The first thing that caught my eye about this movie from the moment I saw the first promos, was the brilliant colour scheme throughout the movie. The picturesque images in every scene in this movie perfectly depicts what 'moving picture animation' is! Combined together with the brilliant background score, perfectly timed songs and a sweet storyline, this movie makes magic on screen. And that is exactly what Studio Ghibli is known for.
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The stage is set in 1964, Japan in a small, shipping town near Tokyo. Matsuzaki Umi, a second year high school student, lives on top of the hill in her Grandparents' house along with her younger brother, sister, grandmother and a bunch of lodgers. Umi runs the household whilst her mother is studying overseas. Her father was the captain of a supply ship that sank in the Korean War. Although it has been many years since her father passed away, she still raises signal flags on the flagpole outside her home for her father's safe return - a practice she refuses to forgo even though she has accepted her father's demise. Unbeknownst to her, a young boy (Kazama Shun) raises answering flags on his father's tug, every morning as they pass by the hill.
In the meantime, the Konkan Academy students are busy trying to save their decades-old clubhouse, 'The Latin Quarter' from demolition. Umi helps Shun with the school newspaper and also gives ideas to save the clubhouse. As they begin working together, feelings develop between the two and an innocent, wistful young romance blossoms.
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Contrary to popular belief, this movie was in fact, not directed by Hayao Miyazaki (who scripted it), but by Goro Miyazaki. It is a simple story, but one that will definitely touch your heart. The artistic beauty of the film will win you over by itself. The brilliant soundtrack and the feel-good storyline is just an added treat. I highly recommend watching it in the original Japanese with subtitles if need be, because many of the underlying nuances of Miyazaki's script are lost in translation and dubbing. This film is a must-watch Studio Ghibli production.
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Positives: Art, music, simplistic elegance
Negatives: -
My Rating: 10/10
The stage is set in 1964, Japan in a small, shipping town near Tokyo. Matsuzaki Umi, a second year high school student, lives on top of the hill in her Grandparents' house along with her younger brother, sister, grandmother and a bunch of lodgers. Umi runs the household whilst her mother is studying overseas. Her father was the captain of a supply ship that sank in the Korean War. Although it has been many years since her father passed away, she still raises signal flags on the flagpole outside her home for her father's safe return - a practice she refuses to forgo even though she has accepted her father's demise. Unbeknownst to her, a young boy (Kazama Shun) raises answering flags on his father's tug, every morning as they pass by the hill..jpg)
Positives: Art, music, simplistic elegance
Negatives: -
My Rating: 10/10
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