Sasaki	....	producer
Daisuke Sekiguchi	....	producer
Akifumi Takuma	....	producer

Original Music by
Gakuji Matsuda
Hitomi Shimizu

Cinematography by
Yuichi Nagata
Shinobu Yaguchi

Film Editing by
Ryuji Miyajima

Production Design by
Takeshi Shimizu

Sound Department
Hiromichi Kori	....	sound
Masatoshi Saito	....	sound effects editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Kiyoshi Itô	....	assistant camera
Tatsuya Osada	....	gaffer
Yoshiko Osawa	....	camera operator

Music Department
Masamune Kusano	....	composer: song "Ai no shirushi"

Other crew
Takashi Achiwa	....	actor liaison
Linda Hoaglund	....	subtitler: English
Mizuho Kudô	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Altamira Pictures Inc.
• DENTSU Music And Entertainment
• Fuji Television Network
• Toho Company

Distributors

• Toho Company (2001) (worldwide) (all media)

Other Companies

• Fujipacific Music  music cooperation
• Imagica  film processing
• Kodak Japan  film stock supplied by
• Manual of Errors  music cooperation
• NAC Image Technology  camera equipment supplied by
• Nihon Shomei Co.  lighting equipment supplied by
• Think Sync Integral  music cooperation
• Tokyo TV Center  post-production sound services

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:All | Hong Kong:IIA | Singapore:PG

Company:

Altamira Pictures Inc.

Movie Connections:

Spin off "Waterboys" (2003)

Soundtrack:

DIAMOND HEAD

And I thought Chaplin was the funniest

"Waterboys" is the featured film on the opening night in this year's Eiga Sai in Manila. I didn't anticipate I would be laughing my toxins out. It's a hilarious movie. I thought I'd never laugh so hard again after watching a Charlie Chaplin movie years back. This Japanese film is incredibly and enjoyably funny. It totally amazes me how the Japanese are able to evoke the whole range of emotions in their audience, i.e., laughter in comedy films, profound sadness in drama. (I still haven't gotten over the heartache from watching "Grave of the Fireflies".) "Waterboys" has a very simple plot. It would have been banal and jejune in the hands of an ordinary storyteller. The storytelling technique was effortless, but the use of slow motion matched with a perfect comedic timing produced a remarkably hilarious film. To be able to make people laugh from one's belly and in so many continuous fractions of a minute is a gift. "Waterboys" cast and crew are gifted. I've never cracked up so hard in my whole life. The adrenalin kick from watching it is yet to subside. One disadvantage: I don't know if any Hollywood comedy films can ever make me laugh again.