Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

On-Gaku: Our Sound Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 27, 2021

Promotional materials for “On-Gaku: Our Sound” celebrate the feature’s very existence, with director Kenji Iwaisawa putting in a heroic effort to simply complete the picture, which was seven years in the making. It’s also completely animated by hand, with use of the rotoscoping process to bring to life a rather small story of adolescent awakening via the power of music. The material takes its inspiration from a manga written by Hiroyuki Ohashi, giving Iwaisawa a storytelling direction to follow while the production cooks up its own wonderland of attitudes, musicianship, friendship, and personal expression, sold with an exquisite dryness that pulls humor out of the strangest of places. “On-Gaku: Our Sound” loves its stillness (probably for financial reasons), but it’s a marvelous exploration of an askew liberation. It’s as small in scale as an animated film gets, but it delivers such a wonderful understanding of character, detailed through inventive and unusual artistry.

Kenji (Shintaro Sakamoto) is a tough guy at his high school, maintaining a reputation as a student who shouldn’t be messed with. He keeps two friends in Ota (Tomoya Maeno) and Asakura (Tateto Serizawa), with the trio happy to hang out, keeping tabs on the punks over at Marutake Technical, with Oba (Naoto Takenaka) a gang leader looking to take Kenji in a fight if the moment ever arrives. While walking around his neighborhood, Kenji witnesses a mugging that puts a bass guitar in his hands. Feeling inspired, he orders Ota and Asakura to steal a drum kit and another bass, looking to create a band with his pals, despite their complete lack of musical ability. Creating a primitive sound, the group, now called Kobujitsu, finds a fan in folk singer Morita (Kami Hiraiwa), who encourages the trio to perform at a local rock festival she’s participating in, putting the band on display, which puts Kenji on edge.

There’s no major dramatic sweep to “On-Gaku: Our Sound,” which exists primarily in small moments of interaction, following Kenji on his musical journey. He’s a tough guy with a shaved head, peach fuzz mustache, and a smoking habit, using his reputation as a threat to help dissuade others from making a move on him. He embraces his outsider status, joined by Ota and Asakura, but a transformation is triggered when he’s handed a bass by a random crook, suddenly offered some form of personal expression with an instrument he assumes is just a guitar. “On-Gaku: Our Sound” spends time with the trio as they hammer out a one-note song, proud of their raw energy, which is encouraged by classmate Aya and adored by Morita, a folk performer of pure gentle sound who’s blow away by Kobujitsu, unleashing her primal rage with a guitar. The sequence where she’s introduced to the trio’s pounding beat is one of many treats in the picture, sending her on a surreal, Terry Gilliam-esque journey of sonic illumination that alters her DNA.

“On-Gaku: Our Sound” aims for a minimalist look, but such simplicity works for the helmer, who lovingly details personalities along the way. The writing enjoys the absurdity of Kenji’s band adventure, but the tone is never mocking, following the character as he begins to explore different areas of his brain, inching him closer to feelings he’s worked hard to suppress. It’s a lovely arc of self-examination and bravery that’s not underlined, sold through interesting animation and voice performance. Iwaisawa doesn’t have money to waste, but he finds a visual world for “On-Gaku: Our Sound” that goes beyond the teens, with movement inventive and musical awakenings welcoming different animation styles that sell emotional and performance surges. It’s not a glossy picture, but it’s beautifully executed, finding fresh ways to return rotoscope work to the screen.

On-Gaku: Our Sound Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation supplies a clear view of animation achievements, with textured drawings and different styles distinct throughout. Colors are exact, favoring a brighter, sunnier palette, with crisp whites and deep black outfits on the characters. More vibrant hues emerge with community tours and punk hairstyles. Delineation is satisfactory.

On-Gaku: Our Sound Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix preserves the feature's spare mood, with clear dialogue exchanges and long, silent pauses. Music is the obvious draw here, ranging from the pounding percussion and bass of Kobujitsu to folk and rock guitars found during Morita's journey. Instrumentation is sharp, and surrounds provide a full feel for musical performances. Atmospherics are also communicative, capturing room tone and nature elements. Movement is explored through separation effects. Low-end is appealing with heavier rock tunes.

On-Gaku: Our Sound Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making Of (59:20, HD) tracks the incredible seven-year-long production period for "On-Gaku: Our Sound," with director Kenji Iwaisawa offering introductory thoughts and hopes in 2012 before the BTS team covers daily life. Live-action filming is examined, along with the rotoscoping animation process. Music recording, set construction, financial difficulties, and the feature's debut at the Ottawa International Animation Festival are also explored.

• "Our Movie: Behind the Scenes" (15:10, HD) includes footage from the recording studio, location scouting, the production's kickoff party, live-action filming, and animation studio activity.

• Live Musical Performance (10:12, HD) highlights a setlist of songs from "On-Gaku: Our Sound," performed at a movie theater.

• "Kenji Iwaisawa Shorts" (all HD) include "Mountain" (9:05), "Mourning Ice Pop" (3:52), "Nicky" (1:59), and "Taro Wanted to be Water" (5:14).

• "On-Gaku" Demo (5:36, HD) is a rough assembly of scenes from the film.

• Storyboards Gallery (1:41) collects early art from the production.

• And an International Teaser (:43, HD) and a Theatrical Trailer (1:47, HD) are included.

On-Gaku: Our Sound Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"On-Gaku: Our Sound" plays like a blend of Mike Judge, Richard Linklater, and Ralph Bakshi. It's odd but never self-consciously so, offering a spare vibe that takes a little getting used to, but once viewers get on the same wavelength as Iwaisawa, the movie achieves a sublime focus on matters of the adolescent heart, becoming a joyous, frequently hilarious viewing experience.