ko-ricker Really well animated film, especially knowing it came from Ghibli's "junior" producers. Overall I enjoyed it, especially the little bits of humor here and there. The main girl character was extremely unlikable, but a good character. I found the dynamic between the two boys interesting and compelling. Their friendship was honestly more interesting than either of their relationships with the girl. And I will say that I'm not sure I exactly believed that they were both in love with her, mostly because she was so truly selfish and immature. So the ending seemed a little trite to me. Also, this might be unfair, but I always go into a Ghibli film hoping for something that will spark wonder and amazement, and this film definitely didn't have that magic element (literal or figurative). Still, well worth the watch.

subxerogravity How can I call myself a true Otaku if I do not love the good anime with the bad, right? Not that Ocean Waves is a bad movie overall. In fact bad does not describe it at all. It was a sweet story about reconnecting with those you care about that you lost contact with, and coming home.But the animation seem like a waste of time. It was a story that could have easily been told in live action and most likely would have taken less time to produce (but maybe it would cost more, I don't know).So while it's a nice story, I can't help but to be so disappointed because that animation did nothing for the story and that is what I expect from my anime.It may be more fair for me to watch the movie again now that the shock of the animation being the bare minimum has taken it's toll. It's a nice romantic slice of life film as it is, but definitely not the anime I like.http://cinemagardens.com

honest iago .. The huge fan of Studio Ghibli (and especially Miyazaki) that I am, I was really excited to find this, the last Ghibli full-length production that I had yet to see.That excitement turned steadily into sadness. The complete lack of plot-line and ludicrous love interest simply appalled me. This made-for-television piece of crap does not deserve to belong to the otherwise amazing Studio Ghibli canon. What could possibly motivate people to write such positive reviews for this? I am baffled. If I was Taku, the main character in this dreck, I would have absolutely NO nostalgic feelings for any of the events that occurred, let alone for the SURELY bi-polar Rikako.That H. Miyazaki had nothing to do with the direction, animation, or writing of this horrifyingly tedious movie provides some solace... unlike every single other Ghibli production that I have seen, this one is completely and totally charmless.The second star was awarded for the only moment in the entire movie that I and my girlfriend enjoyed: that ephemeral moment of redemption that occurred shortly after the 51-minute mark, when Taku b*tchslapped Rikako. Yosh.

Tweekums It is a shame that this lesser known Studio Ghibli film has yet to be released in the west as it belongs in any Ghibli fan's collection. It may have been made by junior staff for television but it still of a high quality. The Ghibli film that this reminded me of the most was "Only Yesterday" in that it contains no fantasy elements but instead concentrated on the ordinary lives of ordinary people.The protagonist is a high school student called Taku and the story follows his life after Rikako Muto, a girl from Tokyo transfers to his school. Don't expect a clichéd romance though, Rikako is fairly standoffish and doesn't seem to get along with the other students, with the exception of Taku's friend Matsuno. However while on their class holiday to Hawaii she approaches Taku for help claiming that she has lost the money she bought and needs a loan. It later transpires that she hadn't lost any money but needed it to get back to Tokyo to see her father. Once there things don't go quite how she planned though.As one would expect from a Ghibli film the animation is beautiful and detailed, in some places it looks like they added extra detail just to give the animators practise such as rotating ornament in a building's lobby and the shadow of a bird flying over head.This review was based on watching a fan-subbed version of the film, hopefully it won't be too long before an official release is available as I heard that Optimum have bought the UK distribution rights.