This 1993 Studio Ghibli movie is a dramatic tale of a love triangle and a unknown example of the Ghibli magic
Ocean Waves is a fascinating part of Ghibli history, the movie was meant to show that their younger staff could make films fast and reasonably cheap, but the film went over budget and schedule. Animated and directed by Tomomi Mochizuki and all though he is not a Miyazaki it is a beautiful film to look at nevertheless.
So we have Taku and Yutaka, two friends on the small island of Kochi who both develop a crush on the new girl from Tokyo by the name of Rikako. The story of life in a small rural town in Japan is both moving and every character feels fleshed out and personalized so you end up liking every single character.
Ghibli delivers on the charm factor, and Ocean Waves is no exception there. It is nicely drawn, beautifully colored and filled with humour. They take a simple story by Saeko Himuro and makes it a super charming. A lot of that is due to the music by Shigeru Nagata.
Ocean Waves has an astonishing soundtrack and the film would not function without it. During the most dramatic parts the music serves as part of the narrative and it sets the dramatic tone of this love triangle.
Ocean WAves is an adorable 72 minute long film that proves that Ghibli has other talents than Miyazaki and Takahata, and even though it is not a Ghibli Masterpiece, it is never dull and manages to bring a lot of charm
Score: 6/10
Cinematophile 