Known in Japan as ‘I can hear the Sea’ is a 1993 Japanese anime coming of age romantic drama TV film. Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki. Written by Keiko Niwa ( credited a s Kaori Nakamura ). It is based on the 1990-1992 novel of the same name by Saeko Himuro.
It first aired on May 5, 1993 on Nippon TV. The film is set in the city of Kochi, follows a love triangle that develops between two good friends & a new girl who transfers to their high school from Tokyo.
The story is a string of events taking place in school & with the two friends in the midst.
It was an attempt by Studio Ghibli to allow their younger staff members to make a film reasonably cheaply. But it ended up going both over budget & over schedule. In 1995, a sequel to the novel, I can hear the sea II : Because There is Love, was published in the same year, a TV drama was produced based on this work starring Shinji Takeda & Hitomi Sato.
Rotten Tomatoes gave it a rating of 6.6 / 10. Critics state that it ‘is a graceful & mature offering from Ghibli’ s younger generation’.
One of the under rated films made by the studio. Raw at times, but the story is good. It holds you till the end.
Asian Entertainment 