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Ocean Waves
海がきこえる
1993 72 min Japan PG-13 12+
★7.1
Animation, Drama, Romance
Director: Tomomi Mochizuki
🎭 Based on
«Umi ga kikoeru»
bySaeko Himuro
Trailers
Description
At Kichijōji Station, Tokyo, Taku Morisaki glimpses a familiar woman on the platform opposite boarding a train. Later, her photo falls from a shelf as he exits his apartment before flying to Kōchi Prefecture. Picking it up, he looks at it briefly before leaving. As the aeroplane takes off, he narrates the events that brought her into his life...
US Gross:
$87,738
Starring
Nobuo Tobita
Actor
Yoko Sakamoto
Actor
Toshihiko Seki
Actor
Key opinion
Ocean Waves is widely recognized as a modest, grounded Studio Ghibli production that trades high-concept fantasy for a delicate, nostalgic exploration of teenage life. While some viewers appreciate its subtle, slice-of-life realism and atmosphere, others find the narrative too low-stakes, sluggish, or lacking in emotional depth.
| Score | The musical score effectively employs a diverse range of instrumentation to cultivate a distinctively calm and nostalgic atmosphere. | |
| Emotion | The film excels at depicting the realistic, impulsive, and often irrational behavior typical of high school students. | |
| Production | The animation features a soft, soulful aesthetic and meticulous attention to background details that successfully transport the viewer. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay presents a simple, unidealized look at teenage relationships, though some find the character dynamics shallow or the plot underdeveloped. | |
| Pacing | The brief 72-minute runtime is viewed by some as an efficient, poignant sketch, while others find the pacing stagnant and drawn-out. |