User reviews

TV movie or not, this was an outstanding film. Terrific direction, animation, and writing. As others have stated already, it is a film with a great deal of subtlety, so if you think great acting is Julia Roberts screaming at the top of her lungs, then you might not appreciate this film fully. It ranks among the best animated films I have watched, at least in the top 15 or 20. It's not quite in the same league as The Grave of the Fireflies, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Akira, My Neighbor Totoro, Whisper of the Heart, Only Yesterday, or a few other excellent anime I have had a chance to see, but it is easily better than 99% of the rest of the animated films out there. Highly recommended. At least an 8/10.

What a forgotten Ghibli masterpiece! I'm glad that I accidentally stumbled upon it. Someone else beat me to it in the review section twelve years ago, but I gotta emphasize: this movie is as authentic as it gets. The characters behave very realistically, they feel much more humane than those in similar slice-of-life movies. Because of this, you can relate to all the characters, their actions, their motives, and the story will get you involved in no time. Just don't expect any out-of-the-place action or sensationalism - the movie maintains a very relaxed pace, with everything in order, every slight movement feeling natural.

This movie is a hour-and-a-quarter long contemplation, a travel into the past - just like the main character, you will catch yourself wondering about loves, friends and memories long gone. But you might just find redemption at the end of the road, and the end of the movie.

Its seldom I get the bittersweet butterfly of nostalgia growing in my stomach; last time the Miyazaki-classic "Only Yesterday" were able to achieve it. The two movies share a common feel and theme (great reunions, evaluating your roots, and a change of life), and while I think "Only Yesterday" somewhat works better, "Ocean Waves" is an otherwise unrivaled choice for gloomy Sunday afternoon homecinema.

Ocean Waves was Studio Ghibli's attempt to allow its younger staff to showcase their movie-making talents and although what they manage to put on screen is a fascinating & surprisingly mature take on high school romance, it lacks the refined quality that could have hurled it into the leagues of the studio's best works.

Based on the novel of the same name, the story of Ocean Waves follows a young college kid who's returning home after his first year at university but after glimpsing a familiar girl at the train station, recalls his senior year of high school when that same girl transferred to his school from Tokyo and turned his life upside down.

Directed by Saeko Himuro, the plot is always focused on the characters & their relationships, all of which is portrayed in a very subtle & authentic manner. Its hand-drawn animation may not rival the best works of the studio but it still carries their quality stamp on it. The story is grounded & lifelike, and it never tries to do more than it can handle.

Of the three people caught in the love triangle, it is the character of Rikako Muto who exhibits the most interesting arc. Her behaviour & actions add an element of mystery in the story and it unfurls very gradually. The backdrop setting is splendidly detailed at all times. However, despite being only 72 minutes long, the film still feels somewhat stretched out.

On an overall scale, Ocean Waves is a gentle meditation on teen relationships and is brought to life with sufficient care, affection & sincerity. Working as both an intriguing coming-of-age drama & a muted love story, Studio Ghibli's first & only TV feature still remains their least seen work and even though it is no match to their greatest efforts, it nonetheless deserves a watch or two.

Ocean Waves is a Studio Ghibli's production for TV, made by the young artists in the studio, that tells a charming story of love and friendship during High School in the small town of Kochi. The main characters are Taku Morisaki and his friend Yutaka Matsuno, and the quirky opinionated newly-arrived-in-town girl they like - Rikako Muto.

The movie tells a simple story of growing up and becoming adults, and shows all of the dramas surrounding teenagers, but it is well narrated and animated. The animation is not as impressive and detailed as others Ghibli's movies, but it has Ghibli's quality stamp on it, and is very realistic and beautiful.

The mood of the movie is great and captures with great mastery the spirit of a small town and its people, and also the spirit of summertime in those years in High School, with all the activities, romances and friendships that we experience during our teen years; it really transports the viewers to their High School days. The characters are well drawn, psychologically and emotionally believable, and very likable.

A very enjoyable animation movie perfect for teenagers and adults, not for children.

Why was this released for TV? I don't feel like this is a "lesser" creation of Studio Ghibli. The characterisation and story never felt flat to me. Sure, it all relies on the characters being rather self-centered and naive, but it felt like genuine flaws rather than anything to do with the writing. I enjoyed this drama and the portrayal of the Rikako was realistic as I can attest to knowing someone like that!

First of all the animation is brilliant! Super impressive for an early 90's film. It reminds you of the Japanese shows you watched in your childhood like The gutsy frog, Kochikame, etc. The story is simple and sweet and nothing complex. It's a very 'feel good' kind of a film. Just sit back and relax and enjoy it. Despite not having any story as such, It didn't bore me for a second. I was hooked from the get go and just kept enjoying the scenes as they came on. The background piano playing also works very well with the film and keeps you hooked throughout. The plot of this film reminded me of a certain phase of my life. So I enjoyed it very much. It's definitely worth watching.

Fantastic. If you do not care for subtly or quiet reflection, do not see this film. If on the other hand, you enjoy seeing the inner workings of the human heart, this film is hard to beat. Illustrates remarkably well something that may be better understood by the Japanese, sometimes, the unspoken speaks with greater eloquence than words are capable of doing.

Highly recommended.

I saw this anime after I had been introduced to some other, more prominent anime from Studio Ghibli. If you appreciate a fine subtle authentic slice-of-life story of high school romance, this is as good as it gets.

Its told from the point of view of a male student. A new female transfer student arrives from Tokyo and the plot moves forward in an interesting way. It never hurries, and feels very matter of fact. By the end of the film lessons are learned and the heart strings are pulled.

This movie doesn't try to do too much; it simply focuses on the main characters and tells their story honestly. You never feel manipulated as you do with many Hollywood films. The dramatic conflicts are real and interesting.

This is one movie I treasure.

It's a little hard to get behind its plot and characters, but there's something charming about its simplicity and, it being a Studio Ghibli movie, looks absoultely gorgeous.

This is a very boring movie. I waited patiently waiting the conflict to happen until the credit rolled. I cried more watching a documentary. I'd rather watch a bad movie than a boring one.

Bad story ruins good animation, sadly.

Really well animated film, especially knowing it came from Ghibli's "junior" producers. Overall I enjoyed it, especially the little bits of humor here and there. The main girl character was extremely unlikable, but a good character. I found the dynamic between the two boys interesting and compelling. Their friendship was honestly more interesting than either of their relationships with the girl. And I will say that I'm not sure I exactly believed that they were both in love with her, mostly because she was so truly selfish and immature. So the ending seemed a little trite to me. Also, this might be unfair, but I always go into a Ghibli film hoping for something that will spark wonder and amazement, and this film definitely didn't have that magic element (literal or figurative). Still, well worth the watch.

Although it can be fairly predictable and having a similar story as Only Yesterday (due to the backwards and forwards time line, in my opinion), Ocean Waves has a sweet and simple story focusing around the friendship of Taku and Rikako. Produced by Studio Ghibli, Ocean Waves first aired on Japanese television in 1993. The 1 hour and 10 minutes film is very underrated, as the more well-known and 'greater' Studio Ghibli films are pushed into the limelight moving the focus away from small gems like Ocean Waves. Its a basic film and if you want to watch a short movie with a 'romance' based theme don't pass up the chance! 7/10

I was disappointed, maybe I had high expectations being a Ghibli movie, but this one was extremely pointless and boring, there's no emotions towards the characters whatsoever and the story is kind of lame, doesn't quite make sense and doesn't go anywhere.

Two observations about Ocean Waves: The first is that it comes from Studio Ghibli – and it shows. The second is that it is not the work of Hayao Miyazaki or of Isao Takahata – and that shows, too.

Ocean Waves was made for TV and released in 1993 by young staff members of Studio Ghibli as a kind of apprenticeship piece. It was directed by Tomimo Mochizuki. The technical quality of the film maintains the high standards expected of the studio – animation and design are exemplary and the film is a visual feast. However, the storyline is rather slight and characterisation is not as well developed as would be expected from Myazaki.

The story is largely told in flashback as Taku flies back from Tokyo, where he is a university student, to his home in Kochi. It concerns his relationship with his high school friend Yutaka, and their rivalry for the affections of Rikako, a beautiful but rather condescending and manipulative girl who has transferred from a school in Tokyo following the breakup of her parents' marriage. One of the major problems of the film is that there does not seem have been any real attempt to present the protagonists in any depth, their personalities are shallow, almost caricatures.

Other Ghibli films which have explored the world of school days and coming of age are Only Yesterday and Whisper of the Heart. In no way does Ocean Waves approach the complexity and subtlety of these beautiful films. That does not mean that this film is bad, it isn't by a long way, but we do expect rather more from this studio. Having said that, this film is still far ahead of anything Hollywood produces.

The knowledge that Ocean Waves is a TV movie put me off watching this 'lesser Ghibli' until I'd covered the rest of their catalogue. Whilst it may not have the wide appeal of Miyazaki masterpieces like Totoro, Porco Rosso and Spirited Away etc., it's a surprisingly successful film. The subtleties of the relationships and characters are so beautiful and rewarding that the film is elevated way beyond its TV roots.

In short, if you want a gentle meditation on teen relationships and love, this is as good as it gets. And if you like Ghibli but the subject material doesn't sound too interesting (it didn't to me), it's still worth a look as it might surprise.

This was made for television and it shows in just how low-concept and straight forward it is, but not in its quality.

I'm very cynical about love stories, I think a lot of them are pandering and simplistic but this was an enchanting narrative on a young love that doesn't burn bright but gives every impression it could burn long.

It's soft spoken and elegant but unpretentious and often I wasn't entirely sure why it was animated (must be some logistical thing I haven't considered) but this is a movie that will leave you with the fuzziness that My neighbour Totoru thinks it does.

It's not really a romance, not at its core. It's a mild, contemplative picture about passing from youth to adulthood and the moments that truly make it something special, in this case, putting its focus on the one individual you're glad you met.

I'd definitely watch it again.

Nothing in this film makes any sense nor is it clear why the characters react the way they do. Maybe the translation was poor but the dialogue is absolute nonsense and the characters seem to enjoy slapping and punching each other for no reason. Most of them are stiff, rude and awkward and I'm not sure why the guy was sent to a hotel rather than being invited to stay at the house he was already at. Something was lost in translation here. Not at all romantic or even nice. The main girl was an absolute brat.

I rarely write reviews for movies but I simply have to recommend this one and straighten a few things out. First off let me say that this is my top 3 favorite films from Ghibli Studio (the other two being Castle in the Sky, and My Neighbor Totoro). The reason I love it is because out of all the great Ghibli works, this one speaks to me the most. And the more I watch this film and the older I get, the more I appreciate it.

It's a shame that this little gem is often underrated, under-appreciated and neglected by Ghibli fans, because it's so not like anything Ghibli or Miyazaki has done so far (which, ironically, is one of the reasons why I love it so much). It doesn't follow the usual Miyazaki formula (i.e. brave and independent heroine, epic stories, unusual adventures...you get the picture). Instead, it just tells a simple (yet highly-effective) coming-of-age story about an ordinary high school teenager in a realistic and sincere way. You may not have the similar experience as the male protagonist, but you can certainly relate to him and understand what he's going through (at least I could).

Now it seems that the complaints from those who were less impressed by this film are mostly centered around the film's (seemingly) lack of a solid plot or exciting actions. To them I'd say you people just didn't get it. As some reviewers have said, this film is all about the subtleties. It's more of a character-driven film than a plot-driven one. In other words, it's more about how you feel about/relate to the characters (dialogs, emotions, relationships, etc) than what you see on screen (the plot, actions, stunning visuals, etc). The thing is you can't just watch the movie, you have to "feel" the movie and its characters as well. And it helps a great deal too if you also know a thing or two about the Japanese culture and life in small town there.

Truth to be told I never really enjoyed all those Miyazaki extravaganzas such as Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle, which of course isn't to say that they are not great. Don't get me wrong, I can see why they are great masterpieces and why people would love them, but personally I just couldn't connect with any of those movies nor can I relate to the characters. I always felt I was merely watching the movie, instead of "experiencing" it. But with "The Ocean Waves/Umi Ga Kikoeru", I felt like I was the main character and his story was my story. For some reason this movie just speaks to me like no other Ghibli movies can. It might be an animated TV movie, but to me it felt more real than most of the live-action TV dramas out there, because everything shown in that movie seems so realistic and familiar and therefore gives you a similar warm and nostalgic feeling that you also get while watching movies like My Neighbor Totoro. I've heard it said that it's the small things in life that make living wonderful (or something like that), and I think this best describes how I feel about "Umi ga Kikoeru".

If you're into big epic/fantasy movies like Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle, chances are you probably won't like this one. At the end it really all comes down to whether you get this film or not. If you get it, you'll love it!

Not much to say here, it was a teenage drama set in 90s Japan, had some nice things but nothing impressive. Watch if you're like me, a Ghibli fan.

At a mere 60 min length, the film achieved much of what it set out to - a simple, contained, yet emotionally-resonant, neatly-paced high school love story. The highlight of this film is its score. Not only is it musically diversed and full of personality, it also plays with the scenes fluidly, in a way that indicates the use of the common technique of "animating over music", which is unique to animation and appreciated by meticulous filmmakers. The theme track is particularly catchy. It captures the quiet, contemplative, and wistful tone of the film very well.

The film has a rather simple story, an almost generic one, such so that the film can feel ambiguous. The focus is, after all, on the ending, the payoff at the latter part of the film. Everything that precedes it is rather bland, and while I don't consider those parts uninteresting, for they do carry meaning in retrospect, I feel like they could have been done better, enriched, made more memorable. The film's limited scope is its biggest enemy. With all the animation talent at its expense, the film could be more impactful, memorable, hard hitting had they decided for something more unique for the bulk of its story.

While I feel like the story substracts from the overall experience, there are still a lot to appreciate. The dynamic between the lead and the female lead is well crafted. I fairly enjoy the characters, and they deliver on the emotional core pretty well, which despite the film's simplicity, still packs quite a punch.

Overall, Ocean Waves is beautiful, quiet and contained, with an exceptional soundtrack and copious emotional impact. However, it is also too quiet, too unambitious, ultimately pointing towards plenty of unrealized potential. As a TV movie, it delivers on all of the fundamentals. For the wistful, nostalgic people out there, this film is for you.

How can I call myself a true Otaku if I do not love the good anime with the bad, right?

Not that Ocean Waves is a bad movie overall. In fact bad does not describe it at all. It was a sweet story about reconnecting with those you care about that you lost contact with, and coming home.

But the animation seem like a waste of time. It was a story that could have easily been told in live action and most likely would have taken less time to produce (but maybe it would cost more, I don't know).

So while it's a nice story, I can't help but to be so disappointed because that animation did nothing for the story and that is what I expect from my anime.

It may be more fair for me to watch the movie again now that the shock of the animation being the bare minimum has taken it's toll. It's a nice romantic slice of life film as it is, but definitely not the anime I like.

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