Who directed Studio Ghibli’s 1993 film Ocean Waves?

Tomomi Mochizuki directed Studio Ghibli’s 1993 film Ocean Waves.

Ocean Waves was made for television rather than as a theatrical feature. It was produced by Studio Ghibli’s younger staff, making it an important early project for employees who had not yet directed a major film. The story follows high-school students Taku Morisaki and Yutaka Matsuno, whose friendship is affected by their complicated relationship with Rikako Muto.

The film is based on Saeko Himuro’s novel I Can Hear the Sea. Its setting in Kōchi and Tokyo, along with its focus on ordinary adolescent relationships, gives it a more realistic tone than many fantasy-oriented Ghibli productions.

A frequent mistake is attributing the film to Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata because they are the studio’s best-known directors. Neither directed it. Tomomi Mochizuki, who had worked on television animation, handled the direction, while the production emphasized younger talent and a tighter budget.