Rikako Muto

Rikako Muto (武藤 里伽子) is the main character of Ocean Waves film.

Appearance
Rikako has dark hair and brown eyes.

Personality
Although her classmates, especially the boys, admire her due to her school achievements, she doesn't talk much with her classmates, which makes her appear arrogant. But that's not the case, since actually she expects her classmates to come and speak to her. Therefore, Yutaka Matsuno is the only boy who speaks to her. This is because she struggles with Kōchi dialect, since she comes from Tokyo, where nobody speaks it (Kōchi dialect reminds her of films about samurai).

Due to the difficult relationship with her mother, she distrusts other people; she doesn't trust even to her close friends Yutaka Matsuno, Taku Morisaki and Yumi Kohama. However, they feel sorry for her because her parents' divorce and moving to other city. After all, she doesn't just have to get used to the new dialect, she also left her old friends. However, Rikako is not afraid to show her feelings. So one night she throws herself into Taku's arms.

However, her indifferent behavior makes her an outsider, which means that Yutaka and Taku no longer talk to her. She even argues with Taku, which ends in a duet slapping the face. Only after graduating from school does she realize that she was selfish and lets Akiko Shimizu apologize to the two boys.

She always wanted to stay in Tokyo. So she enrolls at the university in Kōchi, but she studies in Tokyo, where one day she meets Taku at Kichijōji station.

Plot
She can be seen for the first time at Kouchi Outemae High School, where she is talking to a teacher. She changed schools during the school year, which is unusual. Since her parents are divorced, she moved from Tokyo to Kōchi with her mother and younger brother. She lives alone, however. Later Rikako is introduced to her school through the class president, Yutaka Matsuno, who hence introduces her to his best friend, Taku Morisaki.

Rikako's Father and his girlfriend
During Golden Week Rikako wants to visit her father. She wants this to be a surprise, so she doesn't announce her visit. Also she doesn't tell anyone about this planned flight except for Yumi Kohama, who is standing at the airport. She previously told Yumi that they would be flying to Osaka for a concert together. She borrowed money from Taku Morisaki and Yutaka Matsuno for the flight. She lied to the boys that she lost her money on a school trip in Hawaii.

When she arrives in Tokyo, she is disappointed in her father that she can no longer live with him, because she would rather live in Tokyo than in Kōchi. She has hated her father's girlfriend ever since.

Akiko and other classmates
Rikako's classmates gossip about her that she is arrogant and selfish. Akiko Shimizu advises the girls that gossiping only has a negative impact on the class community. But Rikako doesn't care about the class community. So she does not take part in the school festival. And as her school performance improves, she attracts the envy of others. Akiko tells Rikako that Rikako should approach others and be more open. But they haven't talked to each other since the school festival.

It was not always so. When she was new to school, her classmates admired her for her accomplishments. Lots of guys think she's pretty, but they're too shy to tell her. Some guys are also said to have a crush on Rikako.

In general, she finds it difficult to feel at home in Kōchi. Because of the Kōchi dialect, she doesn't understand everything and she waits for people to come up to her. It takes a while before she becomes friends with Yumi Kohama. When she started school, she was transferred to Yutaka's class. But because of her behavior, she gets into Taku's class.

Okada
She would like to avoid him.

Taku Morisaki
She first met Taku when Yutaka introduced him to Matsuno. She spoke to him for the first time during the school trip. She is open to him, which shows her bad qualities. She is talkative and talks a lot about herself. She also makes jokes and sulks.

Sometimes, even if she trusts Taku, she doesn't tell him the whole truth. However, out of pity he stands by her. At school, she talks about their short trip to Tokyo, where they also stayed in a hotel room together. Since she has also hurt Yutaka's feelings, Taku confronts her, which ends in an argument with slaps in the face.

She hasn't spoken to Yutaka or Taku since the school festival. This also leads to Yutaka stop talking to Taku. Only after the class reunion does she meet him at the Kichijōji train station in Tokyo.

Yumi Kohama
She befriends Yumi Kohama after living in Kōchi for two years. Yumi becomes her best friend. For her mother, Yumi is the only person Rikako is allowed to travel with.

But Yumi doesn't tell Rikako the whole truth. It was planned to fly to Osaka for a concert. Instead, she bought plane tickets to Tokyo. Yumi feels guilty about it. She is selfish even to her closest friend.

Etymology

 * The name Rikako means "village" (里) (ri), "nursing, attending/attendant, entertainer" (伽) (ka) and "child" (子) (ko).
 * Rikako's surname Muto means "military, martial" (武) (mu) and "wisteria" (藤) (to).

Gallery
Rikako Mutō 海がきこえる