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I liked it more than expected, at first Shizuku's attitude bothered me a bit, but X. I feel that there is a lot of story to tell, very good but incomplete, that's the feeling it gives me.
This was actually a pretty good film not the best from Ghibli but pretty good nonetheless. I honestly didn’t know what I was expecting with this one because the poster suggests it’s gonna be something supernatural related when at it’s core it’s more of a slice life romance story. It did feel like it was a bit slow in pace but it definitely picked up as soon as Shizuku and Seiji got to know each other better.
The movie does have a very fairy tale vibe to it and very relatable at the same time, I really love that Country Roads is like a leitmotif for this entire film which honestly fits the whole atmosphere that Whisper of the Heart has going on for it. But it’s not just that it’s very varied in it’s instrumental music as well giving it a nice feel to it. Despite the poster suggesting otherwise, I feel like this movie doesn’t really need anything more than it being a simple slice of life story, ending was a little on the rushed side of things but nothing that would impact the film as a whole. Not one of my favourites from Ghibli like I said but still a pretty good film. 8/10.
Another hopefully and probably promising great Studio Ghibli movie which I have high expectations from. And a romance at that. Can't wait.
Like all movies I compared the Sub to the Dub and for this one prefered the Dub over the Sub.
And so the story starts off with a great strong start of what this movie will be about with its foreshadowing. With Shizuku noticing a familiar name, Seiji Amasawa who checked out a lot of books before her which she has read. Wondering if they are alike and possibly have the same taste from reading the same books.
When she checks out a new book she finds out she's the first to do it. And finally she thinks she beat Seiji into checking out a book she hasn't read. But instead she finds out he was the donor of this book. What's that?
Shizuku and her friend Yuko sing lyrics together which Shizuku wrote, Yuko tells Shizuku about her getting a love letter. But she has a crush on some other guy, Sugimura. When she drops her book and goes back to get it, she finds someone reading it. He gives it back and compliments her lyrics in a teasing manner which gets her butthurt. --The book makes her cry. She finds a cat in a metro which gets her interest to follow it. Which leads her to an antique shop, and a statue called Baron Humbert von Gikkingen. The man shows her an amazing clock work in action showing its beautiful fairy tale love story. She then realizes she's almost late to go to the library and give her father his lunch, and somehow the same guy who read her book picked up that lunch which she forgot. The cat is his. While he teases her again, she really doesn't like him. But he is kind of an asshole.
Now in exams. Shizuku continuing to tease Yuko's crush over Sugimura. Shizuku asks teachers who the author is and she finds out that Dr. Awasawa's son is in her grade. Her friends tease her 'love'interest over Seiji and she hopes that assole isn't him. And they love her finished lyrics. On the sidelines, Sugimura calls out Yuko to tell her something. Shizuku gets a call from Yuko crying to meet her. Sugimura tried to convince her to go out with his friend who's the one who sent her a love letter. And so obviously she feels inferior to this because it means he doesn't feel nothing about her. Sugimura goes to Shizuku to ask what he did wrong to Yuko, and she reveals to him that Yuko likes him. Uh oh? Aw shit! But he likes Shizuku! But... he gets friendzoned because she doesn't want to betray Yuko.
I wondered if it were possible because he did show an interest by casually talking to her which I picked up but it still took me by surprise. Feeling gloomy about what happened she visits the antique shop for a third time, closed. She see's the cat and goes to it, talking about missing her old self, with now knowing life isn't like fantasies and slowly not liking books as much. The asshole comes by bike, as it is his home, he goes to talk to her. They talk about the cat, Moon who's actually a wandering cat. While she speaks he blushes for some reason and says she's not like Moon when she calls the cat and her mean. Mentioning not seeing the cat statue in the store anymore he goes to show it to her. The Baron statue isn't complete tho, its missing a Louise statue. Going downstairs seeing him make a violin she's amazed and then asks him if he can play, and he says only if she sings along. It's beautiful. They're covering the original song "Country Road" that she wrote different lyrics to. Which is also the same song that was used as a soundtrack in the beginning of the movie. The grandpa and his crew come from home and overhear, they then join her with their own instruments. She then realizes he's Seiji Amasawa. And Nishi is his grandfather's last name. Not his. And she's disappointed that he's not as dreamy as she imagined. The old men laugh.
His dream is to be a world-class violin maker and go to Italy to get the best training. He apologizes for his corny comment and compliments her lyrics truthfully and encourages it.
Sugimura and her run together for a while almost late, seems they won't be getting along. And in school there's already a rumor that she's going out with a guy from another class. Sugimura goes to Yuko and apologizes to her for his friend's love letter.
Seiji asks for Shizuku in her class. The whole class teases them. Seiji announces to her that he's going to Italy, and that he'll become an apprentice of his grandpa's friend who will determine if he has a talent to chase his dream. He's going as soon as he gets a passport. She's slightly sad that he'll be going but she doesn't say it. She tells him about not having a dream and wishing that they'd go to high school together. While the class is peeking. He admits to having noticed her in the library a while ago and that he's passed her a 100 times and even sat next to her sometimes but she never noticed. So he checked out a lot of books so he would notice her and it did. Seems they have a mutual love interest. --The class then barges in by accidents and she chases them out. Feeling down she goes to Yuko's house and they have their girl talk. Shizuku doesn't believe she's good enough for Seiji. Shizuku decides to chase her own dreams and try out becoming a writer. Her first story will be inspired from the Baron Statue. The old man makes a deal for him to be the first to read his finished book since she asked for permission if she can use the Baron in her story. She continues to study books to create her own story. In the library she notices Seiji beside her. He says he'll leave tomorrow. He'll come back after 2 months. And so we continuing seeing the imagery of Shizuku's story with the Baron and Louise.
Shizuku's older sister tells her mom that she's planning to move out, she found a great apartment and has a good part-time job with her studies. Her mother is still studying for her Master's. Her mom show's her older daughter Shizuku's marks are are very low now. When the dad arrives the older sister is scolding Shizuku for her bad marks and her future. The father tells them to get to the kitchen to have the conversation. They continue the talk with the mother. The father lets her be. She looks stressed thinking over her future. She shows her finished book to the old man. Once he's done her long book calling it wonderful she reacts very negatively with insecurity in her work. He honestly tells her that it was raw and heartfelt. He describes her with talent and that she just needs practicing, she cries. She tells the old man how she feels very inferior to Seiji. And still believes she'll never be enough for him. Louise is actually a women the old man once loved who wanted to buy the Baron and the Baronness together. And so one day the separated while she stayed in Germany and he left to Japan, but then there was war so it took him longer to come back. And once he did he never found Louise, or the Baronness ever again.
Waking up, she opens the window to see Seiji on his bike who invites her for a ride. Seiji's master told him he's not great yet, and so attend high school and then he'll go back. He shows her this beautiful scenery of the sunset on his favorite spot. And shyly asks her if she see's them getting married together. And she says she does. "Shizuku, I love you!" he says.
THE END.
In the ending credits we see Yuko waiting for Sugimura, and they then walk together.
... I feel that it possibly somewhat deserves a score of 8 out of 10. But personally in my likability of the movie I'll give it a score of 7. Very Good Movie.
It's really sad that Yoshifumi Kondo died so early. This movie was great and I'm certain that he would've directed more masterpieces if he were alive. Anyway I guess I was supposed to watch this before The Cat Returns, but I wasn't aware of that until now so whatever lol. Oh and that Japanese cover of Country Roads is beautiful.
just a simple pseudo-fairytale of passions and loves. Whispers of the Heart is the perfect moment for it, softly powerful moments of greatness scattered throughout.
Beatnik said: THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
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Just a perfect little gem of a movie. (not from a shop either, but raw!)
Three moments I loved were:
# Seiji being asked to play the violin, with Shizuku singing, then the three guys join in with their instruments.
# Seiji and Shizuku on the roof with the entire class having followed them from the classroom, hilarious.
# "Will you marry me?"
EDIT: I should clarify by raw I meant the gem and not the anime, my Japanese isnt that good yet...ahem.
I yeah, those three moments were really great!
The music scene was awe inspiring, the scene when they were talking on the roof with their classmates looking on was indeed, hilarious, and that proposal scene by Seiji was just pure gold! A perfect way to cap off a really great movie!
This film takes place in ‘94, I was nine at the time, so it was also a really good throwback into my own childhood. (Minus it being in Japan and all) I love the whole trying to figure out what you wanna do with your life theme. And also for Shizuku to be chasing Seiji by following her OWN passion was very much good!
The romances were good and real cute. And, as I said previously, I really did like that scene where Shizuku and Seiji were trying to talk, and even when they went to the roof to try and get away from everyone, they followed them up there, only to get caught by falling through the door. That was hilarious! And that proposal by Seiji at the end there? Pure gold! The perfect icing on the cake for a great movie such as this! 9/10
