It’s wonderfully unique and presented with all the vibrance and attention-to-detail you’d expect, and the same goes, I think, for the characters. Everything is drenched in sun and everyone looks great, but there’s also a particular grittiness to these older characters that’s not so often seen in Ghibli (Taku’s coworker squatting by the back door for a cigarette, or Rikako passing out after three swift whiskeys, for instance). It’s Ghibli, so you might say that this is a given, but, where many Ghibli projects tend either to ignore period or to focus on the post-war Japan of Miyazaki’s childhood, Ocean Waves is steeped in the aesthetic of the early-90s high-waisted jeans, parted hair, Toyota Corollas, and mecha anime. So, with this post, hopefully I can help at least someone appreciate what I think makes this movie shine.Įven detractors of Ocean Waves generally can’t deny how good it looks. Beneath its abrasive characters and seemingly aimless story, I think it’s a masterfully-observed portrayal of late-adolescence that does a beautiful job of illustrating how children become adults, as well as highlighting the toxicity and pointlessness of so much of the drama that dominates teenagers’ lives. Admittedly I’ve only seen 15 Ghibli films, and I’m still missing some apparent heavy-hitters like Grave of the Fireflies and Nausicaä, but I would tentatively call Ocean Waves my current favourite, even above Spirited Away. (Some spoilers ahead, though I don’t think you can really spoil this plot)Īside from Tales from Earthsea (and I guess Earwig and the Witch, if you count that) Ocean Waves is the only Ghibli film that I’ve seen widely maligned by the community, and in reviews generally. A fan-run "guidepost" site for Studio Ghibli Posts containing spoilers without using the above method ( except in clearly labelled threads) should be reported. Which in turn will show up in your post like this: Spoilers can be posted using the following formatting: (/s)
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