Photo/Illutration “Hula Fulla Dance” ((c) BNP, FUJITV/ Salon Natsunagi) (Provided by Aniplex Inc.)

“Hula Fulla Dance,” an original anime film from the director of “Fullmetal Alchemist” and “Mobile Suit Gundam 00,” is now showing at theaters nationwide.

It focuses on hula dancers working at Spa Resort Hawaiians in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture. The one-stop water park, onsen and entertainment facility provided full cooperation.

The film is one of the three titles designed to help revitalize the three northeastern prefectures hit hard by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

“I’ll be happy if it also helps (the theme park) pull through all the hardships caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic,” said chief director Seiji Mizushima.

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From left, Ohana, Ranko, Shion, Hiwa and Kanna in “Hula Fulla Dance” ((c) BNP, FUJITV/ Salon Natsunagi) (Provided by Aniplex)

The story centers around Hiwa, who lands a job at Spa Resort Hawaiians where her older sister had worked as a hula dancer.

She practices dance moves with her colleagues Kanna, Ranko, Ohana and Shion, but makes a serious blunder during her first performance on stage.

Although feeling down in the dumps, Hiwa feels encouraged when she sees many staff members cleaning the park and doing maintenance work at night and someone says to her, “This is a place where each and every person pulled through on one occasion.”

The centerpiece of the story is, of course, hula dance.

The director opted to use CGI for the climactic scene where Hiwa and others show off their dance moves to a pop idol song.

With a combination of music, lyrics, choreography and dynamic camerawork, the movie emphasizes the drama contained in the story.

While the storyline is rather lightly told, the film incorporates powerful dance sequences to show the anxieties and conflicts of the five dancers and how they rise above them.

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Chief director Seiji Mizushima (Photo by Atsushi Ohara)

“I could have made the story more dramatic,” Mizushima said. “But because (screenwriter Reiko) Yoshida beautifully depicted the natural feelings of today’s young women and their true-to-life portrayals, I tried not to ruin them and made the movie in an honest manner.”

Spa Resort Hawaiians opened in 1966 as Japan’s first theme park. The facility was forced to temporarily close due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it has reopened, the park is still struggling to attract customers.

“I want this movie to be seen by as many people as possible to support people in Fukushima,” the director added.

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