We truly live in the golden age of media accessibility, especially anime. There are SO many anime titles and not just on Crunchyroll. Across all streamers, you can find anime almost everywhere! Whether it’s popular titles or random series no one’s heard of, there’s a bit of anime in every corner.
As with any medium that has a lot of content, there will always be titles that fly under the radar because they aren’t part of a large franchise or adapted from a popular manga. And that’s where I come in. I’ve wanted to dedicate a section of reviews for titles that I consider hidden gems. In this tag, I’ll be reviewing lesser-known anime series and anime movies. Maybe they’re new or maybe they are older, but either way, it’ll be a little treat I found tucked away in a corner somewhere.
About Hula Fulla Dance
I found Hula Fulla Dance while randomly scrolling the anime movie section on Crunchyroll and was instantly intrigued. To be honest, I love anime movies in general, so if it’s not related to an existing anime, I’m going to watch it. I had to spread my watching over a couple of days, but man, what a wonderful watch it was.
Hula Fulla Dance is an original anime movie from Bandai Namco Pictures. It was directed by Seiji Mizushima (Fullmetal Alchemist) and Shinya Watada. It was written by Reiko Yoshida (Ride Your Wave.) This movie was part of the “Zutto Ōen Project 2011 + 10,” a remembrance initiative for the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The film features a real-life resort, Spa Resort Hawaiians in Iwaki City, Japan.
The movie is about Hiwa, a high school graduate who applies to be a hula girl at the Spa Resort Hawaiians. Upon arrival, Hiwa is put into a training class with four other girls: Kanna, Ohana, Ranko, and Shion. The girls are completely different, but must overcome this to dance together.
The Loss of a Sister
Throughout the movie, we come to learn that the main reason Hiwa wants to be a hula dancer is to follow in her big sister, Mari’s, footsteps. It’s made clear throughout the film that Mari died during the earthquakes that devastated the area. Hiwa grew up admiring her sister, and even though she’s not very good at dancing, she knows this is the path she wants to pursue.
The loss of her sister has had a big impact on Hiwa, and we see throughout the movie how this drives her. When she’s not getting the hula dance and is stumbling through practices and performances, she thinks of Mari and pushes forward. Stories about sisters always hit me really hard because my sisters are my world, and I cannot fathom a life without them.
To think that Hiwa goes to this place that has so many reminders of Mari: Mari’s friends she started dancing hula with, Suzukake, who seems to be a former boyfriend of Mari, and the job she loved doing. Being there must be so bittersweet for Hiwa, and yet she carries on and tries her best. Not only for Mari, but for herself and her own dreams. I cried a lot for Hiwa, Mari, and the bond that they shared. Hula Fulla Dreams was a great reminder that even though separated through death, the love of a sister is eternal.
The Gaining of Friendship
The heart of Hula Fulla Dreams for me was the connection Hiwa builds with the other members of her class. Hiwa, Kanna, Ohana, Ranko, and Shion all come from different places and want to hula for different reasons. They also have different skill levels and have personal blockers that stand in the way of them getting better. I loved seeing the girls grow closer through this story and really being there for each other during difficult moments, like Kanna’s reunion with her mom, Hiwa’s heartbreak with Suzukake, and Ohana’s homesickness.
And speaking of Suzukake (which, in writing this, I just learned was voiced by THE Dean Fujioka, the singer of History Maker) I love how Hiwa’s crush on him was really a background thing and used as a way to show Hiwa how much her sister loved her and talked about her. Then, it becomes a way for the girls to bond over setting Suzukake and Hiwa up (before we learn he possibly dated Mari). Finally, when it’s clear they won’t be anything, the girls all mourn with Hiwa and help her move past this. I love a crush being just a crush.
We also can’t forget about Hiwa’s high school friends. They all chose different career paths but supported each other throughout the entire journey. They kept meeting up when they had free time and would encourage each other to keep going. The concert they attended together also helped Hiwa overcome her struggles and strengthen her bond with her hula mates.
A Beautiful Story
Hula Fulla Dance was so charming. I cried like a baby at the end and feel so much love for the story. I love stories about girls, sisters, and friends. Sometimes a job is more than just a job, and a transformational journey can look different for everyone. This movie is sweet and funny, and even a bit whimsical. In learning that it was created in remembrance of the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, it added so much more heart to the story for me. I hope you check it out.
You can watch Hula Fulla Dance on Crunchyroll.
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