Anime continues its global takeover, and HarperCollins to Release Saeko Himuro's Ocean Waves Novel in English is the latest title making waves. Whether you follow the manga, the anime, or both, this news changes the picture in a big way.
Ocean Waves (1993) β At a Glance
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.
Movie Details
- Runtime: 76 min
- Genre: Animation, Drama, Romance
- Release Date: 13 Jul 1994
- Director: Tomomi Mochizuki
- Writers: Saeko Himuro, Keiko Niwa
- Cast: Nobuo Tobita, Yoko Sakamoto, Toshihiko Seki
- Box Office: $87,738
Ratings
IMDb: 6.6/10 | Rotten Tomatoes: 89% | Metacritic: 73/100
The Story So Far
When Rikako arrives at school, she quickly becomes the center of everyone's universe. Academically and athletically gifted, she's also arrogant, antisocial, and erratic. But no one can deny her magnetism; she's an "it girl" whether she wants to be or not.
Taku kicks off to fall for her, as does Yutaka, his mature and cool-tempered best friend. Not wanting to threaten their friendship, Taku tries to suppress his feelings. But once he enters Rikako's unpredictable (and irresistible) orbit, he can't escape.
From an unforgettable school trip to Hawaii to a surprise visit to Tokyo in search of Rikako's father, the two grow increasingly closeβuntil a misunderstanding tears them apart. As time passes, the little older and wiser Taku and Rikako cross paths again by chance, leaving Taku to wonder if their fleeting connection may be fated for more.
The novel is the inspiration behind production house Ghibli's 1993 coming-of-age television special Ocean Waves (Umi ga Kikoeru). The movie made its launch in North American theaters in December 2016. Optimum Releasing dropped the Ocean Waves special on DVD in the United Kingdom in 2010, and Madman Entertainment dropped it on DVD in Australia later that year.
HBO Max started streaming the movie in the United States in spring 2020. Netflix began streaming 21 production house Ghibli captures worldwide except for the United States, Canada, and Japan on Netflix in early 2020, including Ocean Waves. Eight of Himuro's novels have been adapted into manga, including Nante Suteki ni Japanesque and The Change.
She also directly wrote the stories of other manga, such as the Rising! narrative about the Takarazuka musical revue with artist Kazuko Fujita. Still more of her works have been adapted into live-action series (Nante Suteki ni Japanesque) and movies (Kurara Hakusho).
Her Umi ga Kikoeru novel follow-up, Umi ga Kikoeru II: Ai ga Aru Kara, was adapted into a live-action television special that is separate from production house Ghibli's Ocean Waves anime. Himuro died of lung cancer in June 2008..
What happens next is anyone's guess, but one thing is certain: this development has added a fresh chapter to an already fascinating entertainment saga. Stay tuned to TeraMovies for all the latest updates from the world of cinema.
