Ocean Story

   

Ocean Story
大洋物語 (Taiyō Monogatari)
Genre	Action Comedy drama Coming of Age Talking Animal
Anime television series
Our Father's Homeland
Directed by	Kotaro Tsuji Lance Smith
Produced by	Jason Parker Joe Shirogane
Written by	Hirofumi Masuda
Music by	Aaron Walker
Studio	Multiplex Animation Studios Tatsunoko Production
Licensed by	NA Broadco Syndications
Network	Multiplex Japan
English network	NA Multiplex
Original run	March 8, 2013 – August 23, 2013
Episodes	26
Anime television series
Battle in the Deep
Directed by	Kotaro Tsuji Lance Smith
Produced by	Jason Parker Joe Shirogane
Written by	Hirofumi Masuda
Music by	Aaron Walker
Studio	Multiplex Animation Studios Tatsunoko Production
Licensed by	NA Broadco Syndications
Network	Multiplex Japan
English network	NA Multiplex
Original run	March 7, 2014 – August 22, 2014
Episodes	26
Anime television series
Stare into the Abyss
Directed by	Kotaro Tsuji Lance Smith
Produced by	Jason Parker Joe Shirogane
Written by	Hirofumi Masuda
Music by	Aaron Walker
Studio	Multiplex Animation Studios Tatsunoko Production
Licensed by	NA Broadco Syndications
Network	Multiplex Japan
English network	NA Multiplex
Original run	March 6, 2015 – August 21, 2015
Episodes	26
Anime television series
Five Years After (新大洋物語, Shin Taiyō Monogatari)
Directed by	Kotaro Tsuji Lance Smith
Produced by	Jason Parker Joe Shirogane
Written by	Hirofumi Masuda
Music by	Aaron Walker
Studio	Multiplex Animation Studios Tatsunoko Production
Licensed by	NA Broadco Syndications
Network	Multiplex Japan
English network	NA Multiplex
Original run	March 6, 2020 – August 21, 2020
Episodes	26
Original net animation
Ocean Side Stories (大洋外伝, Taiyō Gaiden)
Directed by	Kotaro Tsuji Lance Smith
Produced by	Jason Parker Joe Shirogane
Written by	Hirofumi Masuda
Music by	Aaron Walker
Studio	Multiplex Animation Studios Tatsunoko Production
Licensed by	NA Broadco Syndications
Released	March 6, 2021 – present
Episodes	5

Ocean Story (大洋物語, Taiyō Monogatari) is a Sierran-Japanese anime series created by producer Joe Shirogane and Intertidal City creator Jason Parker for Multiplex. The series follows a group of anthropomorphic aquatic animals as they take a job in Kaihon, the ancestral homeland of viewpoint character Kenta Samejima. While there, they get entangled in with a Yakuza group, a family of actors, a young Miko, and a variety of other interesting characters. Shirogane's experiences as a Nisei Japanese-Sierran inspired much of the content. The series is a co-production between Tatsunoko Production and Multiplex Animation Studios.

The first season, subtitled Our Father's Homeland in Sierran home video and streaming releases, aired between March 8 and August 23, 2013, for 26 episodes. It was Multiplex's highest rated Plextoon of the year, prompting network head Sarah Mensah to greenlight to more seasons, Battle in the Deep, and Stare into the Abyss, which aired between 2014 and 2015. These seasons about as successful than the first, and proved to be a highlight for the network during those years. A fourth season, Ocean Story: Five Years After (新大洋物語, Shin Taiyō Monogatari, New Ocean Story), aired in 2020.

An Original net animation, Ocean Side Stories, premiered on Broadco Full Access on March 6, 2021.

Ocean Story is notable for it's use of bilingual English and Japanese dialogue. Ocean Story was a direct inspiration for another Plextoon, Long and Dragon.

Plot

The show centers around the Ice Breakers, a group of self proclaimed modern day pirates, lead by Captain Otto Fischer. They steal steal goods from other ships, and sell them to the highest bidder. The plot of the first season, Our Father's Homeland, is kicked off when the group takes a job in the nation of Kaihon (海本, Origin of the Sea), a semi-aquatic equivalent to Japan, to steal the cargo of the Kobayashi, a high end goods ship. Since two of their members, Kenta and Touko Samejima, are of Kaihon descent, it is assumed that the job will be easy. However, things get complicated when Kenta starts seeing a local girl, Sango, and starts having second thoughts about the job. With this, his relationships start getting strained, especially when other figures start to get caught up in everything, including the Fuguta family of entertainers, stunt performs of the Ocean Action Club, and the Shinkai-gumi Yakuza family. The season ends with a fight between a Shinkai-gumi band and the gang, with tensions higher than ever.

The plot of the second season, Battle in the Deep, ends where season 1 left off, with Kenta being kicked out of the Ice Breakers and crashing at Sango's place. Higher ups in the Shinkai-gumi are upset at their defeat in the last season, and are out for revenge. Still torn between his friends and his morals, Kenta will have to reconcile with the crew or get caught by the Yakuza, but are they willing to forgive him? Season 3 starts with Kenta beginning to rebuild his relationships with his former teammates, while the Shinkai-gumi brings in a familiar face to deal with them once and for all.

Season 4, Five Years After, takes place exactly five years after the previous season. Things have changed, Kenta has settled down in Kaihon, the Ice Breakers have gone their separate ways, and Kyoko and Mizuki have begun work on a new tv show together; Kaiju Sentai Atlanger (海獣戦隊アトランジャー, Kaijū Sentai Atoranjā, "Kaiju Sentai" translates to "Marine Beast Task Force"). However, what remains of the Shinkai-gumi remains in the shadows, waiting for revenge.

Characters

Ice Breakers

The Ice Breakers (アイス・ブレーカーズ, Aisu Brēkāzu) are a crew of self proclaimed pirates. They make a living stealing goods from other ships, and selling them on the black market. Their latest goal in season 1 is the Kobayashi, the largest goods ship in the nation of Kaihon.

Kenta Samejima

Voiced by Jason Yajima (谷島 昌)

Kenta Samejima (鮫島 ケンタ), is the main viewpoint character of the show, an 18 year old shark. A bit of a loner, the only one he can count on is his older sister. After meeting Sango, however, he starts to open up, which causes problems his relationship to the rest of the team. After neglecting his duties to spend some time with his new friends, he is kicked off the team. He spends the next season trying to repair his relationship with the rest of the Ice Breakers, but eventually grows disillusioned with the Pirate life. After defeating the Shinkai-gumi in Season 3, he convinces his former crew to quit. Tends to use the pronoun ore (俺) when speaking Kaihon-go (海本語, Sea Origin Language, the show's equivalent of Japanese).

Touko Samejima

Voiced by Lisa Kim (金 ミレ)

Touko Samejima (鮫島 トウコ), is Kenta's older sister, aged 24. Suffering from anger management issues, Touko's outbursts frequently land her and her crewmates in trouble. In fact, the only member of the crew who hasn't made her made at least once is Kenta. She serves the Ice Breakers' muscle and intimidation, and carries a knife with her at most times. She initially grows a rivalry with dolphin stuntwoman Kyoko Iruka, but eventually grows a grudging respect for her. Marilyn drags her into a job at a local hostess club with her. When speaking Kaihon-go, she uses initially uses the pronoun ore (俺), like her brother, but eventually switches to atai (あたい) when she learns the former is mainly used by men.

Dave Fleming

Voiced by Ian Dale

Dave Fleming (デーヴ・フレミング) is the youngest member of the ice breakers at only age 16. Running away from home for unspecified reasons, though implied to be simple boredom, the lemming has a fascination with the sea. His naivety and obsession frequently cause trouble with the crew and authorities, particularly with Touko. His attempts to learn Kaihon-go go poorly, a running gag is his flat accent, slow speaking, and use of overly polite language, in particular the pronoun watakushi (私).

Captain Otto

Voiced by Hunter van Houten

"Captain" Otto Fischer (【キャプティン】オットー・フィシャー) is the self proclaimed captain of the Ice Breakers. Often styling himself as a pirate captain, this 25 year old cOtter walks with a swagger of charisma and leads his crew down their path of riches. He was the first mate of his predecessor, Erin Youyu, before she left for unchartered waters.

Marilyn Medusa

Voiced by Catherine Lawson

Marilyn Medusa (マリリン・メドゥーサー), is a 24 year old jellyfish. With a flair for fashion and jewelry, Marilyn joined the Ice Breakers largely to get expensive jewels. She's really lazy, often passing off her duties to others, her dream being to one day settle down with a rich husband, though she starts to realize that this might not be such a fulfilling life. She gets work in a hostess club to better spy on the managers of the dock where the Kobayashi is.

Jonathan "Crusty John" Silver

Voiced by Steve Blum

Jonathan Silver (ジョナサン・シルヴァー), also known as Crusty Jon (クラスティー・ジョン), is a 50 year old yeti crab, the oldest of the crew.

Urashima Shrine

Urashima Shrine (浦島神社, Urashima-jinja)

Sango Togyo (闘魚 珊瑚)

Voiced by Anzu Nakagawa (中川 杏子)

Sango Togyo (闘魚 珊瑚), a 18 year old betta working as a Miko at the Urashima Shrine. She finds Kenta and takes him in after he is knocked unconscious by Akira Yajima. After Kenta came to, the two quickly form a friendship. However, it's not until later that he discovers her secret, she was cassigned male at birth. Discovering her true self with the help of her best friend Mizuki Fuguta, she began her transition in high school, though she's only recently started to medically transition. Though kind hearted, Sango often doubts herself and her abilities, as her father walked out on her family when she was little, and she was often ostracized by her peers, often being told she wasn't "man enough"; though as Girls Story shows, she did become a bit more open after coming out, even if some didn't accept her. She lives with cher mother, who's house is close to the shrine.

Shinju Kitagawa

Voiced by Erin Kitagawa (喜多川 ひろみ)

Shinju Kitagawa (北川 真珠), a six manta ray who's grandfather serves as the priest of the Urashima Shrine. she looks up to Sango and Razor as older siblings. She finds cute things scary, but scary things cute, a sea angel would cause her to scream, a post of a monster inspires affection. Speaks in the third person, a trait often associated with young children in Japanese media.

Ocean Action Club

Ocean Action Club (オーシェアンアクションクラブ, Ōshean Akushon Kurabu) is a Kaihon talent/entertainment agency that primarily trains action actors and elite stuntmen for theater, film, and television productions. It is based on Japan Action Enterprise, formerly Japan Action Club, a real life stunt agency and arguably the biggest in Japan.

Kyoko Iruka

Voiced by Kyoko Hiyama (日山 京子)

Kyōko Iruka (入鹿 響子) is a dolphin stuntwoman affiliated with OAC, who gets roped into serving as Mizuki's unofficial bodyguard. Initially serving as a stunt performer on Mobile Soldiers Metal-Life (機動兵隊メタルライフ, Kidō Heitai Metaru Raifu), a job she found unfulfilling as she didn't get to perform for any of the leads, instead playing "random combatants". She takes on the role of being Mizuki's bodyguard largely because it gives her a break from her work on Metal Life. Uses the pronoun jibun (自分).

Fuguta family

Mizuki Fuguta

Voiced by Erin Kitagawa (喜多川 ひろみ)

Concept art of Mizuki Fuguta

Mizuki Fuguta (河豚田 みずき) is an 18 year old actress/model and the child of Anko and Masaru Fuguta. Decked out in bright, flashy, "Gal" clothing, Mizuki, who likes to be addressed as "Mizu-chan" (みずちゃん), initially appears at first glance to be little more than than a air headed, fashion obsessed girl who was yet to mature past high school. However, Mizuki's personality is actually a lot more deep than that. She's seet, kind, and has a love for life and all of it's beauty. She has a decent grasp of the English equivalent, shocking Kyoko and Kenta. She works as a fashion model for an independent magazine, but her real dream is to be an actress like her mother. Uses the pronoun atashi (あたし).

Anko Kamikawa

Voiced by Akane Saotome (早乙女 茜)

Anko Kamikawa (神河 安子), legally Anko Fuguta (河豚田 安子), an angler fish actress. She is famous for her roles in Horror films, with her most recent role being that of an onryō in Deep Horror (深怪談, Shinkaidan, a pun on "Deep Sea" (深海, Shinkai) and "Ghost Story" (怪談, Kaidan)), which her daughter has a small role in. Caring if a bit strict, Anko isn't exactly thrilled with her daughter's career choices, but supports her nonetheless. Her relationship with her husband is on the rocks, to the point where they've separated, if not explicitly divorced, by the events of Season 3. Uses the pronoun watashi (私)

Masaru Fuguta

Voiced by Toshihiro Nakamura (中原 俊弘)

Masaru Fuguta (河豚田 マサル), known by his stage name Tachibana Ainosuke III (3代目 立花 明之助), is a rakugo storyteller. Though seemingly calm and amiable, he's actually quite short tempered, leading to numerous shouting matches, followed by an apology. His relationship with his daughter is strained, though both love each other, he does not approve of her modeling career, and wants her to get a more stable job, likely as a result of the own difficulties he faces in his owns career. His relationship with his wife has seen better days, though high school sweethearts, the sparks have mostly died out by the time of the series proper.

Mitsuko Kamikawa

Voiced by Mitsuko Horie (堀江 美都子)

Mitsuko Kamikawa (神河 美都子)

Music

Opening Theme

• "Towards a Sea of Adventure" (冒険の海へ, Bōken no Umi e)
  • Lyrics: Hironobu Kageyama (影山 ヒロノブ)
  • Composition: TBD
  • Artist: TBD
  • Arrangement: Aaron Walker

See also

• Long and Dragon - A Multiplex-Tatsunoko co-production with similar themes.