My Cultural Diet

Studio Ghibli is best-known for fantastical movies like My Neighbor Totoro, Castle in the Sky, and Spirited Away. But Yoshifumi Kondō’s Whisper of the Heart lands in my Studio Ghibli “Top 5” precisely because it’s not fantastical. Or rather, because it reveals the fantastical in the mundane. 14-year-old Shizuku isn’t quite sure what to do with her life as she prepares for high school; she loves to read, but books have lost their appeal, and she’s unsure about her poetry and songwriting skills. A chance encounter with a classmate who dreams of becoming a violin maker in Italy inspires her to strike out on her own and become a writer — but are her talents a match for her ambition and imagination? (A question that any creative can sympathize with.) On paper, that’s not exactly the most thrilling storyline. In reality, Whisper of the Heart is a wonderfully quotidian drama about finding your own way in life — or even just starting to think about what your own way in life might look like — that boasts some of Studio Ghibli’s most exquisite artwork and animation. Sadly, Kondō — who had been tapped as Hayao Miyazaki’s successor at Studio Ghibli — died a few short years after the film’s release. If Whisper of the Heart is any indication, though, his death robbed the world of a talented filmmaker and the possibility of more lovely films to come.

I may earn an affiliate commission on items you buy through Opus. These commissions will go directly to support the site and my blogging.