Customer Reviews

Whisper Of The Heart [Pal, Region 2, Import]

5 star:		(77)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Whisper of the heart is one of the most sensitive, heartwarming and beautiful films ever made. Based on a shojo manga by Aoi Hiiragi, Written and produced by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Yoshifumi Kondo, whisper of the heart is a tale of self discovery and coming of age of a high school girl Shizuku who is not sure what she wants in life. A series of dramatic events bring her closer to a guy Seiji from her own school. Together they embark on a journey which will help them find their inner potentials, realize their dreams and also love for each other. Also featured in the movie is an old man who runs an antique shop stocked with amazing treasures, including a magnificient porcelain figurine "the baron" (also featured in "The cat returns). Both of these characters play an important role in the film. Though "The cat returns" is kind of follow up to "whisper" yet for some reason it was released on dvd before "whisper".

Rarely is a film as honest and realistic as whisper of the heart and that's what makes it amazingly special, charming and successful. Within its thin plot and realistic settings, whisper has its magic moments which are downright uplifting and strike a chord somewhere deep inside. The film itself is a breath of fresh air.

Whisper of the heart, though slow in pace, draws you in from the very beginning and refuses to let you go. Its a heartwarming tale which makes you feel nostalgic and helps you relive the adolescence. Except for the Shizuku's dreamy fantasy sequence, the film relies heavily on dialogues and simple and real situations. The locales and the backgrounds shown in the film are as beautiful and breathtaking as in any other ghibli film. Open spaces, beautiful countryside, deep blue sky with summer clouds, a bicycle ride atop the hill, there are numerous things and moments in the film that set the mood just right, leaving the viewer spellbound and satisfied. After a while you forget completely that you are watching an animated film. Music plays an important role in the film and is soft and relaxing though we do get lots of those silent moments too for which ghibli films are famous. Also featured in the film is John Denver's song "country roads" which makes the perfect backdrop for the film. Not to mention here, the royalty disputes which arised later, making it difficult for the movie to see an American release.

Be it character development, animation or background art of the film, attention to details is simply stunning.The incredibly detailed backgrounds of the fantasy sequences were done by Naohisa Inoue who was an established artist and a long time Miyazaki fan. Impressed by his fantasy work, Miyazaki himself invited him to work on the film. Whisper of the heart dvd released by Buena Vista in Japan includes a special documentary showcasing the dreamy artwork of the film.

Director Yoshifumi Kondo had worked on many ghibli films such as Kiki's delivery service, Grave of the fireflies and Pom poko etc, as an animator. Hayao Miyazaki, who was looking for new breed of directors for ghibli, recognised Kondo's talent in no time and gave him a chance to direct this movie. Unfortunately, whisper of the heart remains to be the first and the only film directed by Yoshifumi Kondo. Just after the release of whisper, Kondo succumbed to aneurysm. It is evident from whisper of the heart how immensely talented and sensitive director Kondo was.

Films like whisper of the heart are very rare and come once in a lifetime. Watching a film like this is an experience to behold and cherish forever.

This movie, produced by Studio Ghibli (the same company that produces Miyazaki's movies) is a gem. Unlike all of Miyazaki's movies, this one tells in a very poetic way a story about credible young people, their coming of age, and their growing awareness on their dreams and aspirations. It is also a beatiful love story between two children who are discovering that they seem to be made for each other.

This is also one of those movies that will remind you of your school years, and I find amazing the accuracy with which children's emotions are depicted. Indeed, this is something I really appreciate about most of these Japanese directors: the ability of depicting children for what they are, rather than as cute mature and witty "little" adults, as much of Hollywood instead does.

As in virtually all of Studio Ghibli's movies, the drawings are beautiful, some of them breathtaking, and the characters are lovable and well constructed. One of the major "characters" is a cat that will certainly end up loving!

If you liked this movie, I would also strongly suggest you to look for another two Studio Ghibli movies that share the same genre. One is "Ocean waves" (which centers around the complicated love-hate relation between two high school student), and the other one, which is absolutely wonderful, is "Only yesterday", the story of a young Tokio woman who rediscovers herself during a vacation in the countryside. I think both of them (especially the last one) are true masterpieces.

I am so glad that this Studio Ghibli gem is finally getting a U.S. release, so that it can get an even wider audience.

Unlike some better known Ghibli productions such as Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away, Whisper of the Heart has very few fantasy elements; it's a story that is very 'real'. The setting of Whisper Of The Heart (original title: Mimi wo Sumaseba) is a typical Tokyo suburb, and the main protagonists are Suzuka and Seiji, a girl and a boy in junior high school. Suzuka is not quite sure yet what she wants to do with her life, but Seiji on the other hand has already found his lifes work. The themes this movie cover are universal, such as:
What does it mean to have, and pursue a dream? What is the use of education? What does it mean to love someone? And so on.

This is a perfect family movie also, for kids over age 10 or so and up. The pace may be a bit too leisurely for younger kids and they may not quite get the themes of ambition, etc as well as older kids might, though there is plenty of other elements to hold their attention, such as the gorgeous animation and the cheekiest cat imaginable. (There is absolutely nothing in this movie that's 'inappropriate' for young children in any way - just that the themes may be a bit difficult for them.) Adults who remember their teenage years would love this movie also. It made me remember what it was like to be 13 and unsure of myself and what I wanted to 'do with my life', and of hanging out with my friends, and the crushes I had on boys, etc. This movie is particularly great for young girls, since Suzuka, the main character, is one of the most realistically portrayed low-teen girls I've ever seen on screen. Ironic, since she's animated. (I wonder why so many Ghibli movies feature a girl as the main character?)

I do hope that Disney doesn't dub this with hyperactive voice actors - the original voices are quite calm and 'normal'.

Incidentally, this is a prequel of sorts to The Cat Returns (Neko no Ongaeshi), since a cat statue that appears in Whisper... comes to life so to speak in the more fantasy-oriented The Cat Returns. You can enjoy either movie on its own, however.

Whisper of the Heart is a wonderful Ghibli movie; although the animation style shows a bit of age, the visual compositions, the magic that makes the ordinary suddenly special, the human touch and warmth of people all make that totally inconsequential. Even if the characters might not be the smooth and flashy style, their movements, the life in them, let alone the breathtaking backgrounds are better than almost anything modern animation has produced.
The plot itself doesn't read as anything exciting that would make one pick up the movie, but that would be a mistake; Whisper of the Heart is about idealism, about love, about the emotions that make us human, that make life worth living. This doesn't make it a boring chick flick or art movie, though. The characters have enough quirks and humor to them to keep even an action aficionado entertained.
There is nothing adult about this movie, in the best senses of that word. No foul language, no sex, no drugs, no drinking, no violence. This is the kind of movie that you can show to a child of any age, from seven to a hundred and seven, and the magic will be there. It is the kind of work that inspires faith in humanity.

Like chocolate milk and pancake batter, utter realism and animation rarely mix. Cartoons, completely unrestrained by the laws of physics, usually depict fanciful, imaginary, or surreal worlds and creatures that real fleshy human beings can relate to only indirectly or analogously. Talking lions, anthropomorphic toasters, ants with eyebrows, singing lawn furniture. That's the stuff of animation. "Kid's stuff," at least for many living in the United States. But, across the Pacific, one of Japan's greatest animation houses, Studio Ghibli, has continually broken this tradition by incorporating human characters so believable and lifelike they could already exist two doors down. "Whisper of the Heart" contains realism so tangible it could work as a live action movie.

Apart from a few scenes, the entire plot of this animated film takes place within the human realm. The heroine, Shizuku Tsukishima, a junior high school student in a middle class Japanese family, faces the perennial coming of age question: "what should I do with my life?" Her easily distracted squirrelish mind often wanders through fairy tales and imaginary stories. She follows tangents and roads less traveled, a habit that induces her to follow a stray cat, Muta, from a public train to an antique store. Once there she discovers an enigmatic sculpture of a well dressed cat. Its eyes radiate like fiery nebulas. The store's proprietor, Shirou Nishi, refers to it as "The Baron." Something about this statuesque cat catches Shizuku's attention and she decides to write a fairy tale narrated by The Baron. For a few minutes the movie shifts out of reality to depict pieces of this story. But reality quickly, and harshly, returns.

Along the way Shizuku gets haunted by a name: Seiji Amasawa. This person has already checked out nearly every book she has from the library. Examining the old style checkout cards - now extinct from computerized libraries - reveals this startling pattern. She begins to fantasize about the mysteriously reoccurring name. By this point her friends have taken an interest in boys, which also piques her own interest. One friend has a stultifying crush on a somewhat brutish baseball player who wouldn't notice a flaming brick thrown at his face. Shizuku tries to set them up but falls flat into a humiliating "whoops!" moment. The evasive name of Seiji wafts in the background.

When Shizuku discovers the identity of Seiji Amasawa, she's disappointed and a fight ensues. Nonetheless, the two build a relationship based on the ineffable stuff that all relationships are built on. Then Seiji, in pursuit of his life's ambition, decides to move to Cremona, Italy. This throws Shizuku into an emotional abyss. She seeks the solace of her friends. The same ones that previously sought relationship advice from her. Shizuku's own flowering fairy tale confronts reality. Will this relationship work? How can it?

Allegories of lost love permeate the story. An old clock, restored by Nishi, depicts a Prince staring longingly at his true love who only appears at twelve o'clock. Nishi himself dreams about the return of his long lost love, Louise. Even in his old age he still hopes. The lonely figure of the Baron parallels this tragedy. A companion piece, a well-dressed female cat also named Louise, disappeared along with Nishi's Louise of the flesh. Life interferes with love. And, despite the ending, life appears ready to deliver a blow to Seiji and Shizuku. Arguably, the ending remains open to interpretation. The constant refrain of "Country Roads," made famous by John Denver but sung here by Olivia Newton-John, hearkens those who have gone astray or wandered off to return home "where they belong" (at least in the minds of the amorously abandoned). Eerily, Shizuku and Seiji's story could end up mirroring Nishi's and Louise's.

"Whisper of the Heart" is one of Studio Ghibli's most poignant and beautiful films. Adults will probably identify with its themes more than children or teenagers. It searches for magic in reality rather than in fantasy, but it challenges these dreams with the vicissitudes of workaday life. It also makes us reflect on the whispers of our own hearts that tell us what we may have lost or may potentially be in the process of losing.

Before I saw this fantastic animated masterpiece, my only contact with Japanese Anime' was when my nieces and nephews came for visits (they were interested in watching Ninja/Karate/Sailor Moon, etc). These cartoons, although hypnotic and mesmerizing to the kids, seemed mindless with no real message (not that there's anything wrong with that).

One evening this past January, I was flipping through the channels when I came upon TCM's Thursday night special tribute to Hayao Miyazaki. I listened to the pre-feature info-guy describing the great artistry and storytelling of this director and thought "I'll give it 2 minutes and then continue flipping".

After only ten minutes I found myself totally immersed in the experience. What a beautifully crafted, artistically amazing, and poignant study of two young Japanese students encouraging one another to follow their dreams as they surprise themselves by falling in love.

As a professional artist, I was amazed at the superb quality and artistry of the background panels, each one alone a separate masterpiece, and the 3 dimensional feel in the movement/action. This was not what I had expected.

The most striking element of this masterpiece (at the risk of being trite) was the slice of modern Japanese life/culture it imparted to me. The characters were real, while at the same time decent, moral kids. There was a certain innocence in the characters that was totally refreshing and endearing. They projected an almost spiritual reverence for their elders and total respect for their teachers. Because the Japanese culture is shown to be "user friendly", their parents had no fear for their kids traveling on bikes and rapid transit throughout Tokyo. It was quite charming to follow the various characters through their daily activities and reminded me of my own childhood before our American culture became so dangerous.

I now own many of Miyazaki's films including Porco Rosso, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, and a few others. However, my personal favorite is still Whisper of the Heart. I can't wait to introduce my nieces and nephews to these fantastic and beautiful stories.

I collect anime, and have recently had the opportunity to see the dub of this great work on TCM before it's released on DVD. I've owned the subtitled version for a few years now, and was impressed that no newer anime movies can even touch the quality of animation displayed in this film. Yes, the story is good although I'd call it less a coming of age film and more a exploring our youthful options type of story. This is a slice of life type of movie, not an action or an adventure. It's interest is in how well it can capture the audience.

Capture you it does. I recently showed a friend of mine three animations. The first was a nicely done anime episode of a series called Bleach. The second to show the higher level of detail was Mulan, a Disney animation, with at least some footing into their cel movies. Finally, I showed Whisper of the Heart. The first was fine for most watching as are most decent anime series, the art and characters don't get in the way of the viewing. The second was a Disney theatrical release which is as good as can normally be expected. Decent detail and some nice visual effects to help drive the movie plot.

Then there was Whisper... Here's a little test if you don't believe me straight up. Watch the sequence where the girl follows the cat up to the antique shop. I've never seen such an attention to detail as this before. That an artist could render drawings of a city scape with this much detail and realism, is flat out amazing. I've seen animators blog on their extra's disc about the challenge to accomplish some special effect in an animated movie or series. Looking at it from their perspective, I could see the difficulties. Then looking at it from what was accomplished in this film, I think they are just whining over minor details.

Here are some more good examples in this film, check out the color changes with the lighting at night and in the morning at the student desk in the bedroom. Check out the many transparencies and translucencies from glass doors and windows. Check out the subtle motions of background items, and the detail and functionality. Nothing seems like an after thought, or out of place. The items the characters use and react too, always seem to have function. Even the special grandfather clock in the antique store, while imaginative somewhat, still looked and operated like it could have been real.

The style of Miyasaki characters are is on display here as well. He must have provided some of the drawings, if only in conceptual mode for this film. What is amazing for him is that he can create characters that are obvious animations. This is in contrast to the growing trend to create photorealistic characters, in mostly rendered animation. Instead Miyasaki characters are simple in their appearance, and features. Yet, they react to the incredibly detailed backgrounds, and all blend together to form a smooth animation without seeming busy or cluttered. This is one of those films that sneaks up on you. You find you can remember the story long after its over with. It's a pity most animated films don't have craftsmen of this level of talent. Other studios, have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on other film projects that were so ill conceived, a focus group of children could have told them they were bad!

If you read the plot summary of this film you will not want to watch it, so don't. Just view the film when you are relaxed, and you'll have an unforgettable experience. Studio Ghibli films tend to be like that. This one doesn't do any environmental or political preaching like a few of them are known to do. It simply entertains, and shows off animes to be a true art form, a fact that is often overlooked in the commercial world of crank them out, and get them to market, cookie cutter animations.

Whisper of the Heart is based on a screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki, which he adapted from a comic by Aoi Hîragi. The story focuses on a teenage girl who is to find out about life's difficult journey, as she discovers a mysterious name in a library book. Nonetheless, it is not a conventional teenage coming of age story that have already been made so many times.

The teenage years are the bridge from childhood to adulthood in which the child discovers itself in a process people call coming of age. Whisper of the Heart is such a story about the young teenage girl Shizuku who does what every good girl is supposes to do -- obey her parents. Parents often try to steer their children in a well-trodden path where mistakes are minimized and choice are limited as the future is important. Thus, it is essential that children obey the parent's wishes and desires as they usually have more knowledge and wisdom.

One of the demands that the parents put on their children is to study. In Japan the school system puts a lot of pressure on the teens, as they have to take hard entrance exams right before they enter high school, which means the students who get into high school usually spend the majority of their summer studying for exams. Shizuku, who is a good girl, does a lot of studying when she does not read books, which is one of her favorite pastimes.

Shizuku makes many visits to the library where her father works and she borrows large numbers of books. Through the old way of keeping the records of who borrowed what book Shizuku discovers the name Amasawa Seiji on more than one of the books that she has borrowed. This begins an innocent and secretive romance for Shizuku who uses her imagination to create an image for Amasawa. Despite this beginning, Whisper of the Heart is not a teenage love story, yet love is an important part of the film as it illustrates the complexity of being a teen.

When Shizuku does not read she translates and writes her own poetry, carries food to her father at work, and helps out with the house chores. In the summer heat she even finds time for a little friendship, which is huge element of being a teen. The ability to socialize with friends is affected by what they do most of the time, which is studying for the entrance exams. In one of these moments she provides a translation of John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Road of which she has also created in her own Japanese version. This is an interesting scene as it displays how hard these teens work even when they are relaxing.

On one of Shizuku's short ventures with food to her father who is working a stray cat leads her astray. The cat leads her unintentionally into a small antique shop owned by an old man. In this store she gets to hear the story of Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, a cat statue, which becomes the foundation for the film Cat Returns (2002). Shizuku also meets a young teenage boy who dreams of becoming a violinmaker and who dreams of going to Italy to study violinmaking. Through this teenage boy she learns to look into herself in order to discover what she desires to do with her life.

Shizuku sets out on a quest to discover if she has what it takes to become a writer and she drops her studies and focuses solely on writing. Her older sister becomes irritated over her lack of respect for her parents and her parents are bewildered to see how she is changing. The film does not simply imply that one should follow ones dreams. Rather, it takes the notion one step further by applying hard work, dedication, and desire to the idea of following ones dreams. Thus, it does not become a pretentious teenage film, which often teaches the superficial value of "follow thy dreams". Instead, it provides a realistic perspective on success, as most of it is due to hard work and rarely only dreams and hopes.

In this process Shizuku comes of age as she discovers what she wants to do while applying dedication and zealous work ethic to what she loves the most. Yet, the film is not only about "follow thy dreams", it is about so much more. As mentioned beforehand she falls in love with this mysterious Amasawa, has friendships that go through difficult times, experiences hurt feelings, has looming exams, goes through failure, and deals with whatever else life presents. In essence, Whisper of the Heart is about coming of age while dealing with the ups and downs of life. The film does not focus on one of the moments in life, but rather on the journey through life as Shizuku is acquiring wisdom.

Whisper of the Heart is a brilliant animated film by Yoshifumi Kondo who unfortunately passed away in 1998, which makes Whisper of the Heart the only film that he directed. Kondo worked as an animator on wonderful animated films such as Grave of Fireflies (1988), Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), Porco Rosso (1992), and Princess Mononoke (1997). It is sad to know that his visual talent and skill never got to make more flawless cinematic experiences such as Whisper of the Heart, which still has not been released in the United States. Hopefully, this film will also reach this nation as it has so much to offer in the sense of entertainment, enlightenment, and contemplative bemusement.

"Whisper of the Heart" (1995), animated coming-of-age story was scripted and storyboarded by Hayao Miyazaki and directed by the Yoshifumi Kondo. Hayao Miyazaki (Kiki's Delivery Service, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke) saw in Kondo his successor as Studio Ghibli's film director. Unfortunately, Kondo was only able to direct a single Ghibli film, "Whisper of the Heart", before his untimely death in 1998. As magical and beautiful as the rest of Studio Ghibli feature films I've seen, gentle "Whisper of the Heart" focuses on the dreams, feelings, insecurities, and search for life's meaning of two teenagers - middle school students Shizuku Tsukishima and Seiji Amasawa in modern Tokyo. We also meet Shizuku's and Seiji's friends and families. We will follow a smart and curious cat that likes to ride the subway train by himself and one day would lead Shizuku to a magical shop run by Mr. Nishi, a kind, wise old man whose teenaged grandson Seiji Amasawa checks out from the local library the same books Shizuku does. The boy dreams of becoming a violin master. There are untold stories behind the beautiful objects in Mr. Nishi's store that wait to be told, but it would take a talent to capture and to write them down. In the shop, Shizuku meets her first love and starts the long road on becoming the writer.

The beauty of the film lies not in the mythical worlds or the fantastic creatures from the fairy tales. It is in the little film's universal appeal, in the way all viewers, the children and their parents, can relate to one girl's search for place in life, for her determination to follow the dream , and for support, guidance, and approval she so desperately needs and receives from her busy but loving and understanding parents. My favorite scene in the film is the conversation 15-year-old Shizuku has with her mother and father at the kitchen table about her future. It was so realistic, filled with the warmth, love, and understanding that children need from their parents. "Whisper of the heart" reminded me the films of the great Japanese film director, Yasujiro Ozu. While watching this new Tokyo story, I felt the same warmth, soft tenderness, power of human emotions and moving simplicity as in the Ozu's films from over than 50 years ago.

First thing you all need to know: I am a 16 year old guy.
That's right, not a "Tween" girl, and I loved this movie. (Borrowing my family account, so that's why it says Christine, btw)

True, it doesn't have any of the action or adventure that made Mononoke or Nausicaa great, but it does have something that (in my mind) makes up for it. Real charecters. This is a movie about real people doing real things. Any number of teenagers could have lived this movie, there's no magic or fantasy, but there's also none of the bull that makes most modern romances so bad.

Watch this if you are mature enough to appreciate real charecters doing real things against a backdrop of really beautiful art. It's all about the directors ability to create actual people out of paper and ink, which I think he does spectacularly.

(I only rated this three stars because I know it's not what most people expect from Ghibli)