Yesterday I have seen "Ocean Waves" for the first time and I was very excited about the prospective. The titles was so promising, however I've been somehow disappointed by it. "What a weired way of sketching relationships among young men and women, I thought!"

Then I reflected upon the fact that maybe Japanese culture it truly built more on the unsaid than what is said. Silences play a bigger part in conversation than words do and being blunt about any possibile subject might not be the custom there, even today.

Unfortunately, I've never been to Japan so my assumptions are always the result of second hand experiences.

Can anyone, who saw O.W., tell me their own opinion, possibily those who actually live or have been living in Japan for a consitent period of time?

I welcome opinions!

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"Dream in a pragmatic way"

Ivynwater

When my ship was homeported in Yokosuka, Japan in '66/'67, because my stepfather was aboard at the same time, we had a home out in the suburbs with my mother and sister. I have to say this about the Ghibli films. They remind me very much of my times ashore while there. I obviously wasn't into the school scene, but I did have Japanese friends...

As for being blunt, if you want to call it that, many of the public restrooms in the different cities and towns I visited were unisex with no privacy. You went in, did your thing, ignored the others in there, and left. And some of the public baths were the same, men and women, young and old. You more or less lived within your own 'private' self... I can't put it into words that would make it clearer. You lived your life interacting closely with others, but you also had your own 'space', so to speak where you could retreat into your own 'privacy'. And everyone else was the same so there was, I'm sure, a lot of 'silent' times.

Because of the large population and the small size of the country with large parts of it too mountainous to live in, Japan has had a massive overcrowding problem for generations. Their culture has developed to deal with it.

When I rode the trains, during rush hours there were people actually employed to stuff the last few passengers inside the train cars by pushing and shoving them inside before the doors closed. The people on the trains took it in stride. I'm sure that they weren't necessarily happy with it, but it was a fact of life that they dealt with stoically. I learned what a sardine in a can feels like.

I don't know what it is like now, but I must assume that some things haven't changed and you must remember that many of the Ghibli films were set in the mid-sixties.

I hope that this has helped as I was just speaking off the top of my head from my memories. I would be interested to hear from others that have been there and hear what they have to say.

Good to see you again, Ivynwater

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Husky, your time in Japan sounded truly fun, so many different habits to be discovered I so wish to have the opportunity to live there for a while too.

Thanks for your reply, love it!

Please people, tell more about your times, past or curent, in Japan and you feel are related to the Ghibli world!

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"Dream in a pragmatic way"

Ivynwater

One thing in Totoro, a Japanese friend's family owned a rice farm about 25 kilometers outside of Tokyo and his family invited our family to visit for the weekend. Except that their house was a single story bldg, it was quite similar to the farmhouse in Totoro. There was only one bath and it was heated by gas rather than wood. Japanese bathing was different than Western style bathing in that you dipped basins of water over yourself and washed outside the tub and rinsed off the same way. THEN you got into the tub and there was only one tap. Cold water, because the tub water was constantly circulating through the heater and it was HOT!!! I came out looking like a lobster, lol, but I loved it.

When we ate dinner, there were big serving bowls in the middle of the dining table (we were seated on cushions on the floor) and we each had a small plate and a bowl. We took different items and placed them on the plate and put rice into the bowls and added whatever item we wanted from the plate and ate it with the rice, or not, as we chose. I learned then that you don't try to pick up the rice with the chopsticks, you put the edge of the bowl to your lips and more or less scoop the rice into your mouth. We had all learned to eat with chopsticks by then... Didn't need the spoons which had been thoughtfully provided.

After dinner the men went into a small room with a tv and watched a Japanese baseball game and drank hot saki. delicious. When we left we were given a 20 kilo bag of new rice that had been harvested and processed just the week before. I have to say that it was the most delicious rice I have ever eaten.

BTW, the only English speaking person in Mitio's family was him. My family knew some Japanese and my little sister was almost fluent so it was an interesting weekend, lol

I miss the times...

If I can find the picture of all of us, I will try to post it...


I'll back on out now and let others post...

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Once more, thank you, thank you and thank you for sharing these little treasures, please yes if you can post pictures.

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"Dream in a pragmatic way"

Ivynwater

I have never been or lived in Japan but hope to one day.

Oh and husky that thing about cramming people onto trains is insane, I have seen pictures and videos of it happening on the internet. I am so glad that The London Underground is not like that, and I hope it never is.

Anyway back on topic, as I have never been to Japan I can't offer that sort of perspective, however I am a Film Studies student and from that point of view there is a lot that can be talked about.

However these are just the most important.... IMO

1) The film to me comes across as trying to be one of those corny american high school films, ya know where the geeky boy falls in love with the popular girl because he doesn't really know her, then he finds that she is a right cow, then they resolve there issues learn from each other and fall in love.
2) The director wanted to show the horrible side of high school relationships, I mean it makes sense, Ghibli films have not been known for conforming to the societies norm. Furthermore not all high school relationships workout, but I felt this one we see in the film was presented to be like that then the director felt the need to have a happy ending so made them meet again at the station, this felt like he was trying to conform to the norm. The boy starts off the Anti - Hero and then all of a sudden becomes the Hero, not something that usually happens, characters are normally one or the other through the entire film. This was the only thing that bugged me about the film, it seemed very forced and uncomfortable, IMO I don't think the director should of had them meet again, it felt like nothing more than a quirky gimic.
3) I also felt the relationship between our two main characters were very very childish, ya know like in junior school (For those of non UK decent - between the ages of 7 - 11) where you hold each others hand and walk around the playground a few times one says something stupid and you both break up and fall apart because it is the worst thing that has ever happened to you !!

So in my opinion this film sits in the middle for me, I neither hate it or love it, but it is bearable enough to watch it.

I hope this helped from a Film Studies students point of view, I tend to deconstruct films as I watch them now out of habbit and question why things are happening this way, and what are the intentions and meaning behind it.

I enjoyed the inter-action between Rikako and Taku as I think that he is the first male that doesn't cater to her every whim... He does go to Tokyo with her, but he is helping out Yumi more that Rikako IMO. I really liked the ending at the train station...

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quote:

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Originally posted by husky51
I enjoyed the inter-action between Rikako and Taku as I think that he is the first male that doesn't cater to her every whim... He does go to Tokyo with her, but he is helping out Yumi more that Rikako IMO. I really liked the ending at the train station...

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And that's what is cool about the Tavern... We can like a movie for entirely diofferent reasons... BTW, wiki, are you the one that likes traiins??? I can't remember... If you are the one (besides ADW) check out the post in Share links... I think that you'll like it...

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I watched OW recently and i have to say i was a bit dissapointed.. it wasn't that great.... and it felt so short it didn't even feel like anything really happened.

I did like the seen however, where they slap each other haha

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quote:

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1) The film to me comes across as trying to be one of those corny american high school films, ya know where the geeky boy falls in love with the popular girl because he doesn't really know her, then he finds that she is a right cow, then they resolve there issues learn from each other and fall in love.

Yes, this was my perception too at first, however isn't it possibile that if this story were made by Americans the dialogue between the 2 main characters would have been richer?

2) The director wanted to show the horrible side of high school relationships, I mean it makes sense, Ghibli films have not been known for conforming to the societies norm. Furthermore not all high school relationships workout, but I felt this one we see in the film was presented to be like that then the director felt the need to have a happy ending so made them meet again at the station, this felt like he was trying to conform to the norm. The boy starts off the Anti - Hero and then all of a sudden becomes the Hero, not something that usually happens, characters are normally one or the other through the entire film. This was the only thing that bugged me about the film, it seemed very forced and uncomfortable, IMO I don't think the director should of had them meet again, it felt like nothing more than a quirky gimic.

Yep, the end was corny and unbelievable. Yet I don't think it is right to talk about "horrible side" of high school relationship.

3) I also felt the relationship between our two main characters were very very childish, ya know like in junior school (For those of non UK decent - between the ages of 7 - 11) where you hold each others hand and walk around the playground a few times one says something stupid and you both break up and fall apart because it is the worst thing that has ever happened to you !!

Hm....that was exactly what puzzled me. Is the relationship between the two objectively childish or are our western eyes that make us say so, only because we do not approve of shyness and implicity in relationship?
When I watched the movie "Departures" I had to ponder once more on the same issue. (The movie is beautiful by the way).

I hope this helped from a Film Studies students point of view, I tend to deconstruct films as I watch them now out of habbit and question why things are happening this way, and what are the intentions and meaning behind it.

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I think that your approach is quite correct, after letting yourself being taken away by the atmosphere of course!

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"Dream in a pragmatic way"

Ivynwater

quote:

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Originally posted by husky51

And that's what is cool about the Tavern... We can like a movie for entirely diofferent reasons... BTW, wiki, are you the one that likes traiins??? I can't remember... If you are the one (besides ADW) check out the post in Share links... I think that you'll like it...

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i actually really enjoyed Ocean Waves, it wasn't outstanding by any stretch of the imagination but i really enjoyed the way the story was told.... It has been a long time since iv seen it though so i can't really say more than that