” What’s a bass, anyway?”

Animated almost entirely by director Kenji Iwaisawa over several years, and featuring a lead performance by Japanese alt-rock legend Shintaro Sakamoto, ON-GAKU: OUR SOUND brings its own sound and vision to the Hiroyuki Ohashi manga from which it was adapted.

Having no skill, money, or even a full set of drums, a feared trio of high school delinquents nevertheless decide they are destined for musical glory in a quest to impress their only friend Aya, avoid a rival gang, and – most importantly – jam out.

© Hiroyuki Ohashi / Rock’n Roll Mountain / Tip Top

While K-On is one of the most successful anime franchises about a high school band, it’s far from the only offering. On-Gaku: Our Sound arguably exists at the opposite end of the spectrum. Rather than a polished series about girls making music, this is a chaotic slacker comedy about guys being dudes.

The movie follows three high school delinquents, Kenji, Ota and Asakura, who decide to one day start a band after Kenji casually walks home with a guitar. The movie then shows them learning how to play music and get themselves on a stage. Already a tough task, and made harder by the band having two bass guitars and only half a drum kit.

On-Gaku is a labour of love from both its original creator and the director who brought it to the screen. Originally a self-published manga by Hiroyuki Ohashi, the movie was mostly animated by a single person, Kenji Iwaisawa. What’s more, Iwaisawa had no formal animation training, and taught himself how to animate simply by making this film.

This shows in the film’s unusual animation style. There’s a loose, uncoordinated look to the whole thing, with shaky movements and strange character designs running through the whole thing. This isn’t bad by any means, as this rough-around-the-edges style feels punk rock, much like the subject matter. You could see these characters populating a zine, interspersed with articles yelling about the state of the world.

That said, the big concert scene towards the end of the movie goes all out on its animation. Combining rotoscoping with a scratchy, sketched visual style, the scene has a unique kinetic energy to it that perfectly encapsulates the power of a rock concert. It’s something Iwaisawa is deeply proud of. He described it as challenging, yet it kept him in high spirits because he felt he was creating something new and exciting for anime. And he was correct, as the entire scene is a visual treat.

This is the strength of On-Gaku. It’s a movie that’s deeply in love with rock music in all its forms. Visual references to popular rock bands are present throughout the movie, from Abbey Road’s iconic crossing to a pose taken straight from The Clash’s London Calling. And yet, it’s also an ode to the other end of rock fame. It’s a celebration of what it’s like to get a bunch of friends together and start making some noise on instruments.

There’s not much else to it than that. Anyone coming into this movie expecting a deep examination of the human soul or a romantic story for the ages will be disappointed. But it doesn’t need to be these things. It’s a slacker comedy that’s just here to have a good time. It’s like an anime version of Beavis and Butt-head. It’s messy, chaotic and unfocused but it sure is a lot of fun.

Critics certainly felt that energy come through, with praise across the board from film critics. It also garnered awards from the Mainichi Film Awards and the Ottawa International Animation Festival. And yet, despite all the praise, Iwaisawa has gone on record to say that all he hopes for is that the audience has a good time.

On-Gaku: Our Sound is a movie where you can see its creator in every frame. Not just from the hand-drawn art style but in the way it started as a fun project that got way out of hand and became art. On-Gaku is essential for anyone who finds as much joy in the simple pleasures of music and friendship as its creators.