Overview
A nostalgic journey through the bittersweet memories of youth and first love.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- wistful
- intimate
- reflective
- quiet evening
- nostalgic afternoon
What critics said
Critics generally regard it as a graceful, mature Studio Ghibli coming-of-age romance, while some find it comparatively lackluster beside the studio’s stronger works.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Taku travels to his hometown for a high school reunion, prompting recollections of his school days.
The plot emphasizes subtle love and falling in love through remembered interactions rather than overt romantic certainty.
The film presents high school friendship, conflict, a Tokyo trip, and romance with a graceful, restrained tone.
The hometown, school memories, and Tokyo journey function as linked sites of adolescent experience and recollection.
Films like Ocean Waves, and why
Whisper of the Heart
shares coming-of-age romance, high school friendships, wistful memory, and emotionally restrained storytelling
From Up on Poppy Hill
shares reflective adolescent romance, everyday Japanese settings, and gentle Studio Ghibli emotional realism
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
shares teenage friendship, unspoken affection, and retrospective nostalgia for formative years
Movie Details
- Director
- Tomomi Mochizuki
- Release Date
- 1993-10-09
- Runtime
- 72 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (1011)
Cast
- Nobuo Tobita
- Yoko Sakamoto
- Toshihiko Seki
- Yuri Amano
- Kae Araki
- Jun'ichi Kanemaru
- Ai Satou
- Aya Hisakawa
- Tomokazu Seki
- Hikaru Midorikawa
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Ocean Waves about?
- A wistful anime recollection of high school friendship and an elusive first love resurfacing around a hometown reunion.
- What is Ocean Waves like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Ocean Waves as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Ocean Waves violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Ocean Waves.
- What did critics think of Ocean Waves?
- Critics generally regard it as a graceful, mature Studio Ghibli coming-of-age romance, while some find it comparatively lackluster beside the studio’s stronger works.
- Which films are like Ocean Waves?
- Films with a similar feel include Whisper of the Heart, From Up on Poppy Hill, and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
- How long is Ocean Waves?
- Ocean Waves runs 72 minutes.
- Where can I watch Ocean Waves?
- In United States, Ocean Waves streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
