“Whisper of the Heart”, the favorite, coming-of-age Studio Ghibli film, was released in the distant 1995. Based on the homotitled manga by Aoi Hiiragi, it stands as the first movie of the Japanese Dream Factory that is not directed by Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata. Behind its success lies Yoshifumi Kondo, the director who worked on plenty of masterpieces, such as “Princess Mononoke“, “Grave of the Fireflies”, and “Kiki's Delivery Service“. By examining the difficult path that leads one to discover who he truly wants to be, by narrating the stressful and clumsy process of entering adulthood and personal maturation, it unfolds a world full of realism, imagination, and strong emotions. But, let's take a closer look!
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The story revolves around Shizuku Tsukishima, a teenage girl who is in the last grade of high school, and, instead of studying for her exams, prefers to read literary books and …follow stray cats. When she meets an ambitious, young boy, she gets inspired to test herself and her writing skills, while struggling to find her place in the world.
“Whisper of the Heart” is a seemingly simple story about a young girl who falls in love and tries to believe in herself. In essence, however, it deals with something deeper: the creation and evolution of an artist. By using a teenager's confused mind, which is full of inspiration and insecurities, it reaches the core of its subject. It perfectly unfolds a scenario which points out the effort needed to develop one's skills, without losing one's determination and passion. It emphasizes that talent alone is not enough, since a strong will and hard work are what will help someone bloom, transforming him into the best possible version of himself.
Full of magical realism, “Whisper of the Heart” captures the difficulty of balancing one's obligations and desires. The ideal recipe, according to the film, is to set the right priorities and choose to be surrounded by a supportive environment. It uses both Seiji's and Shizuku's family as examples. Seiji, as also an aspiring artist, constantly motivates her to improve. Her parents, on the other hand, may not be able to ignore their concern for their daughter's future, but they still choose to support her, after seeing that she works hard for what she truly loves.
The film is unique and addressed to the heart of the viewer. After all, the heroes' feelings are familiar to all of us, since who has not gone through the adolescent period of searching, questioning, and discovering his first love? The whole anime is possessed by a bittersweet nostalgia vibe, making the audience reminisce about their past and forcing the viewer to reconsider his choices. It tries to convey the message that it's never too late to claim the life you dream for!
This film can be considered one of the best and most realistic coming-of-age of all time. Both the dialogues and the characters are simple and down-to-earth, while the narration is unique. Its director, Yoshifumi Kondo, was destined to become the successor to Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. But his death – which was associated with his long working hours – did not allow him to continue his work and was the reason for Miyazaki's first retirement. However, his contribution to this Japanese art form will remain indelible, with “Whisper of the Heart” still capturing the hearts of people worldwide.
Moving on to the art of the film, it has the classic style of Studio Ghibli: detailed backgrounds, expressive faces, and carefully selected color palettes. Kondo's aesthetics seem like a combination of Miyazaki and Takahata's concept, as they manage to remain simple, but without losing their emotional and imaginative manifestations. The artwork captivates the viewer, without distracting him from the main theme and the internal conflicts of the characters, making it difficult to believe that this is Kondo's first directorial work. However, it is worth mentioning that the backgrounds that appear in the story written by Shizuku have been painted by Naohisa Inoue, who is influenced by the movements of surrealism and impressionism. Hayao Miyazaki attended one of his exhibitions, fell in love with his work, and suggested a collaboration on Studio Ghibli's next film. His good taste is justified once again!
The soundtrack is composed by Yuji Nomi, and it consists of beautiful and sweet melodies. The famous song ‘Take me Home, Country Roads' that is heard at the film's opening, is performed by Olivia Newton-John. Finally, in terms of voice acting, it is attributed by acclaimed actors – who mostly work in live-action productions, such as Yoko Honna, Mayumi Iizuka, and Minami Takayama.
In conclusion, “Whisper of the Heart” is a film in which the viewer will experience intense emotions and will sympathize with the characters, projecting his own, personal concerns on them. Although it tells a simple story, it delves into the psychosynthesis of young people and explores many different aspects of it, being moving, honest, elegant, and extremely impactful. It's worth every minute of your time!
