It is difficult comparing Ocean Waves to the theatrical Ghibli releases and that is why I did not include this film in my ranking of all their films. But I have to congratulate them for making an above average TV film as the animation is very strong for television standards and at times even quite beautiful. Now obviously this is the weakest animated Studio Ghibli film but it is not fair to compare it to the rest of their pantheon as it is the only TV movie and thus it lacked in terms of budget. The film is short, but still somewhat prolonged for its very thin plot. I wish the rest of the film was as emotional or as memorable as that last third. The film is also very well scored and I really liked some of the symphonic pieces here and there, especially in the third moving act. The anime is very well acted, on the other hand. His direction here is pretty pedestrian and he does nothing inspired or interesting with this average material. And it shows unfortunately as Tomomi Mochizuki just could never compete with those two genius directors. Ocean Waves was made by younger creators at Studio Ghibli and is the first film from the studio with no involvement from either Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata. She is especially unsympathetic toward everyone in the film and it is thus difficult to get behind her and the boys’ infatuation with her. Taku and Yutaka are somewhat unlikable at times and mostly just boring, but Rikako herself is very annoying and bitchy. All of these characters are somewhat unlikable and thus I could not care for them. Speaking of the characters, they are a nuisance and a big problem the film just never overcame. The movie did succeed cinematically in its third act, but the rest of it was pretty uninspired and I could see that it was made for television as it was both technically uninspired and pretty average in terms of story and characterization. The highlight for me was the ending as it explored and showcased nostalgia superbly and I just loved both that dock scene which is so well shot and the final scene which is very powerful. The film does get teenagers meaning that it portrays them somewhat realistically and especially their messy relationships and interactions within the school. That entire conflict between the three felt overly familiar, typical and pretty boring. I do not get triangles, I find them annoying and this movie is no exception. The film has a very standard teen story which is basically a triangle between two male friends and a girl whom they both get infatuated with. It is the only TV movie from Studio Ghibli and admittedly one of their weakest efforts.
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