Limited Shibuya Screening for Studio Ghibli’s ‘Ocean Waves’

Studio Ghibli’s film ‘Ocean Waves’ will be screened exclusively at Bunkamura Le Cinema Shibuya Miyashita in Shibuya, Tokyo, from Friday, March 15.

Based on the novel of the same title by Saeko Himuro, this animated feature film was originally broadcast as a TV special in 1993. It was later rebroadcast on “Friday Road Show” in 2011, and had limited screenings at movie theaters in the U.S. It has become a deeply loved work despite its limited viewing environment.

The film features Taku Morisaki, who graduated from high school in Kochi and entered university in Tokyo, as the main character, and depicts the relationship between Rikako Muto, a free-spirited transfer student, and Taku’s best friend Matsuno, who is attracted to Rikako, while mixing the present day college student with memories of their junior high and high school days. The film was created with the key concept of “a sense of normalcy,” and is characterized by its beautiful depiction of the cityscape of the 1990s, using black and white and flashbacks. It is also known as a film produced mainly by the young Studio Ghibli staff of the time.

The main visual for this limited screening depicts the platform of Kichijoji Station, an important location for the story and a direct train connection from the screening venue, Shibuya.