Ocean Waves (1993)
Director: Tomomi Mochizuki
Stars: Nobuo Tobita, Toshihiko Seki, Yoko Sakamoto Runtime: 76 minutes
Synopsis: As a young man returns home after his first year away at college he recalls his senior year of high school and the iron-willed, big city girl that turned his world upside down.
Animation: 8/10
Animation: 8/10
Screenplay: 6/10
Editing: 7/10
Score/Soundtrack: 7/10
Editing: 7/10
Score/Soundtrack: 7/10
Verdict: Even when they're not great, there's always something about Studio Ghibli's projects that make them moving to watch.
"Ocean Waves" has a bit of a messy structure, and the synopsis, at its core, doesn't really tell a story we haven't seen a million times already. Also known as "I Can Hear the Sea", the animated film focuses on a love triangle between three high school students, brought together by a school trip to Hawaii. It's a heartwarming tale of love, friendship, and, in a way, repressed sexuality that despite being a little chaotic, still prides itself in developing three (or at least two) very interesting characters. Even when they act recklessly, you can't help but care about them and the bond they share. They're teenagers, unsure of how to deal with their emotions, and relating to their story felt so incredibly natural. This is most probably due to the admirable decision by Ghibli to hand over the TV movie based on a novel of the same name to their younger staff, mostly consisting of people who were in their 20s or 30s.
"Ocean Waves" may not be Ghibli's best film, but the standards are too high anyway. That doesn't mean that it's not worth checking out because it absolutely is, especially considering the fact that it's only 76 minutes long. It's a movie very much driven by its three-dimensional (ironic, huh?) characters and one that perfectly fits the description of being a TV movie produced by the legendary Japanese studio.
"Ocean Waves" has a bit of a messy structure, and the synopsis, at its core, doesn't really tell a story we haven't seen a million times already. Also known as "I Can Hear the Sea", the animated film focuses on a love triangle between three high school students, brought together by a school trip to Hawaii. It's a heartwarming tale of love, friendship, and, in a way, repressed sexuality that despite being a little chaotic, still prides itself in developing three (or at least two) very interesting characters. Even when they act recklessly, you can't help but care about them and the bond they share. They're teenagers, unsure of how to deal with their emotions, and relating to their story felt so incredibly natural. This is most probably due to the admirable decision by Ghibli to hand over the TV movie based on a novel of the same name to their younger staff, mostly consisting of people who were in their 20s or 30s.
"Ocean Waves" may not be Ghibli's best film, but the standards are too high anyway. That doesn't mean that it's not worth checking out because it absolutely is, especially considering the fact that it's only 76 minutes long. It's a movie very much driven by its three-dimensional (ironic, huh?) characters and one that perfectly fits the description of being a TV movie produced by the legendary Japanese studio.
FINAL GRADE: 7/10
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