Ocean Waves
(Umi ga Kikoeru, I Can Hear the Waves)

(TV Movie 1993 - Studio Ghibli)

3 reviews - 13.5 total score (Explanation of the rating system)
avg. score: (4.5)

3. Marshal of Manga

As is typical of today's youth (particularly males), the first thing the characters in Ocean Waves notice about someone else is whether they are good-looking or not.

In typical anime style, the female lead is a beautiful transfer student, whose looks and stubborn independence has the power to stir people's loathsome feelings as well as split apart strong friendships.

The three main characters function in a triangular relationship: two best friends and a girl, one friend likes the girl, the other friend wants to help him, and the girl wants to utilize both, while not necessarily reciprocating anyone's affections or concerns. Ocean Waves is a very realistic depiction of everyday events, and by realistic, I don't mean merely being believable, but that the story is very ordinary. The average love story in a typical Japanese high school may well be spicier than this.

The plot gets a three at most, but remembering that anime relies on moving pictures, and the fact that the music is very nice, garners it a four. Studio Ghibli undertakes boring projects at times, and Ocean Waves is one of them, but as is constant with their style, even the ordinary is handled with a mature and discerning mind.

Verdict: The subject matter is flooded by realism, but it is executed with a verve that makes it twinkle with something special.

2. Dreamer

Muto Rikako, who Morisaki met during his 11th grade, is not your average cute schoolgirl. She is a little aggressive, narrow minded and, to an extent, an advantage taker. The movie centers around the memories of Morisaki in meeting her and all the troubles he went in, like being trapped in her own family's problems and his best friend's crush on her. Again, Studio Ghibli has successfully, provided an entertaining and and informative show about the youths' school life in Japan. The movie is really nice, yes, but I personally felt that it leaves something else to be desired. Perhaps more details or more development on Muto's character or perchance something other than that, but something need to be stretched. I Can Hear the Waves is the most common name among fans, including me (Oceans Waves being the official English name). Anyway, this one was a warm and cozy show to watch, not completely WAFF but more like melodrama.

1. Hybrid

Ocean Waves is based on a novel with the same title by Saeko Himuro. The story of Ocean Waves is about Taku Morisaki, a college student who on a flight back from his school reunion, recalls the events of his junior high school days. Ocean Waves, is a very realistic look at relationships and how they can be forever changed by one single act. The animation of the movie was very detailed and bright. An example of this in the movie is when Matsumo is driving Taku in his car near the end of this movie. The music of the movie was excellent, as it sets the atmosphere of the movie. Most of BGM themes in the movie are mainly composed of a combination of soft and gentle flute and piano playing themes. As this movie focus on relationships, this movie does give you a more realistic view and insight on how people view relationships. An interesting thing to note about this movie is that, even though that this movie was rather short (72 minutes long), their was enough time to develop the characters and give a good comprehensive conclusion. In conclusion, if you are looking for a realistic movie about life and relationships, then this is a movie for you. Highly Recommended.