T he story of three young Japanese divers who hope to qualify for the Olympic squad, Dive!! is an inspirational coming-of-age movie which is unfortunately bogged down by cartoon-like plot twists. Directed by Kumazawa Naoto, the film features three teenage stars who, after three months of strenuous training by a Japanese Olympic athlete, performed all the diving stunts themselves. As in Japanese sports comic series Captain Tsubasa and Slam Dunk, the protagonists have to overcome weaknesses before their predictable success. Sakai Tomoki (played by the angelic-looking Kento Hayashi) lacks self confidence. Fujitani Yoichi (the melancholic Sosuke Ikematsu) suffers from a cold relationship with his father who treats him more as his diving disciple than a son. Okitsu Shiraha (Mizobata Junpei) finds it hard to attain the level of glory reached by his diving champion grandfather. Guided by beautiful female coach Asaki Kayoko (Asaka Seto), they manage to pull off their best diving stunts during the final competition scene. In spite of the inspiring plot, the movie is filled with unrealistic anime-esque dialogue. The slow-motion shots before the trio take the plunge also feel like cartoon images. However, it's hard not to root for the trio who perform all those somersaults and swallow-dives worthy of Olympic gold without the use of doubles. Dive!! opens on September 18
