Umi ga Kikoeru is not your typical Ghibli film. The premise is very straightforward and its characters might rub you the wrong way. I believe this is what threw a lot of people off. But not enough people realize and appreciate the simplicity of this movie. Compared to romance you see in anime nowadays, we aren't being forced down our throat what each character is feeling at every twist and turn in this movie. There aren't any crazy explosions and bgm that cue when the moment is just right. That is this film's charm. It perfectly captures the awkwardness of being an adolescent in love.