Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Ocean Waves Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman April 25, 2017

"Studio Ghibli" has become synonymous with "quality." It's sort of like the Pixar of the Japanese market, perhaps not in terms of making movies by way of cutting-edge technology but certainly in crafting stories that blend entertainment value with deeply rooted purpose and thematic relevance rather than simply engage in colorful frivolity. Ocean Waves is a minor departure for the studio. The film was made predominately by younger Ghibli staff members, and the film, unsurprisingly, follows a set of younger high school-aged students and the melodrama that unfolds when a girl comes between two longtime friends. It's not particularly unique or even all that interesting, but its strengths lie in its honest simplicity and careful depiction of life and love at a carefree age and the way it changes people, particularly on the inside. It's the intersection of innocence and adulthood, of learning to deal with emotions as they affect the heart and the world outside of the heart.

Taku (voiced by Nobuo Tobita) and Yutaka (voiced by Toshihiko Seki) are longtime friends who are both infatuated with a new girl in school, the mysterious Rikako Muto (voiced by Yōko Sakamoto). Taku is disappointed to learn that Yutaka may already have his foot in the door with her; she thanks him for showing her the way to the school bookstore. As both boys' infatuation develops, a school trip to Hawaii puts them both in the middle of her business. Slowly, the truth about who she is and where she's come from is revealed. Can either boy win her over, or will their pursuit destroy their friendship?

The film's melodramatic core isn't necessarily the draw. The film is essentially a teenage soap opera, following the comings and goings of the lives and times of several teenagers in love and friendship, and for the girl in the middle, emotional distress. The boys' friendship is threatened when they both find themselves drawn to her. She's unstable, uses them for money, and the truth of why she's suddenly in their lives and how her past has changed her slowly comes into focus. Those are the important plot drivers, but the film's success isn't in why it explores these issues, but rather how it explores them. The film is beautifully simple, elegant, really, in its ability to finely dissect a broad range of human emotion without digging all that deeply. The film's best asset is its linear, no-frills approach, offering honest, relatable witness to how the characters navigate through a particularly challenging point in their lives. It goes through various machinations in the burgeoning relationships and the strain on the friendship, but it all feels impressively authentic, never played up for dramatic effect or built on phony emotional content. Even as the characters are animated, they feel very real, and the film deeply impresses in its conveyance of basic humanity through the formative stages between adolescence and adulthood.

Technically, the movie feels entirely Ghibli. From the animation style to the voice work, the film boasts a finely tuned production that accentuates the narrative structure. Characters are well written and the voices suit them. The vocal performers capture beyond the core spirit of their characters, finding a matching intensity and depth for the animated presentation and discovering some nuance that even the visuals alone cannot achieve (though such is a rare creature). The film's animated stylings are attractive, with detailed and agreeably colored and lively backgrounds setting the stage for the character drama that plays out in front. Whether schoolhouses, Hawaii, a train depot, or a restaurant, the film's environments are beautiful to behold, though the engaging story certainly draws attention away from them, rendering them elegant support pieces rather than primary visuals (though it's fun to soak them in during subsequent viewings).

Ocean Waves Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Ocean Waves was reportedly recently remastered for its theatrical release, and while Universal's press release makes no mention of it, one can presume that this is sourced from that new master. The results are gorgeous. The image is crisp and colorful. the 1080p resolution carries it remarkably well, offering clean, well defined lines that bring characters and environments to life with appreciable animated complexity. Backgrounds tend to be more intimately detailed. Signs, trees, buildings, and other odds and ends -- static bits, for the most part -- tend to show more raw detailing than characters, but the image appears true to the animated source. Colors are in abundance and healthy, with many soft, gentle pastels and more vibrant primaries playing nicely in harmony. Black levels are terrific. No source or compression artifacts are apparent, and a fine grain structure appears intact. This is a masterful 1080p presentation from Ghibli and Universal.

Ocean Waves Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Ocean Waves contains the original Japanese language DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. No English dubs are included. The track impresses. Music plays with quality front-side spacing, never shy about pushing the stage's boundaries and never getting stuck in the middle. A healthy bit of reverberation spreads about as announcements come over the school's PA system. Atmospherics are plentiful. Buzzing insects are of particular note, and can prove a little too aggressive at times, but other, general support din and environmental effects are nicely balanced with music and dialogue. The spoken word is clear and well defined. It pushes the front-center and remains firmly entrenched in that area for the duration.

Ocean Waves Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Ocean Waves contains a (now vintage) look back at the film, the film presented in early storyboard stages, and a trailer. It also includes 'The Ghiblies' Episode 2. The front of the disc offers the option to select either the film or The Ghiblies Episode 2 before even reaching the movie's main menu screen. Why it's not just included under the "Bonus" tab is a mystery, but that's how Universal has laid this one out. A DVD copy of the film is included with purchase.

• The Ghiblies Episode 2 (1080p, 24:29, Japanese DD 5.1, English subtitles): This short film premiered in 2002 with The Cat Returns. It was written and directed by Yoshiyuki Momose. This marks the first time the short is available in the U.S. The film comically follows the working environment at an animation studio.
• Layouts (1080p, 1:12:37, Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, English subtitles): The film presented in storyboard/early animation/concept visuals.
• Looking Back: Staff Reunion (480i, 50:08): From May 2003, the five main staff members from the film reunite to discuss the picture, their work on it, and to catch up. The piece includes real-world location visits and looks at various materials used in making the movie. They even discuss the pressures of making a Ghibli film. In Japanese with English subtitles.
• US Trailer (1080p, 1:18).

Ocean Waves Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Ocean Waves is a quality film that excels as a storyteller, not so much for the story it tells. Its central narrative is rather trite -- young love and wounded friendships that result -- but it's in the way the film tells the story with sincerity and simplicity that wins audiences over. Terrific production values and voice work make the movie a quality product. Universal's Blu-ray offers stunning 1080p picture, quality two-channel lossless sound, and a nice collection of bonus content. Highly recommended.