Umi ga Kikoeru

Ocean Waves doesn't rank high among the Ghibli canon, as it doesn't feature Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata as director. Still, I've never seen an outright bad Ghibli film, and this doesn't break that streak. It's a refreshing coming-of-age story set against the picturesque backdrop of a seaside town. Like Takahata's masterful Only Yesterday, Ocean Waves features characters reflecting on their school experiences and the way they shaped them as adults. However, Ocean Waves features college-aged characters reflecting on high school experiences, so everything is much more recent and compact. At the heart of the story, and what hurts it the most, is an ill-defined and somewhat unnecessary love triangle between the protagonist, his best friend, and a beautiful but complicated transfer student. The main reason why Ocean Waves doesn't make much of an impact is that it doesn't develop its core characters sufficiently; Matsuno's entire character in particular, as well as his relationship to the two protagonists, is left woefully undeveloped. Partway through the story, the focus shifts to the growing pains of young adulthood and the confusing pangs of first love, which completely sideline both Matsuno and the initial premise. Protagonists Morisaki and Muto are very believable as high school students, and often crass or emotionally clumsy in ways that feel real. Many people reviewing this film have voiced their dislike for the female lead, not realizing that her unstable and manipulative nature is clearly borne from her family situation. Teenagers act out in sometimes callous or destructive ways, and the juvenile fighting and bickering of Ocean Waves is true to the high school experience. Regardless, it never really feels like we fully get to know any of these characters, perhaps because they're still fresh out of school when the story takes place, so there hasn't been much time for growth. However, like most Ghibli films, it has a heartfelt and somewhat melancholy resolution. Few films zero in on the way that your world, and the people you see every day in high school, can completely change after graduation day. Whatever seemed of vital importance back then is a trifle now, and the people who you once swore eternal allegiance to are now distant, living their own lives in other cities. The film's refreshing rural setting and often stunning seaside backgrounds, along with its nostalgic early-nineties fashion choices, make this an eminently likable movie, if not an extremely memorable one.

Ocean Waves is a boring, atypical Ghibli movie that was forgotten for good reason. It is a teenage drama that doesn't appeal to the core Ghibli family audience. This movie was made by the Ghibli B-Team and does not have as good animation or aesthetic as their other movies. It looks and sounds like an obscure 90s OVA. The drama itself revolves around a teenage girl acting like a teenage girl and doing annoying teenage things. If you're a teenager this might appeal to you. If you're not a teenager you will be annoyed by it. In the end, the romance was alright but very forgettable. You can ignore Ocean Waves unless you're trying to watch every Ghibli movie.

A love story in a high school. Trite? So, but not so. Those who are waiting for gasps and a melodrama are better off passing by. In general, the main character (Taku) does not particularly bother with his love affairs. Firstly, Taku, though a smart, faithful and principled person, is a little slow-witted or, better to say, not particularly fond of changes, including in relationships. Therefore, when his friend (Yutaka) falls in love with the clever and beautiful new girl Rikako, Taku begins to be a little jealous. It seems to him that the metropolitan beauty will take his friend away and ruin such a comfortable friendship. So, a little resigned to the inevitable evil in the form of the kidnapper of the heart of his friend, Taku receives a new blow - Rikako asks him for a loan. And all because the talkative fool in love Yutaka blabbed to the object of his sighs about Taku's earnings. Reluctantly having parted with the hard-earned nth sum of money, the hero suspects that they will never be returned to him. Rikako cheater, having stolen a Taku's friend, now also took his precious savings. What love is there - some frustrations. And now, after a long time of complete ignore on the part of Rikako, she calls from an airport... It is easy to guess that Taku has a long way to go through various troubles, tests of fidelity to his comrade and righteous anger at Rikako, until he understands his feelings. And this, I must say, happens not only to him retroactively - when he comes to a belated understanding and really wants to fix it, but it’s impossible, it's too late. So Taku has already graduated from high school and, a year later, as a student at the University of Tokyo is going to a graduate meeting. It is clear that the clever Rikako has long outlined a “prey” for herself, but will she have the patience and desire to wait until fundamentaly slowpoke Taku understood what's what? A wonderful, light and bright romantic comedy from Tomomi Mochizuki, which does not try to pretend to be something big, but honestly tells the real story of quite real, albeit drawn, people.

Some people like it some people don't. For me, this movie had everything and yet some people say it had nothing. It didn't exaggerate the whole romance between the two main characters yet it put the movie in a perspective like it was a memory. Maybe I was nostalgic by the time I first watched it, at the time and now, it felt complete because there was no real bs or msg to the story. Yes the characters go through a weird climax but it was all realistic they way that they interacted and how the characters felt. I felt very related to the guy and his nonchalant attitude and the way he felt about certain things like friends and romantic relationships. I felt like it was all just a memory from high school and by that I mean the plot goes by way too fast and is very anticlimactic, to me it was my favorite ghibli movie.

I find myself not disliking Ocean Waves, but left with disappointment, I believe this film to be the least interesting film in Studio Ghibli's catalogue. Adapting a run of the mill love triangle story, the film lacked in scenes that wowed me despite the studio's ability to make mundane and small tasks engaging and wonderful, an attribute that has never failed in moving me in any of their other films. No strong impression was made upon me here, although the relationship between Muto and Morisaki was enjoyable enough despite having seen this kind of story before. Ultimately, this film is competently made with good voice acting and pacing, but features a Ghibli aesthetic that doesn't come close to any of their other films in quality, which is to say still pretty good, and a story that is fine but unremarkable.

I went into this movie with low expectations and even those weren't met. Art and Sound: It looks and sounds nice enough and the story isn't flawed but the entire experience is all together very boring. Story: It doesn't satisfy a slice of life viewing or a teenage drama viewing and I'm not entirely sure what Ocean Waves wants to be if not one of those two things. The film picks up a little near the late middle with the promise of some conflict or drama but none of the larger plot points feel like they land anywhere significant. The story does feel realistic enough it just doesn't bring anything new to the table and fails to hold interest. Characters: The characters were very hard to connect with which just made it that much harder to sit through. The film should have made me care more about them and their connections to each other since it is a more quiet character focused story but it failed to deliver especially when it came to the protagonist Taku. Final Verdict: I honestly can't recommend this film to anyone. Skip it, you won't be missing out on anything.

really great and simple,can't understand the hate tho.maybe because it doesn't contain any fantasy It was,certainly not like any of ghibli movies. The story just moves smoothly without any aggrandizment, the art is great. pretty common art style although the soundtrack wasn't that fascinating. bit it certainly was beautiful and nostalgic characters are kinda relatable but somehow too common,nothing too astonshing i surely enjoyed this movie after having a bad day it's just that light hearted that it fixed my mood personally, it was a great movie,and like any other ghibli movie. it t did not dissapoint me at all recommend it

This is a very slow uneventful movie, it shows their high school lives in great detail really well. Like how the students reacted when a school trip was cancelled, or the everyday intereractions and bullying at school. There were certainly interesting events like a sudden trip to Tokyo, and lots of slapping. The start of the movie very little happens. Although the movie picks up the pace when Rikako asks Taku for money, which leads to a series of events. However the characters are not very likeable. The main character Taku, he does some incredibly stupid things that make him unlikeable, Rikako is a more interesting character especially when we learn more about her parents and what life was like for her before going to her current school. Excluding Rikako all the characters seem rather one dimensional, like Taku’s friend who seems to be a nice guy and that’s it, while Taku is both nice and stupid at times. The film also lacks a clear sense of direction, a purpose. The film shows the scenes about Taku and Rikako, and their high school lives, and that's it. Although it does reflect their high school experience reasonably well. It also results in a film that can feel rather too slow at times. The music choice, especially the main theme is odd and doesn't suit the moment. It uses a ringtone like theme which sounds out of place. The animation is very simple and suits the film well. This film reflects the characters’ high school life well, although it's unlikeable characters and barely existent plot makes this a disappointing viewing for a Studio Ghibli film. Constructive feedback is appreciated :)

Whilst Whisper of the Heart and From Up on Poppy Hill are perfectly well made anime focusing on the overblown melodrama of being a teenager riding on hormonal changes, they are both somewhat idealistic. That doesn't mean they are unrealistic, but they are broad in scope and failing to match the simplicity of Ocean Waves which is almost pedestrian in respect. Ocean Waves is nothing special and in many ways won't ever transcend or subvert or go beyond borrowing tropes from its genre conventions. But for those reasons; its unpretentious illustration of a simple love story is what makes it worth watching. There is nothing to it, it begins fairly simply in media res and ends fairly simply. I've been told there's a second part to the book it is adapted from but honestly, what does it matter? There is much melodrama in this as well as stupidity, impulsive decisions and more made by characters that anyone can relate to but its willingness to stick to its core is what makes it watchable over the Ghibli works I've mentioned.

Umi ga Kikoeru is a movie produced by the acclaimed Studio Ghibli based upon the novel of the same name by Saeko Himuro. Instead of being directed by Hayao Miyazaki it was directed by Tomomi Mochizuki as it was developed by the younger staff to make it cheaply and quickly but in good quality. The story takes place in a small sea town called Kochi and features two best friends called Taku Morisaki and Yutaka Matsuno who get caught up in the arrival of the new female transfer student from Tokyo called Rikako Muto, from there friendship is challenged by love. I would say the story flowed really well, it seemed very natural and it wasn't trying to be overly dramatic, it did keep me interested and I found the characters made up for that - Taku Morsaki, the main character, was very likable and interesting as he seemed hardworking, helpful and with a good head of his shoulders when it comes to responsibility. The other two characters such as his best friend Yutaka Matsuno were interesting but I felt there could of been more to be shown from his character, I would say the most interesting of all would be other character Rikako Muto, she seems spoiled and immature but throughout the story you can begin to see the reasons why. I like how each character begins to grow and mature throughout the journey. I would say the animation was very good, it is 90's animation but for that I'm very fond of and the animation is done very well, the colours are gentle and the characters and environments seem very natural. I would say the music was very good, it set the tone for the movie in that it is soft and gentle. The voice acting I found was very good, each matched the character and their personality very well. I would recommend to watch if you like slice of life, drama, and romance. I think if you liked the other Studio Ghibli movies such as Only Yesterday and Whisper of the Heart then this is worth having a go. I did find it very enjoyable and relaxing to watch, it wasn't trying to force anything and it allowed you to draw up your own ideas and conclusion throughout the movie.

This honestly wasn’t a movie that completely won me over. The story felt a bit slow and I never fully connected with the characters the way I hoped I would. Still, even though it didn’t really match my taste, I decided to finish it, and I’m glad I pushed through because I wanted to see how everything would come together in the end. It definitely has that classic older Ghibli atmosphere, which is charming in its own way, but overall it just didn’t leave a strong impact on me. So in the end, I’d give it a 7/10 not terrible, not amazing, just a decent watch.

It’s not a bad movie, it simply has bad characters – and that’s basically the same thing… Story 5/10 The story itself is rather short and uneventful. Unfortunately, what can make a good story (namely characters) can also be the reason to tear it down… In itself I don’t mind the premise of the movie. While I’m not a fan of love-triangles in general, it’s not entirely unrealistic that a person could come between a friendship if both friends fall for him/her. And maybe it could even help their friendship once they overcome it. I also didn’t mind the way the story was told by means of flashbacks. The movie was clearly going for nostalgia feels and with the atmosphere they managed this aspect well. Also it screamed the 90’s (which of course is not hard given it’s a movie from the 90’s) and I really like that aspect of the movie. Because unfortunately, that’s where my positive feedback ends. In the end there wasn’t much to take from this story, it didn’t have a purpose and it was rather superficial (especially for a Studio Ghibli movie). It’s not what made the movie bad for me though that’s on something else… If it would have just been for the story, I’d just consider it bland and average… Characters 1/10 I always thought there would be no bad Studio Ghibli movie… Yet this is the second one I didn’t like. But even with the other one I did not enjoy as much, at least some of the characters were decent or had potential… Not so much with “Ocean Waves” though but let’s start with one who’s a little more harmless… Our male protagonist Taku. To be perfectly honest, he is not the best aspect of the movie but not the worst either. He has some great qualities in the sense that he seems to be hard working and he helps people. There’s also something slightly selfish about it but I do think that out of all the characters he probably has the most potential (if you could call it that). No character development from him either but he also seems to be the one who is (mostly) self-aware. Well, not always but still… There are some minor and major issues I do have with his character… First when he is introduced, working part-time and then suddenly leaves his workplace earlier because he got a call from his friend (not even for an emergency but something trivial)… and then not just having this kind of lousy attitude but also after learning why his friend called him, not even mentioning that and asking… Like if it would have been an emergency maybe that’s not so bad but come on! I’m the last person on earth who wouldn’t want to leave work early but this kind of irresponsibility as minor as it seems… I don’t know it’s just not a good quality. They tried to play it off as “You can’t trust kids these days” but there surely are kids who wouldn’t do that unless it’s a real emergency (you could say maybe he is a loyal friend but I don’t even think that’s the case, considering where this movie goes). Two major issues with Taku’s character are something else though. I do feel like it’s not good for a friendship to fall for the same person your friend loves (not to mention there is basically no good reason that happens) and you might think it’s something beyond a person’s control… which is true… But it reminded me of one of my favorite Korean movies where two friends (girls) also fall for the same guy (but it’s kind of a misunderstanding) but the way it’s handled later on even after the feelings were developed, is much, much better while here it’s never communicated properly. And even when Taku and Yutaka finally talk it out (later on and not even properly) it doesn’t seem genuine. While you could think maybe Taku did all these things for Rikako because he is just a nice guy, I don’t think that’s the case either. Which leads me to the biggest issue I have with his character… Because in the beginning he even states how when he first met Rikako he thought she would never see Yutaka’s true potential/ what great person he really is because she was probably superficial (which ironically exactly came true) but then he proceeds to fall for her… For NO REASON! Based on what? On her looks. Because nobody in this world could tell me it’s for her personality. So basically this movie is trying to tell us it’s not about looks when it’s exactly all it’s about in this particular story. And that’s probably what bothers me the most here. There’s one word to describe Rikako’s character and it’s: insufferable. She does not possess one redeeming quality and there is no reason for me or anyone else to think that these guys fell for something else than her looks which is portrayed as extraordinarily pretty. If she wouldn’t have looked like this they wouldn’t have fallen for her… Of course in the beginning her personality was not obvious. It did bother me when everyone started to say “Oh, she is so different”… Yeah. Typical “She is not like other girls” but in a very, very bad way (not that the other female characters were likable but I’ll get to that eventually). Rikako is incredibly selfish, self-centered, manipulative, everything revolves around her and there is just so much I could add. I really, really tried to look for some good or redeeming qualities in her or even waited for some sort of character development but it never came. And if she did change until the day of the reunion (because for the audience it was hard to tell) there was no chance we would know by just the simple statement of one supporting character saying they met and both had realized how small their worlds had been at that time. Yet both characters are put on the same level when they never were. The movie tried to excuse Rikako’s behavior and attitude with her difficult family situation but as hard as it is to have a torn family, it’s not an excuse to be a spoiled brat and exploit people as she did. There was not a single reason or scene that indicated how and when Taku or even Yutaka could have fallen for her and I just don’t get it… Everything she did and said just made me dislike her even more. If that was the goal of the movie then we have another masterpiece. But I have the feeling that’s not the case… When she rejected Yutaka it was because of his dialect. Sure! If that’s not superficial, I don’t know… As for the female supporting characters they were not exactly great either but I never felt Akiko was hostile or hated Rikako from the very beginning up until she said it herself during the reunion. To me it seemed more like she tried on several occasions to speak to Rikako and help her so she could include herself more in the class and adapt more easily. Even when she and the other girls confronted her during the school festival for her lack of involvement I didn’t feel they were in the wrong. It wasn’t even like they were bullying her or saying mean stuff. All they did was telling the truth. It might not have been the best approach to tell her off like this but they were honestly not in the wrong for doing so. Of course there might have been girls talking behind her back because Rikako was a good student and because she’s pretty and they might have been jealous. But you can’t tell me that all of them had bad intentions or didn’t try to include her. But of course just because Akiko said so she’s suddenly put on the same level despite the movie showing us something entirely different. And then there’s Yumi… who might have been a pushover but she was another of Rikako’s victims, yet it was as if they wanted to show us “She has one friend, so she can’t be that bad” but still everything Rikako did to her was selfish as well. It’s been long since there was a female character I disliked as much as Rikako… Much less in any Ghibli movie I watched so far. Animation/Music 8/10 Compared to other Studio Ghibli movies, it also lacked a little in that area but these were still the aspects that kept me going (that and my hope for the FMC to redeem herself somehow or to realize she has to change). And I kind of liked the art…

Umi ga Kikoeru is not your typical Ghibli film. The premise is very straightforward and its characters might rub you the wrong way. I believe this is what threw a lot of people off. But not enough people realize and appreciate the simplicity of this movie. Compared to romance you see in anime nowadays, we aren't being forced down our throat what each character is feeling at every twist and turn. There aren't any crazy explosions and bgm that cue when the moment is just right. That is this film's charm. It perfectly captures the awkwardness of being an adolescent in love.

It is about the school, love and drama life of a group of young people living on the beach in Japan. I liked the anime. I read the comments about this anime. Many have disparaged the anime. He said, "It was a waste of time, it was pointless, the last was missing". But seriously, it wasn't a bad anime as they say. Judging by the script, the story goes straight. It does not contain any fantasy. Such a lot of action, events do not develop. True, it's a bit like a soap opera and the ending seemed incomplete. But the mood and nostalgic feelings of the anime were so good that I want to watch it again. It feels like I was in Japan in those years. The illustrations and animations are really good. The characters typically appear Ghibli, but the design is quite different. It doesn't reuse the same main characters as many Ghibli movies do. Not only visually, but also the personalities of the characters are really different. Each character has their own unique characteristics. I was not bored while watching it. It's true that things developed a bit slowly, but it was gripping. So I watched it without getting bored and glossing over it. Is it worth watching? Of course yes. Worth watching just for the nostalgic feel it gives.

Boring. I want my time back. High school drama with romance seems like a shit-show combination for me, got to know more about myself. I used to think I would never rate things below 5/10 but damn, good to know that there's these types of films and those who like them. It has many flaws, and I personally think it isn't even worth writing a review for. I don't remember seeing any ocean waves in the movie, I just watched it. So the title seems totally random. Female lead likes male lead for no apparent reason, and rejects a fairly decent guy by making some stupid excuse about not liking his dialect and runs off. I can kind of understand it, not liking other dialects (in my mother tongue) but he sounded fine to me even though I don't know japanese, It may be an accurate representation of events that could've happened but there is nothing like-able about it for it to warrant a movie, a studio Ghibli film no less. Saw 15 Ghibli films so far and none of them disappointed me even for a single second of their combined runtime. This movie was a failed side project, no more. It was purposeless, had nothing important going on, no stakes, if the female lead or male lead or some side character dropped dead at the end I would've probably liked it more because it adds something to the story. (say for e.g. something tragic like banana fish, loved it, I cried at the end but it is to be expected) Overall I can only give 4/10 for the animators' effort and me not wanting to be a 1 star reviewer. The movie wasn't even average, so I can't force myself to give it a 5/10 either. I'm sorry for myself for having to give a studio ghibli film a bad review. Still have a few more movies from ghibli to watch, I can only hope no other film of theirs is as boring and plain as this.

A great example to teach all young people how exhausting, worthless, selfish and sickly some people are. It's a life lesson movie that fits perfectly with my own experiences. The reason why I gave 9 - in my current range - is that there is no other anime movie that gives such a good and concise lesson. ***"THE SPOILER AREA I THINK YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND WITHOUT READING THE ABOVE OR OVERTHINK: I don't approve of the ending of the movie. DEFINITELY. Leave such people in their spiritual wells in which they drown themselves. Otherwise, you will find yourself all alone in that well. Because that person has already stepped on you and left."*** Let your manners not to come to those people. Yes, don't be immoral, merciless; don't compromise yourself, but DON'T BE STUPID. In summary, it's just not worth your effort for some.

This movie was absolute garbage in my opinion, in comparison to all the other Ghibli movies/productions that I have watched this is no where near as good from the characters to the overall plot, As you can read in discussions and other peoples reviews yes there was some initial potential from the friendship bond created between the main character and his bestfriend however that got thrown out quickly because they both fell in love with the fl. I however did not finish this I was probably 40-50min in and I had to stop watching it bc of how angry I was with the ml and fl all the fl would do was complain make fun of the ml and ask for things and in response to all that the ml would just suck it all up and continue to pamper her as "he had fallen for her" yes there was some things that I enjoyed from the movie whenever that was that it was a more of a down to earth romance with no magic and more of a slice of life type of deal, I also enjoyed the fact that there was no essential trauma coming from the characters backstories which to begin with its no like they had a lot. In conclusion the ups of this movie don't make up for even half of the downs, making this one of the only studio Ghibli movies which I would not recommend to anyone unless they wanted to sit there for 70min straight and cringe over the movie

This movie was released in 1993 and the quality looks fine for the time it was released other thing i have to mention is the almost perfect slice of life animation in the movie i really enjoy the movie because of the slice of life moments the characters are kinda bad but idc because the plot is good the sound track is fire and enjoyment is perfect for me overall it is one of my favourite animated movies for the age i think its a master piece i saw these a few times for check if it was really good but i always get the same answer this is a good film

Unlike Studio Ghibli's pieces like the critically acclaimed Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle, Ocean Waves is definitely a hidden gem within legends. Ocean Waves is not conventionally imaginative, it more so a simple story about the journey of a boy falling in love with a girl from Tokyo. There's no extreme conflict or anything out of the ordinary that pops out in the movie; it is the definition of the slice of life genre. However, despite what Studio Ghibli is known for, it has found the perfect balance between plot, characters, and music that makes an impact on their audience. This is impact is simple none the less, and that's what's makes it so memorable. It is natural and essentially, it is the most tangible and realistic movie we have where we can experience what's it like to be part of the amazing world of Studio Ghibli. Doing small research, Ocean Waves is the only movie that does not have an English Dub. I think it was a good decision to not push for a dub because other Ghibli films take place in the world of fantasy, so regardless of the language, it will still relate the same meaning to all. As for Ocean Waves, leaving it to the original is the best move because it adds to the realistic component that the movie portrays. Overall, Ocean Waves is definitely a piece that leaves a hint of nostalgia regardless of one's age. Given that the plot is a man reflecting on his life back in time, it is the music components and especially the art style that help enhance our feelings of nostalgia. The watercolor-like art style is consistent with the Ghibli, but it is the soft color components that Ghibli doesn't usually use that bring out our feelings of longing, jealousy of the past, and wanting to go back to those moments of youth. Recently, many hype Ocean Waves up now for the aesthetics, but honestly, I personally feel like it should be acclaimed for more than simply that, but rather it is the movie helps us go back to where we were most happy.

I didn’t think I would dislike a ghibli film but this one proved me wrong. It lacked the soul of ghibli elements where it makes your heart flutter and you get a sense of love for life after watching. This one made me want to stop watching halfway because Rikako was such an unnerving character that no amount of art aesthetic or how beautifully she was drawn could make up for how shallow her character is. I decided to finish it though for hopes that the characters will make an impact at the end of the story - they didn’t. The love they shared was not there at all, you can’t feel it. There was no chemistry between the characters nor does it make you root for them.I have no idea what this movie is trying to represent, to portray or what story it wants to tell as the elements are all over the place. I did not feel anything for the characters at all. That said, if you’re only here for the ghibli film nostalgia, feel free to watch. But if you’re here for the story, this one is not it.