Ocean Waves (TV 1993)
"Umi ga kikoeru" (original title)

As a young man returns home after his first year away at college he recalls his senior year of high school and the iron-willed, big city girl that turned his world upside down.

Director:

Tomomi Mochizuki

Writers:

Saeko Himuro (novel), Kaori Nakamura (screenplay)

Stars:

Nobuo Tobita, Toshihiko Seki, Yoko Sakamoto

Cast

Credited cast:
Nobuo Tobita	...	Taku Morisaki (voice)
Toshihiko Seki	...	Yutaka Matsuno (voice)
Yoko Sakamoto	...	Rikako Muto (voice)
Yuri Amano	...	Akiko Shimizu (voice)
Kae Araki	...	Yumi Kohama (voice)
Jun'ichi Kanemaru	...	Okada (voice)
Ai Satô	...	Taku's mother (voice)
Aya Hisakawa	...	Girl (voice)
Tomokazu Seki	...	Minarai (voice)
Hikaru Midorikawa	...	Tadashi Yamao (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rin Mizuhara	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Sumi Shimamoto	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Reiko Suzuki	...	(voice)

Storyline

The main character travels to his hometown for his high school reunion. During the trip, he recalls the memories of the days in high school. Friendship, subtle love, a trip to Tokyo and so on all came back to him as the film evolves.

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Plot Keywords:

love | high school reunion | friendship | tokyo japan | surrealism | 

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Genres:

Animation | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

5 May 1993 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Ocean Waves

Filming Locations:

Kochi, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Studio Ghibli

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie have two English titles. Unlike other movies, Ghibli didn't give it an official English title for a long time. Ghibli recently gave it the title, "The Ocean Waves", but most people in the US know it as "I Can Hear the Sea", which is a direct translation of the Japanese title.

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Connections

References Porco Rosso (1992)

User Reviews

In 1993 Ghibli made the best made-for-TV movie ever

Great romance and a fun storyline make this one a must see. I loved it because of it's memorable characters. The film would NOT fit into American mainstream television because you have to know quite a bit about Japanese culture in order to get it. Other than that you'll have a great time watching. The story involves a boy who tries to find true love in high school. Simple and effective. Hard to believe Ghibli didn't make anymore TV films. Grade: A-

Rated PG for adult themes and drinking. Suggested for ages 11 and up.