Anime is a window into Japanese society and a valuable resource for anyone hoping to understand this complex country. The animated film Ocean Waves (Japanese title Umi ga Kikoeru or “I Can Hear the Sea”) is a subtle story by Studio Ghibli that tells the tale of a girl from Tokyo whose parents have divorced, forcing her to move to Kochi Prefecture on the island of Shikoku with her mother. The story is about her struggles to adjust to this new part of Japan, where (she says) everyone talks like they came out of a samurai period drama on TV, and of a love triangle formed when two friends fall in love with her. Against the backdrop of the story is the group of high school students who instinctively create a stable group dynamic where everyone can feel like they’re a member and no one need feel ike an outsider, which is quite different from my own high school experience, let me tell you. The scene near the end of the film, when the students all have a reunion and share food and beer together while some members of the group dare to confess their secret loves, is great to observe.
“Ocean Waves” is a subtle and deep film by Studio Ghibli, and one of my favorites.
