Even once he realizes he likes Rikako, he doesn’t pursue her or even tell her as much for fear of hurting his closest friend. You can really hear in Nobuo Tobita’s voice that Taku is holding back much of the time. This is the only Studio Ghibli movie that doesn’t have an English dub, and the Japanese cast is tremendous. One aspect of Ocean Waves that truly impressed me was the voice acting. The cuts in this film don’t stand out, which is usually the case I find. The editing in Ocean Waves is fairly standard, neither great nor bad. For the most part, the score is just as simple as the story itself, but it’s pleasant and fits well with what we see on screen. Ocean Waves’ original music was composed by Shigeru Nagata, and it’s beautiful. Ocean Waves isn’t the most visually striking film Ghibli has put out, but – in my experience, at least – it was rare for a TV movie to look this good before the rise of streaming services. The animation is clean and fluid, and there are some pleasant details in the character animation, not to mention what Ghibli has always excelled at: landscapes and the beauty of nature. Ocean Waves looks nearly as good as, if not just as impressive as, your standard, theater-bound Studio Ghibli release. I also find Taku’s high school life less frustrating to witness than Taeko’s childhood, although Rikako and anything involving her truly grated on my nerves. It’s not without precedent, and I don’t inherently hate the idea, but I haven’t seen many good examples of late. In fairness, split timelines can be utilized well in films. Conversely, Ocean Waves picks one of the time periods and commits to it. I found the flashback sequences frustrating in Only Yesterday and wanted to see more of Taeko’s modern-day life and relationship with Toshio. Taku’s high school misadventures comprise the main story, and while this was likely due to time constraints more than anything, I think it works well. There aren’t many scenes set in the present, and they’re all concentrated at the end. The format Ocean Waves takes on with its frame story reminds me of Only Yesterday, although I prefer it here for a couple of reasons. As he returns to his hometown of Kochi for his high school reunion, he reminisces on the big school trip to Hawaii, his best friend Yutaka Matsuno, and Rikako Muto, the girl who changed his life and tore the two friends apart. Ocean Waves follows a young Japanese man named Taku Morisaki. Is Ocean Waves a forgotten masterpiece, or is it better left in obscurity? Let’s dive in. Ocean Waves was also the first Studio Ghibli film ever released directly to television and remained the only one until Earwig and the Witch earlier this year. Ocean Waves is also notable for having several English titles, including the title of its source material, and for being the shortest Studio Ghibli film yet at 72 minutes. This film served as a sort of experiment for the studio’s younger animators and director, with the production motto being “quickly, cheaply, and with quality.” The film is based on I Can Hear The Sea, a novel by Saeko Himuro, a prolific Japanese novelist, essayist, and playwright. Released as a TV movie in 1993, Ocean Waves was directed by Tomomi Mochizukim, marking the first Ghibli film not directed by Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata, as well as Mochizukim’s only movie with the studio. Ocean Waves is the rare Studio Ghibli movie that I’ve not only never seen but never heard of before.
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