BlazeLime Strong and Moving!

AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

ThrillMessage There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

MartinHafer I've made a deliberate effort to see as much as I can from Japan's Studio Ghibli, makers of such wonderful films as "My Neighbor Totoro", "Spirited Away" and "The Wind Rises". I always have enjoyed their animated films...though "Ocean Waves" (also known as "I Can Hear the Ocean") is a first...a film I didn't particularly enjoy. The animation is nice...but the story left me completely flat.The story is told from the viewpoint of Taku, a high school boy who becomes infatuated with a girl who has just transferred to his small town school from Tokyo. As the film progresses, however, you wonder WHY does he like this girl so much. Often, she is self-absorbed, snobbish and kind of a jerk. As a result, the film is much more teen angsty than other Ghibli films and this is the main problem for me. The worries that the main characters had all seemed trivial and unimportant...and the characters didn't seem particularly likable as a result. And, at the end, when there was a nostalgic quality to the film you were left wondering why...why look back at this period when any sort of fondness? Overall, very nice animation...and a story that would probably appeal to man teens but which left me bored and a bit confused.

subxerogravity 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.http://cinemagardens.com

Leofwine_draca OCEAN WAVES is one of the lesser films from the Studio Ghibli studio, thanks in part to a more simple and straightforward story set in the contemporary world and the lack of a director of Hayao Miyazaki's calibre. The most popular Ghibli movies tend to be the brash and moving fantasy epics about saving the environment and quirky creatures and the like, whereas OCEAN WAVES is all about high school life and romance.In many ways it's a simple two hander charting the relationship between an awkward high school student and the hot-headed girl he loves. There's plenty of arguing along the way, but the film's narration gives this a wonderfully nostalgic and wishful feel as a young man looks back over the mistakes and events of his earlier life. This gives the movie an edge and prevents it from being just a romance, a genre I generally avoid at all costs. The voice actors are very good although the quality of the animation is more basic than usual for a Ghibli movie. A slighter piece, then, but still a worthwhile one.

letrayas 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.