From Ryoko_Toyama@ccmail.bus.umich.edu Fri Oct 18 00:57:08 1996
Date: Sat, 12 Oct 96 23:30:37 EDT

Here is a synopsis of 'Umi ga Kikoeru: Ai ga Arukara (live action
version)'. Since it was volume 1 and 2 combined, several things were
changed from the anime version.  For example, it seems that Taku and
Matsuno never had a fight.  Taku meets Rikako before the summer
vacation.
 
I'm writing this from my memories, so I may make mistakes on events or
names. 
 
 
It was March in Kouchi.  Taku was about to leave his home for Tokyo to
attend the university.  He went to the beach to look at the sea.  'We,
Kouchi kids know where is the sea all the time since we grew up with
it', Taku said.  Matsuno came to see him off at the train station.  He
said that Rikako was actually in Tokyo, not in Kouchi, but Taku
couldn't hear it since the train was moving.
 
Taku arrived at Tokyo and started a new life.  He found a part-time
job as a waiter at a bar.  One day, at the train station, Taku saw
Rikako. He called Matsuno, and he confirmed Rikako is indeed in Tokyo.
 
Taku started remembering his high school days (there isn't much here).
Flashback scenes *** The first day Rikako came to the school.  Rikako
saying to Matsuno that she didn't need a friend.  Rikako surrounded by
girls, and intimidated by them.  Then, Rikako noticed Taku was watching
her, and said 'You are always just watching.  You don't do
anything!'***
 
One afternoon, a beautiful woman came to Taku at the university.  She is
his Senpai (senior student), Chisa.  Chisa offered him a job, and
without asking him if he wanted it or not, she decided that the deal was
made (Taku seems to get in troubles always since he can't say no to
girls ;-). It turned out that she was a girlfriend of Taku's another
Senpai, Tasaka, who worked at the bar with Taku.
 
The job was to work as a waiter at a party.  And Taku saw Rikako among
the guest at the party!  (considering the whole story in the anime was
geared toward this big reunion of the two, this is rather anticlimax).
 
When he finished his job, he found Rikako was waiting for him outside.
Two started talking, and Rikako took him to a restaurant managed (?) by
her new stepmother.  Two talked, ate, and drank wine.
 
When he came back to his apartment, he was pretty drunk.  He started
drinking beer, and soon fell asleep.  Next morning, he woke up to find
himself sleeping on the floor, and Chisa in his bed! (Oh-Oh)  Taku
panicked and called Tasaka.  Tasaka came and said that Chisa came to
Taku's place to apologize and drink together.  But since he was asleep,
she drank alone, and slept in the bed.  Tasaka explained to Taku that Chisa
was having a relationship with a married man, and she had been through a
lot recently.
 
The summer came.  Taku called Rikako and asked her if she was going
back to Kouchi.  She said, no, since Kouchi wasn't her hometown.
 
He came home, and met Matsuno (he has a girlfriend now).  Next morning,
Taku went to see the sea.  Then, Rikako showed up.  She said that she
felt sorry for her mom (but we know why she came back ;-).  Taku took
her to his home (curious, Taku's mom seems to know Rikako, 'Ara,
Rikako-chan!').  Then the phone rang.  It was from Tasaka.  He said that
Chisa broke up with the married guy, and he couldn't find her anywhere.
Tasaka thought she might be going to see Taku since 'she can feel safe
near Taku'.  Taku didn't know what to think, and Rikako was waiting for
him in the living room!  But he had no time to think. In the very
moment, Chisa showed up at his door!
 
Taku, Chisa, and Rikako went to the sea.  Chisa seemed depressed, and
Taku felt sorry for her.  Unfortunately, Rikako wasn't taking this
well.  She told Taku that she was going back.  When she was about to
leave, Tasaka showed up.  He made Chisa laugh.
 
Next day, four went to picnic at a river.  Taku and Rikako were on a
boat, and Chisa and Tasaka were watching them.  Chisa said she was
envious of these two young ones having just fun.
 
The fall came.  One day, Taku was again conscripted by Chisa.  She
didn't tell him where they were going, she was just dragging him.  It
turned out that she was going to an art exhibition by a wife of the guy
Chisa broke up!  Chisa said she just wanted to see the wife's face and
see how ugly she was.
 
It turned out that the wife was quite beautiful and sophisticated.
Chisa pretended that she was her fan, and asked her 'are you happy now?'
and the wife answered 'Yes, and are you?'  (Taku was muttering,
'oh-oh')   Chisa said, 'if you are happy, that's OK', and run away.
(although in this scene the wife was playing very innocent, it turned
out that she actually knew who Chisa was).
 
In the night, Tasaka called Taku.  He said he hit Chisa when he learnt that
she went to see the wife.  He was afraid Chisa might never come back to
him.  (Is Taku a magnet for troubled people or something?)
 
One day, Rikako asked Taku to come with her.  It wasn't a date as he
hoped.  They met Rikako's stepmother and she told Rikako that she
was pregnant with Rikako's brother or sister.  She asked if that's OK,
and Rikako said 'Of course it is!'.
 
After that, Rikako thanked Taku for being there.  She said she knew
what's coming, but she didn't want to hear the news alone.
 
In the night, Rikako called Taku.  She said that her stepmother was
sick and she had to call the ambulance.  She was at the hospital, and
really scared for the stepmom and her baby.  She said 'please help
me!', and Taku dashed to the hospital.
 
The stepmom and baby was OK, but her mother blamed Rikako for all the
trouble her daughter went through ('you wish she'd not have the baby,
don't you!  She should've never married your father.')   Rikako was
just taking her abuse, but remembering her word, 'you don't do
anything', Taku finally stood up for Rikako.
 
One day, Taku and Tasaka were working at the bar.  Chisa came in with
an eye patch (to hide a black mark).  She ignored Tasaka and told
Taku that a terrible man did this to her and for a punishment, she
would pest the man for the rest of his life, and he would have to
endure that and take care of her.  Tasaka looked really happy to hear
this.  (Maybe what they need is a counseling on domestic violence?)
 
It was the Christmas eve.  Rikako and Taku went to see her stepmom at
the hospital.  The stepmom apologized Rikako for her mother's behavior
and asked Taku to make Rikako have fun since 'it's Christmas eve!'.
 
Rikako told Taku that she had no fond memory of Kouchi.  Taku felt he
had to do something about this, so he called Matsuno.  Then he
dragged Rikako to the airport, then got on the plane to Kouchi.
 
When two arrived at the seashore of Kouchi, big fireworks suddenly
welcomed them (the kind of fireworks you see on the July 4th, or at
summer festivals in Japan).  It was Matsuno who was shooting them
(Taku asked him to illuminate the shoreline, but apparently Matsuno
went to extreme).  Then, he shot the especially big one toward Taku
and Rikako, saying he had to give up his date for this (I can
understand his feeling, but doesn't he need a license and permission
from the government to shoot the fireworks, not to mention money?)
 
Realizing the fireworks was coming at them, Taku pulled Rikako down
and covered her (so he was on top of her).  The fireworks bloomed
(in Japanese, fireworks are called 'flower of fire') around them,
showering them with fire.  Taku said 'I think at that moment, Rikako
heard the sea'.
 
The end
 
Ryo