I'm honestly buffled by the fact that this is a ghibli movie. The animation was alright, the main hero and his best friends were nice enough characters, but the girl - Oh.MY.GOD. From the first interaction she had with the hero, it was made clear that she's completely self centered and and a huge asshole. She had done nothing but manipulate everyone around her and treat them horribley, and then playing the victim. The main hero didn't take it and he seemed to really dislike her behavior, but then at the end, he came to the conclusion that he was in love with her, which was so confusing and weird and didn't make any sense, because she was a real dick to him and was totally unlikable.
Before watching "ocean waves", Youtube has been suggesting me a video about this movie, with a theory that it's accidentelly queer. Honestly, I agree. It would've worked SO much better as a love story between Yutaka and Taku. Their interactions were actually positive, nice, and full of chemistry (except when Yutaka had a moment of stupidity and punched Taku in the face for not helping for a girl who was a HUGE BITCH to him).
The movie had a very weird vibe. I usually like romace, high school coming of age stories - "whisper of the heart" is one of my favourite Ghibli films, and I keep wanting to come back to it. But "ocean waves" was different. It had the chill vibes of other Ghibli films frm the same genre, like "whisper if the heart" and "from up on poppy hill", but it lacked character and personality. The only moments that I liked were the quiet moments of observation - like the moment where Taku is walking in Tokyo, filled with wonder that only a small town person can feel when they first get to experience the big city. I also liked the moment at the end, where Taku and Yutaka are just looking at the sky, like they did in the beginning of the movie. I wish it ended there, becaouse that would've put a spotlight on their friendship instead of that annoying girl.

Another thing that bugged me - it was too short to have a real plot, and it felt very unfinished - like it ended before it even started. But at the same time, it was just so BORING. It felt like it was going on for eternity, and I couldn't wait for it to end.
The real problem with tthis movie are the characters. They don't change, they don't evolve, and they learn nothing. Rikako never apologizes for being to selfish and mean to Taku. She does apologize for the horrible way she treated Yutaka, but not directly to him. And the movie didn't make me connect to the story, becaouse the characters acted in ways that were never explained. We never found out why both Yutaka and Taku were in love with Rikako. Yes, she was straight forward, smart, and very accomplished, but she was also a mean, selfish person, and we never got to see any traits that made her actually likable. I wouldn't want to date her - I wouldn't even want to be her friend.
So yeah, I really disliked this movie. The only reason I kept going is because I've already committed to it, and I wanted to at least add it to my list of finished Ghibli films. But now that I've watched it, I can confidently say that this movie is NOT a must watch. You can definitely skip it. You can watch it and decide for yourself, but I've gained nothing from it. and that's it.