Ongaku (2020)

On-Gaku: Our Sound

Kenji, Asakura, and Oota are an apathetic trio of school friends, notorious for often beating up fellow delinquents without reason. Tired of the mundane fights that once provided the group with temporary adrenaline, Kenji looks for an alternative source by starting a band on a whim. Enlisting the rest of his gang, he picks up the bass, with Oota on the guitar and Asakura on the drums. Despite having no prior experience playing musical instruments, their first session far exceeds their expectations. Ongaku is the raw depiction of three teenage boys from the moment they discover the beauty of making music to their first live performance that turns a simple cure for boredom into a fiery expression of passion. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

Ongaku was produced over a period of seven years. The film won the Nelvana Grand Prize at the 2019 Ottawa International Animation Festival. It also received the Noburou Oofuji Award at the 75th Mainichi Film Awards in 2021. In the same year, the film won the Entertainment Division's grand prize at the 24th Japan Media Arts Festival Awards. The film was released in a Blu-ray and DVD bundle on March 9, 2021 by Shout! Factory.