6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 2.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
Taku and his best friend Yutaka are headed back to school for what looks like another uneventful year. But they soon find their friendship tested by the arrival of Rikako, a beautiful new transfer student from Tokyo whose attitude vacillates wildly from flirty and flippant to melancholic.
Starring: Nobuo Tobita, Toshihiko Seki, Yoko Sakamoto, Kae Araki, Yuri AmanoForeign | 100% |
Anime | 93% |
Romance | 20% |
Teen | 6% |
Drama | 2% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
"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.
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 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 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.
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.
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