Studio Ghibli has become one of Japan’s most famous animation studios since its inception in 1985. Founders Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki have become well-known for films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away.
However, some of the studio’s films aren’t as well known. One incredible tale that flew under the radar is the 1993 film, Ocean Waves.
Ocean Waves’ Release and Reception
Ocean Waves is based on Saeko Himuro’s novel I Can Hear the Sea. The film was released in 1993 in Japan as a project by some of Studio Ghibli’s younger staff. Despite the intention to create a lower-budget animated film, the project went over budget, and took longer to produce than originally intended. Unlike many of the studio’s films, Ocean Waves premiered on Nippon TV and never received an official Japanese theatrical release. It wasn’t until six years after its release that the film was available on VHS. A DVD version was created later in 2003. The film eventually made its way overseas and had a theatrical release in the UK in 2010. However, it took until 2016 for the United States to finally premiere the Studio Ghibli film.
Although it took many years for the film to release overseas and in theaters, Ocean Waves received high praise. Even without any of the three creators of the studio on the team, the film still managed to score an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. What makes this film so different from other Studio Ghibli productions — but worth the watch — is its mature themes and content. Ocean Waves follows the life of Taku Morisaki, a high school student whose life is turned upside down after Rikaku Muto, a girl from Tokyo, transfers to his school. While Rikaku is intelligent, athletic and beautiful, she becomes the main topic of gossip because of her arrogance. All that Taku can blame Rikaku’s attitude on is the fact that she moved from Tokyo to Kochi, a small prefecture on one of Japan’s islands. Taku is pulled along for the ride as Rikaku tries to return to the girl she was before moving to Kochi.
Discovering the Past
Ocean Waves explores how reflecting on the past can help with understanding current feelings. While the majority of the film revolves around Taku’s high school life, the story is a recollection of the past to his current self, who is a university student in Tokyo. Taku’s nostalgic feelings course through the story as he recalls moments when he made mistakes, feeling vulnerable, and when his anger interfered with realizations. Although he longs for the past, he notices that not every moment was perfect. He longs for those moments when he felt something for Rikaku and when he enjoyed time with his best friend, Yutaka Matsuno. However, in between those moments, he struggled to understand Rikaku, and had a falling out with Yutaka. Taku’s reflection on the past allows him the chance to reestablish his bond with Yutaka and to recognize what it was he truly felt for the new girl in school.
While Ocean Waves may not carry the same fantastical storytelling that some of the studio’s most popular films have, it is still worth the watch. The movie creates an understanding of the beauty of one’s past and how to recognize the good and the bad while longing for that time again. The chance for the younger staff to create a film of their own was an excellent decision on Studio Ghibli’s part and made an unforgettable animated story in the process.
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