Whisper of the Heart is a highly engaging Japanese animated film directed by Yoshifumi Kondō and written by Hayao Miyazaki who is based on the manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi. The events take place in a charming suburban neighborhood and centre on the fourteen-year-old Shizuku Tsukishima, an inquisitive, and artistic if somewhat bored girl who during her summer vacations reads everything she can find in a public library. With her interest in literature, Shizuku discovers a baffling enigma: almost all of the books she borrows have already been checked out by someone named ‘Seiji Amasawa’. Eager to learn more, she intends to find out who this mysterious character is.
Shizuku lives with her parents in a small flat in one of the suburbs of Tokyo and in this setting feels increasingly the pressure of society and school related issues. Shizuku’s older sister is too busy with hers, and Shizuku’s dad and mom have mild expectations to get their daughter straightened out. But Shizuku Onizuka is more preoccupied with her artistic interests in literature and poetry, and-making stories.
One day, while carrying out her petty errands, she notices a strange cat seated on one of the train coaches. Curiously, She follows the cat to a small antique shop owned by an elderly gentleman, Shirō Nishi. The shop contains many amazing things but one particular item steals Shizuku’s attention, a cat figure called ‘The Baron’ dressed in a formal suit. This meeting was a start of a new life. She also gets to know Seiji, who has just started learning violin making. At first, the two have an argument since Seiji teases her. Afterwards, Shizuku learns that Seiji is the man she had been looking for so long.
With their friendship growing stronger, Seiji reveals to Shizuku his ambition to be a master violin maker. Shizuku, in response, gets motivated by Seiji’s will and starts thinking about her goals too, which include writing a fantasy novel with The Baron as the protagonist. It is a creative process that gives her pleasure, but it makes great demands on her fantasy and emotions. While this is all happening, Seiji leaves for Italy to work as an apprentice and both Shizuku’s heart aches with desire while stirring with determination.
Young love, the search for oneself, and structure in one’s aspirations is eventually the essence of the film. She starts to appreciate the greater things that hard work and belief in oneself can accomplish, as well as the resolve it takes to follow one’s heart. The story ends with a dramatic reunion between the two protagonists – Shizuku and Seiji, and this signifies their promise to each other to remain supportive of their dreams. The audience of the film looks at the last scene with the sunrise of the day and feels that everything is possible for the young generation and there is so much anticipation to look forward to.
Cast & Crew:
Director: Yoshifumi Kondō
Whisper of the Heart is Yoshifumi Kondō’s film directorial debut which is also a production of the renowned animator, director, and co-founder of Studio Ghibli. Having been involved with Studio Ghibli, he was able to design the film without directing it in a straightforward yet emotional way. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1998 and thus was not able to direct any more films.
Screenwriter: Hayao Miyazaki
Miyazaki is one of the two founders of Studio Ghibli, and had the screenplay adapted from the manga of Aoi Hiiragi. His presence is felt in the film due to his colorful and engaging characters, detailed work and visually imaginative storytelling.
Music Composer: Yuji Nomi The music composed by Nomi swells and fits well with the film’s narrative. The daily life is interspersed with Dreams of Youth. The film further explores the theme of longing through the use of ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ as a recurring musical passage. Voice Cast (Japanese): Yōko Honna as Shizuku Tsukishima Issey Takahashi as Seiji Amasawa Shigeru Tsuyuguchi as Shirō Nishi Voice Cast (English Dub): Brittany Snow as Shizuku David Gallagher as Seiji Harold Gould as Shirō Nishi IMDb Ratings: Whisper of the Heart’s score is rated at 7.9 on IMDb, showing the film’s history of good reviews and inclination among the audience. This film revolves around an emotional love story with strong characters and beautiful animation. Its realism especially in the events of growing up and self-realization is what critics and the audience has appreciated. The film’s choice of setting in normalcy and away from fantasy worlds as has been the case for other Studio Ghibli films has also been appreciated. The dynamic between Shizuku and Seiji is adorable and sincere, and does well in this aspect across cultures and time.
Certain reviewers criticize the movie for its pace, which could be viewed as a flaw because it has devoted a lot of focus into the deeper aspects of the day to day which could come off as taking too long for certain audiences. Nevertheless, for a lot of people, this intentional rhythm is what makes the film more beautiful, as it gives the pursuit which the narrative has a chance to develop. It has gained popularity amongst the fans of Studio Ghibli and continues to be an inspiration for other animated coming-of-age films.
Whisper of the Heart analysis:
Whisper of the heart is an artisan-farming film and makes its way into exploring the artist or heroine we all have inside of us. This inherently revolves around the development of art and having the strength to follow dreams; what makes it great is how each generation of the audience can watch it. Another such aspect which places this film apart from the rest of the Ghibli works is the use of realism. Easter eggs, fantasy elements, and slight magic – this is how one can depict most of Ghibli’s other works. Whisper of the heart is however different giving us a subtle look into the ordinary yet beautiful lives in the suburbs of Tokyo and the intricacies of the characters.
Indeed, the film’s visual language is fully Ghibli’s as well, so Ghibli films are packed with rich, hand-drawn animation that immers the viewer in every moment. From the busy city streets to the soft-light antique store, every environment is crafted with love and precision. This also applies to the characters, whose emotions and actions seem expressive and believable.
However, behind its harshness, there is a message of the growth within — the story itself proceeds to demonstrate. The creators never fail to tell that such aspirations do not always land immediately, and therein lies the patience, the work done and sometimes the failure as well. And through the experiences of Shizuku and Seiji, the film underscores the role of hard work in bringing a dream to fruition as well as the role of family and friends.
As for the admirers of Studio Ghibli, there is a note that Whisper of the heart encompasses them well, pleasing them with love stories, inspirational tales and everyday life together. This is a tale that remains in the soul long after the scenes have finished rolling, like a beautiful memory or a soft-spoken vow.
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