![]() I’m leaving adolescence and have never experienced feelings of heart-break or endangered a friendship over a crush. ![]() Honestly, teenagers being mopey and dramatic is not my thing. When re-watching the film, I found I still wasn’t that interested in anything he had to say, for all his slick looks and hot temper. Rikako, the love interest, has an engaging, frustrating personality- but Taku, whose perspective frames the narrative, is more interesting in hindsight that in execution. But, this is undermined by the movie’s cast, who aren’t compelling enough in their own right to drive a narrative that’s rooted in character drama. And I’ll give the film some credit- it does have some insight into the mentality of teenagers and I appreciate its total commitment to a realistic, slice-of-life experience. And, fine, I understand that real-life often doesn’t work that way – that conflicts often fizzle out with no grand resolution. Even simple movies like Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service understood the importance of an ending that fulfilled the themes and motifs of their stories. It’s a film with no real narrative or thematic pay-off it meanders to its ending. I understand that it wasn’t aiming to be deep in its presentation of youth and nostalgia, but the story is so fraught with conflict between our protagonists that I was expecting a more insightful resolution than what was given. In that sense, it was a fascinating watch. The film’s aesthetic – the colours, the fashion – captures a specific ideal of the 90s that falls nicely into my generation’s perception (and idealisation) of that era. The soundtrack – way too good for this movie, in my opinion – is a mellow, light mixture of synth and piano tracks. The backgrounds are softly detailed and Katsuya Kondo’s character designs have so much appeal- in a more self-conscious, fashionable way. It concerns a love triangle that develops between two good friends and a new girl who transfers to their high school from Tokyo.įrom a stylistic point of view, Ocean Waves is lovely. Presented by the Consulate-General of Japan, the University of Auckland, the University of Waikato, Massey University and the Japan Foundation.Synopsis: Ocean Waves is set in the city of Kōchi, on the Japanese island of Shikoku. ![]() ![]() By the end of the term Taku will have learnt a valuable lesson in love and friendship. But soon his quiet life will be turned upside down with the arrival of Rikako: a beautiful student recently transferred from Tokyo. ![]() Kochi is your average coastal town on the sleepy, idyllic island of Shikoku and young Taku is definitely your average high school student. Wonderfully detailed and incredibly subtle, there are very few films in the history of animation that have managed to capture so well the joys and drama of adolescence and teenage alienation. Based upon author, essayist and playwright Saeko Himuro's most popular, best selling novel, Ocean Waves is one of the most poignant and unsung masterpieces within Studio Ghibli's legendary creative output. Rarely seen outside of Japan and never before released in Australia, Ocean Waves is one of Studio Ghibli's most sought after titles. (Director: Tomomi Mochizuki, 1993, 73min. We hope that you will enjoy the films and gain a deeper insight into various aspects of Japanese culture. Films, dates and times are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. Japanese films shown at the University of Waikato are usually screened on the second or third Thursday of the month from 7pm and are preceded by a documentary about Japanese culture from 6:45pm. Join us for the Japanese Film Evenings for 2019! ![]()
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