I feel differently, I feel like the movie was talking about how the young use their youth to grow into themselves, and it felt nostalgic for me. It's easy to see the past as wasteful but at the same time in light of our continuous and ever changing selves looking back with laughter and fondness is truly the better way of reflecting on the past. After spending so long thinking critically of yesterdays gone by it's nice to be compassionate and understanding instead.
Elijah Kim I found this to be a compelling argument. My main reason why I believe that Ocean Waves is a thesis on the saying “youth is wasted on the young” is because I personally found it to be a interesting take on the subject of looking at the past. Not necessarily crushing the it under cynicism, nor painting it with rosy hues. More a delicate balance. But my original post wasn’t very clear on where I stood on the argument, so I see why it was read negatively.
It's weird: my relationship with Ghibli films has been the exact opposite. When I was a kid, Ocean Waves was the film that blew my mind. That tender emphasis on everyday human interactions, that ability to portray the most mundane conflicts, scenes and moments of vulnerability with so much beauty... it touched the heart of the lonely and alienated 10-year-old me, and defined my relationship with cinema thereafter. In turn, the Miyazaki films were the ones that I didn't understand. Those adventurous worlds filled with magic and opportunities felt so distant from my personal experience of reality that I was never able to emotionally connect with them. It's only recently, as an adult, that I've come to appreciate and relate to the main characters of Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service and the others. But it still requires a lot of effort on my part to kind of translate those fantastic narratives and convoluted images into more real messages that I can apply to my own life. Nevertheless, films like Ocean Waves, Only Yesterday and Whisper's of the Heart remain my favorite among all Ghibli films.
This is such an interesting take. I definitely feel the childhood wonder of Miyazaki's works speak more to me now as an adult though, you're absolutely right there. Especially Kiki - such an adult movie about incredibly sad themes wrapped up in an innocent kid's film!
@@GalaxiaTokyo »strange. You feel like a woman. Nothing wrong but strage. The point is that boys need much more time to grow up then girls (emotionally), and this is why they do not understand this kind of movies so early. I know by myself - I am man. Girl in 15 is emotionally stable similar to +-30 old man. We, man, need sun and rain to understand what is important between peoples, what is *not* pleasant process, but women simply feel it intuitively.
Yeah, I love all Ghibli films, but the quieter ones are the ones that always spoke more to me. And they're the main reason why I love the studio so much. They can make stories that could've easily been made in live-action, and somehow manage to infuse those stories with more humanity precisely because it is animation. I also feel the exactly the same about Kyoto Animation. And believe their best stories are also the most mundane they have made.
As I got older, I also started loving the quieter, slower-paced Ghibli films. I still love the epic tales that Miyazaki directs, but Whisper of the Heart is probably my favorite of the studio's portfolio. From Up on Poppy Hill is also well done. Thanks for the recommendation on this one, though. I'd somehow never heard of Ocean Waves... hopefully Netflix blesses us with the Ghibli Library soon.
I always get sad when I remember that Whisper of the Heart's director only ever got to direct that film, and then passed away. I wonder where he could've taken Ghibli if he didn't leave this world so early. That is also my favorite movie of the studio :')
As someone who grow up with issues and fears surrounding aging, as well as the passage of time, this was film really resonated with me in a different way than other Ghibli films. I remember finding it on a fan dub and watching it during a late night existential crisis in my teens. It helped. Thank you for covering this film!
The director of Ocean Waves was hospitalised during it's production with a duodenal ulcer, the anime fell behind schedule and was brutal on the team (good vid Joe)
Update since this video is back not only was he hospitalised the mad man was directing an OVA at the same time as directing this!!!! Another reason he was hospitized, he thought directing a Ghibli movie was too good to not do, despite prior responsibilities
my heart stopped for a moment when i saw this notification. ocean waves is actually one of if not the first ghibli film i've ever watched more than a decade ago. i was obsessed with it from the start. my parents could not fathom it as it was apparently 'boring'. but for me, it was the reason why slice of life is, to this day, my favourite genre. it has a simple story that anyone could follow yet many find it unappealing due to it being, again, 'boring'. (long paragraph down below) (rambling; proceed with caution) i've watched this film countless times throughout my life and every time i do, i find something new to appreciate about it as i grow up. as a kid of course the first thing i thought was 'taku is handsome' and 'high school looks fun'. then when i was in high school it was 'yeah, they got the overblown drama' and 'social turmoil' parts down pat. now, i'm in university and it reflects exactly the nostalgia i feel whenever i get together with old friends and we look back on those immature, blissful days. when i found out that it was mostly the younger animators who worked on it until the budget ran dry, it made so much sense. their portrayal of youth and its challenges in this modern age is something that i think not even miyazaki would've been able to manage so poignantly, if i may be so daring. there is so much to love about this film from the music (which perfectly punctuates the awkward, funny and endearing moments. the trumpets that play during the sunset scene at the end... i think about that a lot) to the animation (the final scene of the movie and that almost 360 pan around the station). gosh, this is such an important movie to me and i really hope that people can appreciate it more now with the netflix release. right now, i'm the only person i know (in real life) who knows of this film's existence. there is so much more i could say about this film but this is getting a little long. thank you for this, really!!! you always manage to put my feelings about animation into words! keep up the amazing work
I feel the same way. I was already in high school when I first watched it in 1995. It resonated with my life at the time, and it became my favorite Ghibli movie.
i dont think her (Saeko Himuro ) any work (jp/ eng) is available on internet at all. i just finished watching this movie and literally turn the google upside down but couldn't found anything! (besides some japanese illustration books on ebay) btw, there's a sequel of this light novel, "I Can Hear the Sea II: Because There Is Love" www.nausicaa.net/wiki/Ocean_Waves_II_(book)
Lol your comment on the trumpets at the sunset scene reminds me of this video: th-cam.com/video/VbFnvTiHLw8/w-d-xo.html. Great essay though -- it was interesting to see how your thoughts changed over the years!
This was actually the first film I put on when Netflix got ghibli. I hadn't really considered it at all as a younger person, but a team made by newer animators in the 90's appealed to me a lot more as an adult. i enjoyed it a lot.
As soon as the library dropped on Netflix it was the first thing I hit up too! It was always a pain to get this one legit over here and I'd been planning a rewatch for years but putting it off, so when it was announced it would be in that first wave of releases I promised myself that the time had come! Glad you dug it too :)
@@tiropat393 yess i was just going to link this videoo, i really hope this theory becomes canon because honestly, it works so much better than the original movie. don't get me wrong i love ocean waves, just think that i could love it 132309480204x more if they gave me an ending like eliquorice describes.
I thought the protagonist was in love with his friend but remembered it was a pretty old japanese movie so threw the idea out of the window. But like yeah, In my opinion it would've been better if they made it like that.
I know that feel, i'm still upset that Satoshi Kon passed away to cancer, I love his films and was early awaiting his next. Whenever I watch Millennium Actress or even listen to the OST, I will often end up crying.
is it Qinni? it was so devastating to hear her passing, she managed to stay so cheerful it seemed impossible it would end like this. may she suffer no more and rest in peace
@@miracle2487 I followed her art for a while as well and it really saddens me to look back into her artwork. She really put her soul into her paintings. it happened so quickly :(
I read your comment and instantly thought It could be her. So i checked her Instagram, i found nothing so relived I came back to this comment. I am in tears.
One of my favourite ghibli films. It's a very honest movie about regret that I happened to catch at just the right point in my life to really appreciate it. Criminally overlooked.
Ok but just the fact that the movie is just about people doing things like they normally would, I love that. It’s not like a big dramatic film, just a small, quiet, calm film. It’s so mundane and beautiful to me, I love it.
I will always have a big place in my heart for the whimsical, fantastic side of Studio Ghibli. Especially Kiki's... . But it was "Whisper of the Heart" with its dear sweet real world story of young dreams and young hearts and the moments of fantasy they aspire to, that got me looking at these other more grounded offerings from Ghibli. It's been interesting how age has seen me gravitate to rewatches of this film, "Ocean Waves", as well as "Only Yesterday" more and more. Initially I feel I watched them to lament the years that have passed, but over time I thankfully discovered they'd more importantly helped me reconcile where I am today. "Ocean Waves" even helped me pack up my hurt feelings about my high school years in order to brave my first reunion two summers ago. I think it was these films in the Ghibli catalogue that also started me looking at more and more slice of life anime, and that helped me discover some of my favourite anime work of all time. Thank you for sharing your perspective on this film, as it's certain to inspire others to give it a chance and enjoy the view.
I just LOOOVE how Japanese stories like this one, and even fantasy adventures, can capture the "ordinary" aspects of humanity SO WELL and write stories exploring them! I want to be able to do that...
'As a teenager I wrote it off as the 'one bad anime', but now - nearly twenty years later - I've rediscovered it as a new favourite.' I did that to Cowboy Bepop.
I love Ocean Waves it is a favorite movie of all time. To be honest, though, I do think it was rushed. When I watched it there was more spark, more chemistry, and more story between Taku (MC) and his best friend. It was hard to picture a romantic relationship between the girl and Taku just because the only moment with a spark was when she cried on his shoulders. The girl needed more character development and more of a story, it was implied that she came from a rough past, however, we didn't get to see any of that. Having such little chemistry between the MC and the girl leaves us to observe closely at the relationship between Taku and his friend. I do think this could've been different just with more time, or maybe this did have the intention to spark a flame between Taku and his friend. Overall it was an amazing movie and watching made me feel a sense of love and relaxation.
I too had reservation after first seeing Ocean Wave for the first Time. and like you found myself asking "what' had I just watched? were was the normal Studio Ghibli story? but then It dawned on me that this was a Slice-of-Life with people looking back at there lives. The one phrase that came to mind at the time was that "Youth is truly wasted on the Young". it was then I began to understand and reviewed the movie again, this time reserving any preconceived notion of what was to come. And like you came away with a satisfaction and love of the work done in the making of Ocean Waves. Thank you for this nostalgic look back.. ~_^
this film came before it's time. criminally underrated and overlooked. the stortytelling, the subtle aesthetics, the cinematic grammars in this film are what you would expect from great indie films nowadays. such as those from A24.
Was i the only one who saw the Taku and Rikako build up.....? Anyway, I just watched this movie yesterday and as adult myself, I really loved it. I loved how you described the film as how a group of animators got together to share what youth is and how beautiful it is while you're still in it.
I saw this movie back college when it was new, maybe 1993. I had no idea what I was in for, this was just part of the line up of the Anime Club at Ohio State and it was the last movie of the evening starting at 10pm (so we went home very late). I liked it a lot, maybe because I was the same age as the "present time" main character. But if Americans and non-Asian viewers had trouble connecting with it, I would venture to say that it might be due to cultural differences. As a young Asian male and more importantly, as a very shy, socially awkward, selfish in many ways and totally ignorant on how to interact with the opposite sex, I totally connected with the main (male) character. I course I would never dare to hit a girl/woman, but that movie was not about that scene alone. The movie was about how two people from the opposite sex can go through situations dealing with friends, family, etc and yet not explore the idea of liking each other and/or not contemplating the real reason why each one would be in exactly that situation with exactly that person in the first place. Something like: "From all the people we know, why are we here and/or why are we having this conversation, and/or why do we get to know things about each other that very few people know, if we are nothing but regular friends?" The default state of young Asian males of operating permanently in the friend zone is what this movie is about. And it take maturity and insight from the main male character to figure things out. Western and/or American males who are straight shooters and friendly and social and confident and used to express interest to members of the opposite sex might not understand the lack of communication between the two main characters and the reason why they keep interacting with each other. This movie, like Chow Yun Fat's "An Autumn's Tale" has a comfortable and satisfying ending and they are both very similar. For me this was A+ as the images and ideas linger to this day.
...I honestly thought this was a lgbtq+ film. The MC and his female interest never really clicked in my brain that they would actually get together or even be compatible at all. The MC's male best friend had way more chemistry, support, and just overall a better relationship than he did with her. I honestly thought they were confessing their feelings on the dock years later but that didn't happen. Still to this day I believe they end up together as my own head canon ^^
Ikr, it's called Ocean Waves but the time we only see the "ocean waves" is during the time where the MC and his male best friend were at the dock. Plus romantic music was playing while they were there. I honestly believe it would have been better if Taku and Yutaka ended up with each other
idk I think there is realism but it's done in this nostalgic romaticized view, it feels like all nostalgia. Beautiful images and sounds hiding a story about drama and struggles. it may also be because of the coronavirus pandemic and me being a senior in high school that this makes me even more nostalgic than i would be watching this two years ago. but the score is just amazing.
Honestly, I just watched this movie for the first time a few days ago. I didn't have any expectation on the movie and I didn't try to compare it with the magical or "emotional" themed movies such as Spirited Away and Grave of the Fireflies. This movie shows simplicity and I can see that it tries to cancel all the common dramatic elements in order to make the viewers contemplate about reminiscing their pasts without unnecessary dramatized feelings. It also shows that compassion is realized through our journey of adulthood.
Many kids grew up with Disney movies, well, I grew up with Studio Ghibli. All those movies helped my imagination to grow. I still get nostalgic and inspired while watching Studio Ghibli movies. Beautiful.
I just finished watching this masterpiece and went straight to YT because I needed someone else’s opinion! I’m really really surprised someone that I know or even really close to me have never mentioned this or recommended it. It is a really easygoing movie and nothing real huge is happening, but still I was just hooked from start to finish. And what a satisfying ending.... I do need friends who worships things like these.😭😄
When I first watched Ocean Waves in middle school I actually quite liked it....and when I rewatched it I realized that I didn't even understand the plot lol and I came to appreciate it more. As a senior in high school it feels fitting, this film.
As someone going through the age myself (I am 17) this video was really helpful. Hearing you and reading all the other comments made me realise that how important it is to have fun during my youth. Definitely watching the movie after the exams.
Man! I absolutely LOVE Ocean Waves! I have the film and have watched it quite a number of times already, while I haven't seen it in some years. Thanks, for reminding me to go through that fun, refreshing, full of a summertime vibe tale about youth, naiveness and love. Keep up the good work!
This is my favourite Ghibli film together with Omoide Poroporo. I've seen it on 10 January at 2 A.M. I just love this kind of old-school, slice of life films with little to no plot or action.
I just got done watching this film. It's kind of given me a cathartic moment. The spurs of spontaneity, the moment that seems to drag on and on and on and on, The people that I've seen and those who don't see much of anymore, It really does speak to the past of time nowadays huh? All in all to say I absolutely love this movie
Another top video, I liked Ocean Waves very much, but after a second viewing. I think many films are better this way perhaps simply because of the expectations you may have going in
Absolutely, the second viewing really helped this film for me. I'm glad I left it so long before I returned as well. Expectations - especially from a specific artist or director - is always going to impact your experience with the film that first time.
Yeah, but now I know... I'm glad he figured it out who he really liked in the past. Rikako covered mostly of his memories coverage from the story, so I guess.
I just watched the film for the first time last night. I got a lot of high school/community college vibes from it, both good and bad. Yukata reminded me old friends I barely talk to anymore and Rikako reminded of....rather problematic past relationships. To me it’s a story about appreciating the good and bad times, and how much you’ve grown over time.
One thing I like about Hayao's works is that he subtly insert human traits and experience. After second viewing, you just realized how this movie relates to your life as you grow older.
I was 17 the first time I watched this film and this summer, at 21, I watched it for the second time. In the first viewing, the boredom and sense of lack of control felt by the the teens resonated with me. A duality between excitement and fear for the future that was just about to begin. The second viewing was more nostalgic. A reflection on those memories from a few years ago which feel unreachable.
I watched it a few years ago, and maybe because I'm not as young as I was when I watched most of Ghibli's other movies, I kinda loved it. Sure, it's no Spirited Away, but it's fantastic in its own right.
Oh man! You upload this video too early to expect. 'Ocean Waves' is Studio Ghibli's one of the underrated but relatable movie. Glad you make a video on it. By the way, can I expect from you a video on 'Death Note' someday? And at last, the slap at 6:42, it's hilarious! Ha! Ha!
I would love to see his take on DN, maybe he can see and explain why everybody thinks it's so good and I can get it now. In my opinion, DN is only good during the first 8 episodes or so, and it all starts going downhill from Misa's instroduction onwards.
Ocean Waves is my favorite Studio Ghibli movie because it feels so close. When I watched Howl's moving castle it felt like I'd never be able to reach it, grasp it. But Ocean Waves is so easy for me to reach, it's a simple romance story but it feels like it's right next to me. It sounds dumb but I like having a connection to the anime I watch, Ocean Waves gives me this connection
I LOVE the music on the platform so much. I can't explain why. It's a movie that you can watch at different ages to gain different perspectives. That's the definition of depth.
This made me all nostalgic for 1974 when our central Florida, experimentally designed high high school would play contemporary pop rock songs during our passing periods and one of my favorites, Carly Simon's Anticipation, was winding down with, "...And I'll stay right here 'cause these are the good old days! These are the good old days! These are the good old days! And I'll stay right here 'CAUSE THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS!!"
Man , even direct-to-TV film, a budget one, by Ghibli standard, still use 35mm film stock to film the entire movie. I saw lots of early 90s anime, most of them will use 16mm films (Maybe the opening or ending will use 35mm film stock, otherwise the film will use 16mm film). When I saw Ocean Waves in HD, that is the first thing i noticed is the grains are so minimal so it must be from 35mm transfer. The budget must be higher than normal 90s anime production eventhough this is a 'budget' film. Also, thank you for giving a second chance for the Ocean Waves.
Yeah I get stressed out watching it. It is like watching old tapes that you happen to be in you feel like you are under a magnifying glass. It is so realistic it feels fantastical and not in the way the actual fantasy-based Ghbili movies are.
I’m so happy I was introduced to this film at 22 . I’ve enjoyed it from the first time I’ve watched it till now (almost three years later). Tbh, I can see how younger audiences could find it dull
great video, it's amazing how perspective can change. it's always good to remember how things were, but also to ponder that the time of life we're all living might be much better than we think. I liked the video, but after you said to hit the 'like' button only if I thought the movie was awful, I retracted it. good job.
many of the things you said are the same that i thought after watching ocean waves for the second time. I'm glad to see a review that speaks well of the most underrated studio ghibli film
This video needed to be made! Thank you for giving recognition to Ocean Waves. This is one of the anime films that to me proves anime isn't just an audience-defined category of cinema, but is a cinematic form that can carry any narrative and can often make them more poignant than live-action films.
i personally, as i get older find that i love this movie more and more, in fact i'd rank it with my own personal ghibli seal of quality, but that's my opinion when i first heard of this i was like "oh, it's basically a drama story but in anime form, granted i first saw this when i was like, thirteen or fourteen and a year prior i saw spirited away and princess mononoke, so to me it didn't feel like a ghibli film at the time because as a kid i watched ghibli for a different reason than i do now as an adult, literally ghibli is my comfort shows for when i'm feeling the creep of depression, the stresses of life and the worries about where i'll be in the future, they always remind me that none of that matters so long as i'm breathing and can still take in the beauty of the world.
pov: you fell in love with ghibli films again and decided to watch Ocean Waves only to be disappointed and so now you’re watching reviews to try and get some sense of it
A Beyond Ghibli video on a Ghibli film... Just goes to show how overlooked this gem is. Glad to see it get some coverage. That ost melts my heart every time.
i tried to watch this film almost a year ago and hated it. it felt plain and cold and bitter, and i just couldn't stomach it so i stopped watching half an hour in. now, so much has changed. i met someone amazing, through that someone realised one of my friends was holding me back so i had to let them go, and in the process fell for that amazing person. oh... i love them so dearly. and i can feel they love me too, and it's the most wonderful feeling. but our relationship is messy, our feelings are messy, our lives are messy... watching this at such a turbulent time in my life, experiencing that bittersweetness while going through so much... there's a special place in my heart-ache for these coming and going, ebbing and flowing Ocean Waves...
(i forgot to mention, it was remembering this video that encouraged me to give the film a second chance, and i thank you from the fathoms of my blood for being such a persuasive memory)
Ocean Waves, From up on Poppy Hill, Only Yesterday, and Whisper of the Heart are some of my favorite films from Ghibli precisely because they represent the small magic of real life.
What great timing, this video was posted while I watched this movie for the first time ever. I didn't even realise it was a ghibli movie until the logo popped up and I ended up being upset that I didn't know about it earlier. Definitely one of their more underrated films. I loved the down to earth atmosphere!
Thanks for this review full of good sens. Thanks for talk about someday how you need to be ready to meet a book or a moovie. I really glad to discovery this one one mount ago in adult period. I don't think i could appreciate it in my teenager time neither. But this one, the last moment at the end look like nostagic time who haunted us someday... time of regrets, time of joy, time of consequences or flee. Live your life today mates. Love from France.
I watched Ocean Waves for the first time as a teenager too, but I loved it even back then. I guess I liked that we saw them when they were older cause it showed that high school wasn't as big a deal as it felt as a teenager. It's the same reason I love Daria I watched that in it's entirety in my last year of high school and it gave a strong sense of nostalgia for the high school life I was soon to leave behind just like Daria did at the end of the show. I really love nostalgic teen shows and movies, even now at 24.
Wow, don't know how this video just popped up but wow, by far one of the best videos I've seen in a long time. Perfectly explained this timeless movie in ways I can't, thank you
Love this analysis. I too, like the movie's preoccupation on the boring and mundane banalities that actually create the space for you to appreciate it's unapologetic realism. And despite all that, it's still about nostalgia but in a way that you appreciate reality rather than fantastical flights of fancy. I love miyazaki's universe, but this movie is totally rewatchable too.
Ocean Waves feels like a thesis on the old saying “youth is wasted on the young.”
I feel differently, I feel like the movie was talking about how the young use their youth to grow into themselves, and it felt nostalgic for me. It's easy to see the past as wasteful but at the same time in light of our continuous and ever changing selves looking back with laughter and fondness is truly the better way of reflecting on the past. After spending so long thinking critically of yesterdays gone by it's nice to be compassionate and understanding instead.
Elijah Kim that’s what he basically mean
Elijah Kim I found this to be a compelling argument.
My main reason why I believe that Ocean Waves is a thesis on the saying “youth is wasted on the young” is because I personally found it to be a interesting take on the subject of looking at the past. Not necessarily crushing the it under cynicism, nor painting it with rosy hues. More a delicate balance.
But my original post wasn’t very clear on where I stood on the argument, so I see why it was read negatively.
It's weird: my relationship with Ghibli films has been the exact opposite. When I was a kid, Ocean Waves was the film that blew my mind. That tender emphasis on everyday human interactions, that ability to portray the most mundane conflicts, scenes and moments of vulnerability with so much beauty... it touched the heart of the lonely and alienated 10-year-old me, and defined my relationship with cinema thereafter.
In turn, the Miyazaki films were the ones that I didn't understand. Those adventurous worlds filled with magic and opportunities felt so distant from my personal experience of reality that I was never able to emotionally connect with them. It's only recently, as an adult, that I've come to appreciate and relate to the main characters of Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service and the others. But it still requires a lot of effort on my part to kind of translate those fantastic narratives and convoluted images into more real messages that I can apply to my own life.
Nevertheless, films like Ocean Waves, Only Yesterday and Whisper's of the Heart remain my favorite among all Ghibli films.
This is such an interesting take. I definitely feel the childhood wonder of Miyazaki's works speak more to me now as an adult though, you're absolutely right there. Especially Kiki - such an adult movie about incredibly sad themes wrapped up in an innocent kid's film!
You are woman or man?
I'm a member of the male sex.
@@GalaxiaTokyo »strange. You feel like a woman. Nothing wrong but strage. The point is that boys need much more time to grow up then girls (emotionally), and this is why they do not understand this kind of movies so early. I know by myself - I am man. Girl in 15 is emotionally stable similar to +-30 old man. We, man, need sun and rain to understand what is important between peoples, what is *not* pleasant process, but women simply feel it intuitively.
Yeah, I love all Ghibli films, but the quieter ones are the ones that always spoke more to me. And they're the main reason why I love the studio so much. They can make stories that could've easily been made in live-action, and somehow manage to infuse those stories with more humanity precisely because it is animation.
I also feel the exactly the same about Kyoto Animation. And believe their best stories are also the most mundane they have made.
As I got older, I also started loving the quieter, slower-paced Ghibli films. I still love the epic tales that Miyazaki directs, but Whisper of the Heart is probably my favorite of the studio's portfolio. From Up on Poppy Hill is also well done. Thanks for the recommendation on this one, though. I'd somehow never heard of Ocean Waves... hopefully Netflix blesses us with the Ghibli Library soon.
I always get sad when I remember that Whisper of the Heart's director only ever got to direct that film, and then passed away. I wonder where he could've taken Ghibli if he didn't leave this world so early. That is also my favorite movie of the studio :')
In germany we got many of ghiblis movies (including ocean waves) on netfllix.
Most of them are coming to The UK in march lol, already had Ocean waves for about a month
If u live in the US or some other countries there will not be any movie from Ghibli , we already have the movies in DE
I agree up on poppy hill is one of my favourites
As someone who grow up with issues and fears surrounding aging, as well as the passage of time, this was film really resonated with me in a different way than other Ghibli films. I remember finding it on a fan dub and watching it during a late night existential crisis in my teens. It helped. Thank you for covering this film!
You should watch only yesterday it's basically all your fears lol it will leave you in tears
@@shahadshd5165 Watch 'A silent voice' , your life will change forever
Mohamed Yusuff I watched it and it's beautifully done
I loved that anime
@@shahadshd5165 Only Yesterday is so good. It made me cry
The director of Ocean Waves was hospitalised during it's production with a duodenal ulcer, the anime fell behind schedule and was brutal on the team
(good vid Joe)
Update since this video is back not only was he hospitalised the mad man was directing an OVA at the same time as directing this!!!! Another reason he was hospitized, he thought directing a Ghibli movie was too good to not do, despite prior responsibilities
You should narrate for audiobooks
Yes, he make anything sound super interesting.
I'd listen.
That thought always came I my mind...
What genre might suit him, fictional, business, idk
@@satyamprakash7030 he could the owner's manual of my Kia Rio and it'd probably be interesting.
my heart stopped for a moment when i saw this notification.
ocean waves is actually one of if not the first ghibli film i've ever watched more than a decade ago. i was obsessed with it from the start. my parents could not fathom it as it was apparently 'boring'. but for me, it was the reason why slice of life is, to this day, my favourite genre. it has a simple story that anyone could follow yet many find it unappealing due to it being, again, 'boring'. (long paragraph down below) (rambling; proceed with caution)
i've watched this film countless times throughout my life and every time i do, i find something new to appreciate about it as i grow up. as a kid of course the first thing i thought was 'taku is handsome' and 'high school looks fun'. then when i was in high school it was 'yeah, they got the overblown drama' and 'social turmoil' parts down pat. now, i'm in university and it reflects exactly the nostalgia i feel whenever i get together with old friends and we look back on those immature, blissful days. when i found out that it was mostly the younger animators who worked on it until the budget ran dry, it made so much sense. their portrayal of youth and its challenges in this modern age is something that i think not even miyazaki would've been able to manage so poignantly, if i may be so daring.
there is so much to love about this film from the music (which perfectly punctuates the awkward, funny and endearing moments. the trumpets that play during the sunset scene at the end... i think about that a lot) to the animation (the final scene of the movie and that almost 360 pan around the station). gosh, this is such an important movie to me and i really hope that people can appreciate it more now with the netflix release. right now, i'm the only person i know (in real life) who knows of this film's existence. there is so much more i could say about this film but this is getting a little long.
thank you for this, really!!! you always manage to put my feelings about animation into words! keep up the amazing work
I feel the same way. I was already in high school when I first watched it in 1995. It resonated with my life at the time, and it became my favorite Ghibli movie.
i dont think her (Saeko Himuro
) any work (jp/ eng) is available on internet at all. i just finished watching this movie and literally turn the google upside down but couldn't found anything! (besides some japanese illustration books on ebay)
btw, there's a sequel of this light novel, "I Can Hear the Sea II: Because There Is Love"
www.nausicaa.net/wiki/Ocean_Waves_II_(book)
I actually screamed when someone actually does a proper review / retrospective on this film, its just a comfort movie tbh
Lol your comment on the trumpets at the sunset scene reminds me of this video: th-cam.com/video/VbFnvTiHLw8/w-d-xo.html. Great essay though -- it was interesting to see how your thoughts changed over the years!
I watched it some days ago and I finished school last year. I couldn't describe the feeling which I get of this movie better than your comment
This was actually the first film I put on when Netflix got ghibli. I hadn't really considered it at all as a younger person, but a team made by newer animators in the 90's appealed to me a lot more as an adult. i enjoyed it a lot.
As soon as the library dropped on Netflix it was the first thing I hit up too! It was always a pain to get this one legit over here and I'd been planning a rewatch for years but putting it off, so when it was announced it would be in that first wave of releases I promised myself that the time had come! Glad you dug it too :)
Netflix has ghibli??? What country is this?👀 lol
@@Xaylocke every country except the US
I felt the same too
Me and my mum thought the MC and his friend had more chemistry than the girl and MC.
Are we the only ones?
th-cam.com/video/VbFnvTiHLw8/w-d-xo.html
@@tiropat393 yess i was just going to link this videoo, i really hope this theory becomes canon because honestly, it works so much better than the original movie. don't get me wrong i love ocean waves, just think that i could love it 132309480204x more if they gave me an ending like eliquorice describes.
I thought the protagonist was in love with his friend but remembered it was a pretty old japanese movie so threw the idea out of the window. But like yeah, In my opinion it would've been better if they made it like that.
@@LanaDelTako imagine that there was a true ending on the pier where they confess 😳
Eric Eric yes yes !!
An artist I admired for a long time now just passed (cancer). I was feeling very sad but the ending has cheered me up quite a lot. Thank you Joe :(
I know that feel, i'm still upset that Satoshi Kon passed away to cancer, I love his films and was early awaiting his next. Whenever I watch Millennium Actress or even listen to the OST, I will often end up crying.
is it Qinni? it was so devastating to hear her passing, she managed to stay so cheerful it seemed impossible it would end like this. may she suffer no more and rest in peace
@@Dani-hb1wf yeah it's her. I've followed her for so long now. If I feels this bad for me I can't imagine how her family feels.
@@miracle2487 I followed her art for a while as well and it really saddens me to look back into her artwork. She really put her soul into her paintings. it happened so quickly :(
I read your comment and instantly thought It could be her. So i checked her Instagram, i found nothing so relived I came back to this comment. I am in tears.
One of my favourite ghibli films. It's a very honest movie about regret that I happened to catch at just the right point in my life to really appreciate it. Criminally overlooked.
I’m a different note, Only Yesterday has something similar and I feel is one of Ghiblis underrated little masterpieces.
Yes... it's one of my favourites from Ghibli ..i absolutely love movies that make me reminisce the good old days :")
To me Ocaean Waves always felt like a nostalgic look back at the angst-filled teenage years.
Ok but just the fact that the movie is just about people doing things like they normally would, I love that. It’s not like a big dramatic film, just a small, quiet, calm film. It’s so mundane and beautiful to me, I love it.
All the characters have such good fits.
I will always have a big place in my heart for the whimsical, fantastic side of Studio Ghibli. Especially Kiki's... . But it was "Whisper of the Heart" with its dear sweet real world story of young dreams and young hearts and the moments of fantasy they aspire to, that got me looking at these other more grounded offerings from Ghibli. It's been interesting how age has seen me gravitate to rewatches of this film, "Ocean Waves", as well as "Only Yesterday" more and more. Initially I feel I watched them to lament the years that have passed, but over time I thankfully discovered they'd more importantly helped me reconcile where I am today. "Ocean Waves" even helped me pack up my hurt feelings about my high school years in order to brave my first reunion two summers ago. I think it was these films in the Ghibli catalogue that also started me looking at more and more slice of life anime, and that helped me discover some of my favourite anime work of all time. Thank you for sharing your perspective on this film, as it's certain to inspire others to give it a chance and enjoy the view.
I just LOOOVE how Japanese stories like this one, and even fantasy adventures, can capture the "ordinary" aspects of humanity SO WELL and write stories exploring them! I want to be able to do that...
'As a teenager I wrote it off as the 'one bad anime', but now - nearly twenty years later - I've rediscovered it as a new favourite.'
I did that to Cowboy Bepop.
I love Ocean Waves it is a favorite movie of all time. To be honest, though, I do think it was rushed. When I watched it there was more spark, more chemistry, and more story between Taku (MC) and his best friend. It was hard to picture a romantic relationship between the girl and Taku just because the only moment with a spark was when she cried on his shoulders. The girl needed more character development and more of a story, it was implied that she came from a rough past, however, we didn't get to see any of that. Having such little chemistry between the MC and the girl leaves us to observe closely at the relationship between Taku and his friend. I do think this could've been different just with more time, or maybe this did have the intention to spark a flame between Taku and his friend. Overall it was an amazing movie and watching made me feel a sense of love and relaxation.
I too had reservation after first seeing Ocean Wave for the first Time. and like you found myself asking "what' had I just watched? were was the normal Studio Ghibli story? but then It dawned on me that this was a Slice-of-Life with people looking back at there lives. The one phrase that came to mind at the time was that "Youth is truly wasted on the Young". it was then I began to understand and reviewed the movie again, this time reserving any preconceived notion of what was to come. And like you came away with a satisfaction and love of the work done in the making of Ocean Waves. Thank you for this nostalgic look back.. ~_^
this film came before it's time. criminally underrated and overlooked. the stortytelling, the subtle aesthetics, the cinematic grammars in this film are what you would expect from great indie films nowadays. such as those from A24.
I literally cheered when Taku slapped Rikako
Was i the only one who saw the Taku and Rikako build up.....?
Anyway, I just watched this movie yesterday and as adult myself, I really loved it. I loved how you described the film as how a group of animators got together to share what youth is and how beautiful it is while you're still in it.
Just watched eliquorice’s video about this. Very different perspectives, and now in pretty curious to watch this myself to see if I care for it.
Small Brain: I want Morgan Freeman to narrate my life
B I G B R A I N: I want Joe O'Connell to narrate my life
For extiatential crisis filled personality of mine I think Joe would be better as a narrator
‘an impossible concept to grasp until those days have long slipped through your fingers’ is so true
This film made me realise that there's a life out there that i missed out on as a boy. And now, I'm struggling to feel more alive because of it
I saw this movie back college when it was new, maybe 1993. I had no idea what I was in for, this was just part of the line up of the Anime Club at Ohio State and it was the last movie of the evening starting at 10pm (so we went home very late).
I liked it a lot, maybe because I was the same age as the "present time" main character. But if Americans and non-Asian viewers had trouble connecting with it, I would venture to say that it might be due to cultural differences. As a young Asian male and more importantly, as a very shy, socially awkward, selfish in many ways and totally ignorant on how to interact with the opposite sex, I totally connected with the main (male) character. I course I would never dare to hit a girl/woman, but that movie was not about that scene alone. The movie was about how two people from the opposite sex can go through situations dealing with friends, family, etc and yet not explore the idea of liking each other and/or not contemplating the real reason why each one would be in exactly that situation with exactly that person in the first place. Something like:
"From all the people we know, why are we here and/or why are we having this conversation, and/or why do we get to know things about each other that very few people know, if we are nothing but regular friends?"
The default state of young Asian males of operating permanently in the friend zone is what this movie is about. And it take maturity and insight from the main male character to figure things out. Western and/or American males who are straight shooters and friendly and social and confident and used to express interest to members of the opposite sex might not understand the lack of communication between the two main characters and the reason why they keep interacting with each other.
This movie, like Chow Yun Fat's "An Autumn's Tale" has a comfortable and satisfying ending and they are both very similar.
For me this was A+ as the images and ideas linger to this day.
...I honestly thought this was a lgbtq+ film. The MC and his female interest never really clicked in my brain that they would actually get together or even be compatible at all. The MC's male best friend had way more chemistry, support, and just overall a better relationship than he did with her. I honestly thought they were confessing their feelings on the dock years later but that didn't happen. Still to this day I believe they end up together as my own head canon ^^
Ikr, it's called Ocean Waves but the time we only see the "ocean waves" is during the time where the MC and his male best friend were at the dock. Plus romantic music was playing while they were there. I honestly believe it would have been better if Taku and Yutaka ended up with each other
@@twilightflux6287 I think it started off that way but someone pulled the plug minute
Somebody actually made a really nice video essay on this :)
@eliquorice made an amazing video about this. I recommend watching it :)
th-cam.com/video/VbFnvTiHLw8/w-d-xo.html
I watched this for the first time several days ago and it was honestly relaxing.
idk I think there is realism but it's done in this nostalgic romaticized view, it feels like all nostalgia. Beautiful images and sounds hiding a story about drama and struggles. it may also be because of the coronavirus pandemic and me being a senior in high school that this makes me even more nostalgic than i would be watching this two years ago. but the score is just amazing.
Honestly, I just watched this movie for the first time a few days ago. I didn't have any expectation on the movie and I didn't try to compare it with the magical or "emotional" themed movies such as Spirited Away and Grave of the Fireflies. This movie shows simplicity and I can see that it tries to cancel all the common dramatic elements in order to make the viewers contemplate about reminiscing their pasts without unnecessary dramatized feelings. It also shows that compassion is realized through our journey of adulthood.
I agree. This is very underated Ghibli film
I went back and tried this film again. I freaking love it now.
Many kids grew up with Disney movies, well, I grew up with Studio Ghibli. All those movies helped my imagination to grow. I still get nostalgic and inspired while watching Studio Ghibli movies. Beautiful.
I just finished watching this masterpiece and went straight to YT because I needed someone else’s opinion! I’m really really surprised someone that I know or even really close to me have never mentioned this or recommended it. It is a really easygoing movie and nothing real huge is happening, but still I was just hooked from start to finish. And what a satisfying ending.... I do need friends who worships things like these.😭😄
When I first watched Ocean Waves in middle school I actually quite liked it....and when I rewatched it I realized that I didn't even understand the plot lol and I came to appreciate it more. As a senior in high school it feels fitting, this film.
As someone going through the age myself (I am 17) this video was really helpful.
Hearing you and reading all the other comments made me realise that how important it is to have fun during my youth.
Definitely watching the movie after the exams.
Hey which class r u in?
@@indragarg2857 I am in the last year of my high school. (12th Standard)
Man! I absolutely LOVE Ocean Waves! I have the film and have watched it quite a number of times already, while I haven't seen it in some years. Thanks, for reminding me to go through that fun, refreshing, full of a summertime vibe tale about youth, naiveness and love. Keep up the good work!
Same! I watched it about 20 times in the 1990s! It was and still is my favorite Ghibli movie.
nostalgia. I watched ocean waves many times when I was high school student in 90's.
ありがとう！！
This is my favourite Ghibli film together with Omoide Poroporo. I've seen it on 10 January at 2 A.M. I just love this kind of old-school, slice of life films with little to no plot or action.
I just got done watching this film. It's kind of given me a cathartic moment. The spurs of spontaneity, the moment that seems to drag on and on and on and on, The people that I've seen and those who don't see much of anymore, It really does speak to the past of time nowadays huh? All in all to say I absolutely love this movie
Why i’m getting emotional confirming that those teenagers that said this film is boring just can’t undeserved his beauty, man why i’m crying
i love how you narrated this so poetically in a slow pace with a calming voice it feels so relaxing
Another top video, I liked Ocean Waves very much, but after a second viewing. I think many films are better this way perhaps simply because of the expectations you may have going in
Absolutely, the second viewing really helped this film for me. I'm glad I left it so long before I returned as well. Expectations - especially from a specific artist or director - is always going to impact your experience with the film that first time.
The background song is so good omg
It’s one of those intentionally up for interpretation movies.
No happy endings, just realistic artistic “well how does it make you feel?” experiments
I was 20 and TDY to Japan for the Army when I saw Ocean Waves in '93. It's TOO true. 😭
Taku is confused about his feelings towards Rikako and Yukata thats why he keeps on reminiscing the past 😅
Yeah, but now I know... I'm glad he figured it out who he really liked in the past. Rikako covered mostly of his memories coverage from the story, so I guess.
I just watched the film for the first time last night. I got a lot of high school/community college vibes from it, both good and bad. Yukata reminded me old friends I barely talk to anymore and Rikako reminded of....rather problematic past relationships. To me it’s a story about appreciating the good and bad times, and how much you’ve grown over time.
One thing I like about Hayao's works is that he subtly insert human traits and experience. After second viewing, you just realized how this movie relates to your life as you grow older.
I was 17 the first time I watched this film and this summer, at 21, I watched it for the second time. In the first viewing, the boredom and sense of lack of control felt by the the teens resonated with me. A duality between excitement and fear for the future that was just about to begin. The second viewing was more nostalgic. A reflection on those memories from a few years ago which feel unreachable.
One of the most underated Ghibli anime
I watched it a few years ago, and maybe because I'm not as young as I was when I watched most of Ghibli's other movies, I kinda loved it. Sure, it's no Spirited Away, but it's fantastic in its own right.
Oh man! You upload this video too early to expect. 'Ocean Waves' is Studio Ghibli's one of the underrated but relatable movie. Glad you make a video on it.
By the way, can I expect from you a video on 'Death Note' someday?
And at last, the slap at 6:42, it's hilarious! Ha! Ha!
I have no plans specifically but I do really like Death Note, so probably!
I loved Death Note when I first watched it although I recently rewatched it and its not what I remember haha
@@BeyondGhibli Glad to hear that! Thanks for reply.
I would love to see his take on DN, maybe he can see and explain why everybody thinks it's so good and I can get it now. In my opinion, DN is only good during the first 8 episodes or so, and it all starts going downhill from Misa's instroduction onwards.
I would really love to see how Mr. Joe will portray Death Note's thrill & suspense with his relaxing narration!
just fyi the Japanese title translates to "I can hear the sea", not see the sea. Kikoeru means to be heard, mieru means to be seen.
The best studio ghibli film for me I dont care about critics or others this is the best ghibli film for me
Ocean Waves is my favorite Studio Ghibli movie because it feels so close. When I watched Howl's moving castle it felt like I'd never be able to reach it, grasp it. But Ocean Waves is so easy for me to reach, it's a simple romance story but it feels like it's right next to me. It sounds dumb but I like having a connection to the anime I watch, Ocean Waves gives me this connection
I LOVE the music on the platform so much. I can't explain why.
It's a movie that you can watch at different ages to gain different perspectives. That's the definition of depth.
One thing that will always stick with me in this movie is the slaps, It literally echoes in the back of my brain.
I really loved nearly everything of this movie , it's music was soo chill . I loved it soo much
Ocean waves has its own league.
The story telling is very real and honest.
This made me all nostalgic for 1974 when our central Florida, experimentally designed high high school would play contemporary pop rock songs during our passing periods and one of my favorites, Carly Simon's Anticipation, was winding down with, "...And I'll stay right here 'cause these are the good old days! These are the good old days! These are the good old days! And I'll stay right here 'CAUSE THESE ARE THE GOOD OLD DAYS!!"
Man , even direct-to-TV film, a budget one, by Ghibli standard, still use 35mm film stock to film the entire movie. I saw lots of early 90s anime, most of them will use 16mm films (Maybe the opening or ending will use 35mm film stock, otherwise the film will use 16mm film). When I saw Ocean Waves in HD, that is the first thing i noticed is the grains are so minimal so it must be from 35mm transfer. The budget must be higher than normal 90s anime production eventhough this is a 'budget' film. Also, thank you for giving a second chance for the Ocean Waves.
i watched this movie 3 years ago and i loved it then rewatched it 2 weeks ago, i love you videos man
is it just me or ocean waves was short but it packs a punch to your emotion.
Yeah I get stressed out watching it. It is like watching old tapes that you happen to be in you feel like you are under a magnifying glass. It is so realistic it feels fantastical and not in the way the actual fantasy-based Ghbili movies are.
I’m so happy I was introduced to this film at 22 . I’ve enjoyed it from the first time I’ve watched it till now (almost three years later). Tbh, I can see how younger audiences could find it dull
great video, it's amazing how perspective can change. it's always good to remember how things were, but also to ponder that the time of life we're all living might be much better than we think.
I liked the video, but after you said to hit the 'like' button only if I thought the movie was awful, I retracted it. good job.
I am EXTREMELY jealous that you get Ghibli films on Netflix...
Just use a vpn pal
@@pooja350 we shouldn't have to pay extra just to get the content everyone else gets for free
@@quijoo just get HBO Max
You’ll also be able to watch the entire Batman: The Animated Series too
Every time I sit and listen to one of your videos I get really emotional. Good job.
This with Only Yesterday are my favourite ghibli films, there is something in this kind of stories that always attracts me.
Ocean Waves is the one of the Ghibli films I haven't seen but this video makes me wanna watch it!
The soundtrack of Ocean Waves still makes me cry.
the first ost tht played in this video is such a memorable piece
Did it make you cry because of how repetitive it is?
many of the things you said are the same that i thought after watching ocean waves for the second time. I'm glad to see a review that speaks well of the most underrated studio ghibli film
This video needed to be made! Thank you for giving recognition to Ocean Waves. This is one of the anime films that to me proves anime isn't just an audience-defined category of cinema, but is a cinematic form that can carry any narrative and can often make them more poignant than live-action films.
i personally, as i get older find that i love this movie more and more, in fact i'd rank it with my own personal ghibli seal of quality, but that's my opinion when i first heard of this i was like "oh, it's basically a drama story but in anime form, granted i first saw this when i was like, thirteen or fourteen and a year prior i saw spirited away and princess mononoke, so to me it didn't feel like a ghibli film at the time because as a kid i watched ghibli for a different reason than i do now as an adult, literally ghibli is my comfort shows for when i'm feeling the creep of depression, the stresses of life and the worries about where i'll be in the future, they always remind me that none of that matters so long as i'm breathing and can still take in the beauty of the world.
I love this film's soundtrack
5:46 this message is everything to me ❤️
pov: you fell in love with ghibli films again and decided to watch Ocean Waves only to be disappointed and so now you’re watching reviews to try and get some sense of it
This is probably the best film review I have ever watched.
I remember that when I watched this, I felt so bored and thought that this was so dull compared to all the other ghibli films lol
Shag - everyday is why I watched the movie
A Beyond Ghibli video on a Ghibli film... Just goes to show how overlooked this gem is. Glad to see it get some coverage. That ost melts my heart every time.
This is my favourite Ghibli movie. I just love the way this movie reminds me of an era which I so long to return to.
I always cry with Ocean Waves.
What a stud, keep it up
i tried to watch this film almost a year ago and hated it. it felt plain and cold and bitter, and i just couldn't stomach it so i stopped watching half an hour in.
now, so much has changed. i met someone amazing, through that someone realised one of my friends was holding me back so i had to let them go, and in the process fell for that amazing person. oh... i love them so dearly. and i can feel they love me too, and it's the most wonderful feeling.
but our relationship is messy, our feelings are messy, our lives are messy... watching this at such a turbulent time in my life, experiencing that bittersweetness while going through so much... there's a special place in my heart-ache for these coming and going, ebbing and flowing Ocean Waves...
(i forgot to mention, it was remembering this video that encouraged me to give the film a second chance, and i thank you from the fathoms of my blood for being such a persuasive memory)
Ocean Waves, From up on Poppy Hill, Only Yesterday, and Whisper of the Heart are some of my favorite films from Ghibli precisely because they represent the small magic of real life.
Regarding the option at the end to have fifteen-year-old Joe run the channel from now on: oh yes, oh yes.
What great timing, this video was posted while I watched this movie for the first time ever. I didn't even realise it was a ghibli movie until the logo popped up and I ended up being upset that I didn't know about it earlier. Definitely one of their more underrated films. I loved the down to earth atmosphere!
I will never get tired of this Kino content.
Thanks for this review full of good sens. Thanks for talk about someday how you need to be ready to meet a book or a moovie. I really glad to discovery this one one mount ago in adult period. I don't think i could appreciate it in my teenager time neither. But this one, the last moment at the end look like nostagic time who haunted us someday... time of regrets, time of joy, time of consequences or flee. Live your life today mates. Love from France.
I watched Ocean Waves for the first time as a teenager too, but I loved it even back then. I guess I liked that we saw them when they were older cause it showed that high school wasn't as big a deal as it felt as a teenager. It's the same reason I love Daria I watched that in it's entirety in my last year of high school and it gave a strong sense of nostalgia for the high school life I was soon to leave behind just like Daria did at the end of the show. I really love nostalgic teen shows and movies, even now at 24.
Wow, don't know how this video just popped up but wow, by far one of the best videos I've seen in a long time. Perfectly explained this timeless movie in ways I can't, thank you
The outfit Taku has is perfect, I'm glad I got the jacket xD
you could watch this movie even if after 999 years and it will be still charmful.
This is some professional TV shit right here. Underrated channel.
damn, that ending was amazing
Thank you for the great narrative! I'm definitely gonna take a look at this film now. Cheers!
Love this analysis. I too, like the movie's preoccupation on the boring and mundane banalities that actually create the space for you to appreciate it's unapologetic realism.
And despite all that, it's still about nostalgia but in a way that you appreciate reality rather than fantastical flights of fancy.
I love miyazaki's universe, but this movie is totally rewatchable too.
Ocean waves is a masterpiece for me