In our rushed modern cinema where purportedly bigger themes such "saving the world", dominate the market, little intimate stories predominantly concerned with flawed, naïve characters and how they get around their little problems in the neighborhood invariably get dwarfed by the tumultuously crafted noise of these bigger "heroes". If marketed well enough, some do see the light of day, especially doing a round of festivals, before sinking into the horizon, till some rudderless castaway lost in the ocean of cinema bumps into these little known pearl-islands and finds some relevance in them years after their release. It is then we realize that true works of art are self-sustaining - they contain in their very essence, the power to draw attention to themselves through any generation or era and whenever the right time or person comes, interest in them gets revived. It is the enduring flavor of Billy Wilder's "The Apartment", that let a distant viewer like me enjoy it though I was born more than a decade after its release. Other little gems this understated manga masterpiece can be compared to would be "Garden State" and "The Station Agent"; movies predominantly about flawed people and communities. A wonder then when I came across this movie, I was delighted to find in its reels, everything that colorful, intimate movie poster promises. That and more.
So switch off the light, curl up with your loved one(s), or a warm mug of coffee if you are all by yourself; and prepare for a charming story and cultural expose of Japanese teenage life.
Shizuku finds that every book she's checked out in the library has been previously checked out by Shei, a boy from her school. When she bumps into him at recess, she finds him to be nothing like the book lover she'd imagined but finds instead an arrogant brat. However, when a strange little cat leads her through Tokyo's serene suburbia to a shop of antiquities, she soon finds Shei to be the grandson of the shopkeeper. Spun around this simple premise with less than five minutes of the "Miyazaki magic" we're so used to expect from Studio Ghibli; this realistic little tale of suburban love and teenage life in Japan keeps you captivated through it's running time of less than two hours. Here we see how the effervescence of infatuation between Shizuku and Shei rarifies into time-tested values of love and honor, both prerequisites in any lasting relationship. As they grow to like each other, we find denial in their love, and love in their denial; two souls wrapped in an uncertain seeking of a whisper of their heart.
What is one's calling in life? How does one even identify it? How does one learn to choose? There are no straightforward answers, only whispers we follow intuitively, but it's a joy to watch these characters in the film struggle through that angst of teenage life of coming to identify with who they are and what they want from their life and career. And all this while the cosmopolitan whirls around their little lives, not stopping for a moment to comprehend how "big" Shuzuku's small teenage problems actually are. So mean, no? So, Tokyo's local trains clank indifferently on the metro rails; people buzz in and out of crowded subways and supermarkets; Mom and Dad remain busy with their jobs (which means Shizuku has her share of errands); Big sister has her own life to deal with; and her best friend Yuko needs her support in her own crumbling love affair. Not to mention our little protagonist is failing her grades. This constant touch of outer elements intruding Shizuku's private life - cars on the thoroughfare regularly threaten to run over the lovers - creates such a holistic experience of the bustling Japanese urban culture that Studio Ghibli should separately take a bow for creating an animation film so vividly realistic. This is in fact manga like I've never seen, and an animation film itself achieving successfully what animation movies are usually not about - realism. So, I wouldn't suggest this movie if you just want to watch an animated film from Japan because there are bigger contenders for that privilege; but if you want the glimpse into Japanese urban life in general and Japanese teenage life in particular, this offbeat movie is the little vignette you're looking for. Beautiful.
So switch off the light, curl up with your loved one(s), or a warm mug of coffee if you are all by yourself; and prepare for a charming story and cultural expose of Japanese teenage life.
Shizuku finds that every book she's checked out in the library has been previously checked out by Shei, a boy from her school. When she bumps into him at recess, she finds him to be nothing like the book lover she'd imagined but finds instead an arrogant brat. However, when a strange little cat leads her through Tokyo's serene suburbia to a shop of antiquities, she soon finds Shei to be the grandson of the shopkeeper. Spun around this simple premise with less than five minutes of the "Miyazaki magic" we're so used to expect from Studio Ghibli; this realistic little tale of suburban love and teenage life in Japan keeps you captivated through it's running time of less than two hours. Here we see how the effervescence of infatuation between Shizuku and Shei rarifies into time-tested values of love and honor, both prerequisites in any lasting relationship. As they grow to like each other, we find denial in their love, and love in their denial; two souls wrapped in an uncertain seeking of a whisper of their heart.
What is one's calling in life? How does one even identify it? How does one learn to choose? There are no straightforward answers, only whispers we follow intuitively, but it's a joy to watch these characters in the film struggle through that angst of teenage life of coming to identify with who they are and what they want from their life and career. And all this while the cosmopolitan whirls around their little lives, not stopping for a moment to comprehend how "big" Shuzuku's small teenage problems actually are. So mean, no? So, Tokyo's local trains clank indifferently on the metro rails; people buzz in and out of crowded subways and supermarkets; Mom and Dad remain busy with their jobs (which means Shizuku has her share of errands); Big sister has her own life to deal with; and her best friend Yuko needs her support in her own crumbling love affair. Not to mention our little protagonist is failing her grades. This constant touch of outer elements intruding Shizuku's private life - cars on the thoroughfare regularly threaten to run over the lovers - creates such a holistic experience of the bustling Japanese urban culture that Studio Ghibli should separately take a bow for creating an animation film so vividly realistic. This is in fact manga like I've never seen, and an animation film itself achieving successfully what animation movies are usually not about - realism. So, I wouldn't suggest this movie if you just want to watch an animated film from Japan because there are bigger contenders for that privilege; but if you want the glimpse into Japanese urban life in general and Japanese teenage life in particular, this offbeat movie is the little vignette you're looking for. Beautiful.