Movies Like As Sawa-chan Rides the Waves

If you liked As Sawa-chan Rides the Waves (2019), a tv movie movie directed by Naoki Kobayashi, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980)
★ 7.3/10Also tv movie
Young Cedric Errol and his widowed mother live in genteel poverty in 1880s Brooklyn after the death of his father. Cedric's grandfather, the Earl of Dorincourt, has long ago disowned his son for marrying an American…
2
The Hunchback (1997)
★ 5.9/10Also tv movie
Based on Victor Hugo's famed novel, the story of Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer of Notre Dame, and his unrequited love for the gypsy girl, Esmeralda.
3
Rip Girls (2000)
★ 6.3/10Also tv movie
A teen-age girl and her father come to an island on Hawaii, they find a closer relationship to each other and think about changing the island. During her adventures, Sydney finds friends, a new hobby with her fantastic…
4
My Christmas Prince (2017)
★ 5.8/10Also tv movie
Samantha, a dedicated teacher in Manhattan, returns to her home town of Maple Falls, Wyoming every year for Christmas. This year, she’s delighted when her boyfriend Alex, a European diplomat from the tiny country of…
5
Johnny Tsunami (1999)
★ 6.1/10Also tv movie
A Hawaiian teenage surfer shows off his skills when he takes to the snow slopes in Vermont.
6
Death Note Relight 2: L's Successors (2009)
★ 7.5/10Also tv movie
L's successor must ponder L's defeat if he hopes to succeed where his famed predecessor failed. At the headquarters of the SPK, he calls upon the Japanese task force to declare war on Light. A recap of Death Note…
7
Samantha: An American Girl Holiday (2004)
★ 6.4/10Also tv movie
Kindhearted Samantha Parkington's world starts to change the day Nellie O'Malley walks into her life. Nellie, her father, and her two little sisters have moved in next door to be servants for the Ryland family. Though…
8
TalhotBlond (2012)
★ 6.3/10Also tv movie
Thomas Montgomery, a married father of two young daughters, gets seduced by the world of online gambling and chat rooms where a virtual romance and sexual obsession ultimately leads to the murder of an innocent man.
9
One Piece: Adventure of Nebulandia (2015)
★ 7.6/10Also tv movie
The Foxy Pirates challenge Luffy’s crew in the New World, but the fun and games go belly-up when the Navy’s most brilliant tactician steps in. Before the Straw Hats even know what hit them, they wind up on the island…
10
SpongeBob SquarePants: Kreepaway Kamp (2024)
★ 7.1/10Also tv movie
While at Kamp Koral for a reunion, SpongeBob and the gang are stalked by a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows as campers start disappearing one by one!
11
Lupin the Third: Angel Tactics (2005)
★ 6.5/10Also tv movie
Stolen from the famous "secret" Air Force base, Area 51, Lupin's most recently stolen treasure holds a secret. Four "Bloody Angels," the toughest women Lupin has ever faced, want the treasure for their own terrorist…
12
Love, Classified (2022)
★ 6.6/10Also tv movie
Romance novelist Emilia is a whirlwind who blows back into the lives of her adult children, Taylor and Zach, under the pretense of a book signing arranged by her hometown's local book shop. As Emilia tries to…
13
Once Upon a Prince (2018)
★ 6.5/10Also tv movie
Susanna gladly accepts help one day from handsome stranger Nate at her parents’ garden store in small-town Georgia. Sparks between them fly, but when a photo of them gets leaked to the press, Susanna is in for the…
14
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1988)
★ 7.3/10Also tv movie
When a nobleman is threatened by a family curse on his newly inherited estate, detective Sherlock Holmes is hired to investigate.
15
Alley Cats Strike (2000)
★ 6/10Also tv movie
A group of hip retro teenage outsiders become involved in an interschool bowling rivalry.
16
The Magic of Ordinary Days (2005)
★ 7.5/10Also tv movie
Pregnant out of wedlock, an educated young woman is pressured by her father into an arranged marriage with a lonely farmer in this drama set during WWII.
17
Hierarchy (2025)
★ 6/10Also tv movie
In an undisclosed area of Texas after two adoptive brothers become entangled in criminal activity, forced to evade law enforcement and the greedy Russian mafia.
18
Teen Beach Movie (2013)
★ 6.9/10Also tv movie
Life's a beach for surfers Brady and McKenzie – until a rogue wave magically transports them inside the classic '60s beach party flick, "Wet Side Story," where a full-blown rivalry between bikers and surfers threatens…
19
Christmas at the Drive-In (2022)
★ 5.8/10Also tv movie
Sadie Walker is starting over in her hometown of Chesterfield, New York, following a series of major life disruptions that include leaving her law practice after losing her biggest case and no longer being engaged.
20
Picture a Perfect Christmas (2019)
★ 6.2/10Also tv movie
An extreme-sports photographer returns home for the holiday to take care of her grandmother, only to have a neighbor grab her attention as he needs assistance watching his young nephew.