One of the nice things about my job is that, in exchange for working an extra hour each day, I get every other Friday off. You’d be amazed what a three day weekend every other week does for your mind, body, and soul. It’s like getting two miniature vacations each month.
Anyway, this being my off Friday, I used the afternoon to watch Whisper of the Heart, and while doing so, I was reminded of how weird an anime fan I can be at times. See, unlike most anime fans, I don’t worship Studio Ghibli. That’s not to say I dislike the studio’s work. Rather, I’ve never had reason to place their films up on any sort of lofty pedestal. I admit that their films are some of the best the medium has to offer, but there are other studios out there doing similarly impressive work. A single Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo has as much value as two Ghibli films combined, I think.
But, as for why this thought came to mind while watching Whisper of the Heart… well, suffice it to say, it’s one of my favorite Ghibli films. It’s one of only three Ghibli films that I can rewatch again and again and get a little something new out of each time. The other two films? Only Yesterday and Umi ga Kikoeru. Of course, there’s something that sets these three films apart from the rest of the Ghibli lineup: they’re grounded in reality. Well, that and the fact that not a single one is directed by Hayao Miyazaki (which is another subject in itself). But it’s because they eschew fantasy for the real world that I love them so darn much. There’s nothing epic about them. Their charms are found in their characters and the little events that shape their lives. Sure, they have stories, but those stories more or less provide a framework around which the characters go about their days and nights. And, yes, they have themes, but those themes never weigh the films down or get in the way of what simple story is there, waiting to be told. If you sit up and take notice, that’s great. If you don’t, no problem.
Of course, these are the elements of any classic slice-of-life story. And, as you no doubt already know, I’m a slice-of-life freak. So, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that I prefer these three particular Ghibli films to their more fantastical counterparts.
Unfortunately, all three films were made within a few years of each other in the early 90s, a mere deviation from the fairy tale lined path Studio Ghibli has otherwise followed. And, even as other studios and directors pick up the slack, I can’t help but wonder if Studio Ghibli will ever ground itself in reality once again and produce another slice-of-life film that I can sit back and enjoy on a lazy and sunny Friday afternoon. Kondo Yoshifumi, who directed Whisper of the Heart and was expected to be the future of Studio Ghibli, died unexpectedly in 1998. However, word on the street is that Only Yesterday director Takahata Isao is finally working on a new film, so…
I feel similarly about Miyazaki, maybe not to the same degree. However, my main comment is I wholeheartedly agree with being able to connect with Whispers quite well. For me, watching Shizuku find something she can work to get better at triggers memories of doing the same thing.
I liked Whisper of the Heart a lot, although the first time I watched it the John Denver song at the beginning invoked some severe cognitive dissonance (WRONG CULTURE! WRONG CULTURE!).
How refreshing to hear someone not worship Miyazaki. Whisper of the Heart, however, is my favorite anime film. I hadn’t realized until you said it that it may partly be because it is more grounded in the real world than other Ghiblis. I thought it was mainly because I love the sincere emotions in it. However, I disagree totally and completely about Toki wo Karkeru Shoujo, which I found a great disappointment. But that’s another story.
Whisper of the Heart and Only Yesterday are probably my favourite Ghibi movies as well. When there was a Ghibli marathon on IFC not too long ago, the two were by far my favourites.
It’s sad though that Only Yesterday might not get a DVD here at all.
I suspect Only Yesterday will get a DVD release in R1 eventually. However, like all of the Ghibli films, the R2 DVD release has English subtitles, so it’s not like its completely inaccessible to English-speaking audiences.
I must be the only Whisper fan who hated Only Yesterday. To me Ghibli has 2 awesome films and none has topped Whisper and Porco.
And I think that’s also partly because Porco has a slice-of-life element to it.
I’m the freak, I guess: Ghiblis don’t do much for me. Visually, they’re impressive, but… *shrug*
I really like what Ghibli has offered us so far… and i guess my favortie anime genre is slice of life - if they were to produce more films like Whisper of the Heart, that would be great!
Though I don’t know how I should feel about another film by Takahata Isao… for some reason, Only Yesterday was probably my least favorite Ghibli movie. I liked it, but not as much as their other works or movies like Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo for that matter (which is awesome, of course)
About Miyazaki: I guess you already watched it, but you should give Kiki’s Delivery Service another try! It has magic, yes. But it’s very much a slice of life film and its world is almost normal/real
…and it’s totally adorable ;-)
My Favorite Ghibli films remains Laputa and Totoro.
My favorite Ghibli movie is My Neighbors the Yamadas. It has a lot of soul to it, and is very “slice-of-life” oriented. I think I tend to prefer the Takahata films to the Miyazaki ones. Whisper of the Heart is excellent as well, and as I recall it was made specifically to focus on kids growing up in an urban area, as opposed to the rural or small-town setting of other Ghibli films. You make me want to re-watch it soon!
From what I heard from other friends in the know, it seems that I’d like Only Yesterday. I think someone said that it was the most slice-o’-lifey Ghibli film made, but who knows?
I did find Whisper of the Heart charming, if only for COUNTRY ROAD~
I admit to being a huge Miyazaki fan, but your opinions have merit. It’s really a shame that Kondo Yoshifumi died so young, as he really was built up to succeed Miyazaki’s place in Ghibli. Now they’re scrambling around trying to find SOMEBODY to fill his shoes (even though he’s still hard at work, even making a new movie as we speak!)
Whisper of the Heart is fantastic though, especially to anybody who’s ever felt the urge to write. (you should know, however, that while Miyazaki didn’t direct the film, he did write the screenplay. ^_~)
Don’t worry… I knew Miyazaki wrote the screenplay. All things considered, I think he’s a genius when it comes to his work. It’s just that there’s something about his personality that rubs me the wrong way, and it often shows in that very same work. Thus, it’s difficult to watch his films without seeing the man himself in every character, scene, and line of dialogue.
However, when it comes to Whisper of the Heart… it’s as if he restrained himself or something. There’s a touch of Miyazaki there, I suppose, but it’s much more subdued with someone else steering the ship. Did Miyazaki defer to Kondo-san? Or did Kondo-san keep Miyazaki in line? I’d be curious to know.
The question is how close the movie is to its source (the Manga by Aoi Hiiragi)…
It might explain his restraint if he decided change as few things as possible.
When I first watched Mimi Wo Sumaseba, I didn’t know that it’s one of those not directed by Miyazaki. I totally thought it was, and enjoyed it and its supreme slice-of-life quality. I’ll confess that if I’ve known prior to watching, I might have enjoyed it less so, or even prevented me from investing the time to try it, so I feel very fortunate to be ignorant. You have a point when saying Miyazaki has become too much of a brand name to an extent that people would just worship his works, and that has rubbed some people in the wrong way. My all time favorites are still Kiki and Laputa though.