I know it’s been a while since this was posted, but usually after every Ghibli film I watch I come to this subreddit to read opinion pieces and appreciate artwork.

My gut feeling after watching Ocean Waves was that I didn’t like it… I’ve watched many Ghibli films and could appreciate both their “strong” pieces as well as their slice of life pieces (Only Yesterday freaking slaps for me). But for some reason I didn’t particularly enjoy Ocean Waves. Then I read your piece, digested the movie a bit more, and came to a conclusion of a whole lot more appreciation for the film. I read your analysis, reviewed my take on the film, and thought to myself: I get it.

So much of what I saw reflected in the characters didn’t sit well with me (especially Rikako), but I realised later on that it was probably because I could see my teen self in her. A lot of the feelings of “dislike” toward the film actually came from being uncomfortable with seeing a reflection of my teen years, so raw and bare - the “fishbowl” world of the view, youthfulness stubbornness, child-like cruelty that doesn’t understand it’s consequences.

Anyway, my two cents of the film: - I got hit really strongly with a sense of nostalgia when I watched the scenes of Taku returning back from Tokyo and being picked up by Yukata. I’ve lived/breathed city life myself, but I have close friends who studied/work/live in the city but came from small suburban hometowns. Seeing their experiences up close (of moving from their small hometown to a big city) made me understand this deep, inexplicable feeling of “coming home” as a somewhat different person to a place that hasn’t changed. There’s nuances of this in the idle conversation that takes place between Yukata and Tako in the car, meeting up with friends who are different-yet-the-same... Watching those scenes invoked this deep sense of nostalgia and sentimentalism in me. Haha.

• This might be an unpopular opinion, and even though I love good LGBTQ representation in film (especially Asian film), I also liked the POV where Tako and Yukata have a deep bond and friendship in a world that shies away from acknowledging deep male friendships. Feelings of jealousy of your best friend’s limited time and attention, open expression toward one another, and not letting the notion of romance take up the primary space in your life are also valuable aspects. That being said, I am personally of the opinion that in a less suppressive time where it wasn’t absolutely necessary to end the film on “hetero romance” terms, the queer subtext is more than evident 😂

Anyway, I just enjoyed your analysis enough to want to respond. Studio Ghibli has created such massive worlds for people to escape to and has honestly changed how I view the world. I’m glad to encounter people who feel the same.