From Up On Poppy Hill [DVD]

While very different from other Studio Ghibli productions, From Up on Poppy Hill is well worth watching. The animation, colouring and art are all superb, and the music is catchy, haunting and moving by turns. Essentially an urban story, the viewer will notice that the majority of characters look more like real Japanese people, instead of the bland, big-eyed homogeneous humans with essentially Western features that populate many anime films. Having seen the Japanese-with-English-subs several times, I was eager to buy it on DVD. However I was surprised that in the English dub, the film starts with a long English recital explaining the backstory of Ume's family. Why was this considered necessary? I'm no Einstein, but I was able to figure the relationships out as we went along without that, even when reading subtitles. Does the distributor really believe that the English-speaking audience is too slow on the uptake to understand what they're seeing? Also, the English subtitles available are the ones that go with the original Japanese script; however the English dub changes and adds many lines, so that a person who wishes to use the subtitles to aid poor hearing will be confused. If they are going to mess around with the script to that extent, they should provide better subtitling for the English version, as they did when Totoro was released on disc. Looks like the English translating/dubbing team got lazy.Many of the traditional Ghibli motifs are present (physically or emotionally absent parents, the adolescent girl who has to take on heavy responsibility to keep the home functioning, life-changing events involving losses of many kinds) but there is none of the fantasy-magical element many might automatically expect. Instead, the coming of age story is worked out in more realistic ways. Umi's quest to find closure for her father's disappearance during Japan's war with Korea is paralleled in the students' struggle to preserve their beloved clubhouse, Shun's quest for the truth about his own past, and the search on the part of several characters for many kinds of love: parental, romantic, even peer-group approval. Set against the backdrop of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the "voyage of discovery" takes place on the "sea inside" each human life and heart. What they find there creates a very real kind of magic. I watched the credits, as often the "final scenes" of Ghibli's films are played out in stills (as in the case of Totoro, or Kiki's Delivery Service). While we aren't given all the answers in a nice, neat package, I felt that I knew what the future held for these people, and it was good.If only the subtitles had been up to standard with the content of the film, I would have given 5 stars. As a professional translator myself, I can only offer 4.

The first one I've seen that is based in fact rather than fantasy which for me gave it an extra edge over the others. Well worth watching not least for the animation.

My review aims to help parents, or people who will buy this film to watch with a child. (I think it's more useful writing a review with a specific purpose rather than drivel about everything and nothing.)The reviewer before me sounds as if they enjoyed the film more than the 8-year old they watched it with. Does not amaze me at all. I cannot imagine a child actually enjoying a film/story populated by characters - school kids - who recite Plato and in their free time fight against governmental oppression. That would be the ideal world, but this film really targets 15-year old plus audiences. Studio Ghibli films work as character-building tools, because unlike Pixar films they don't encourage kids to scream and throw fits (children will often mimic the behavior of their favorite screen characters, so if that is anyone from Toy Story, good luck to you). However having watched Kiki's Delivery Service on Blu-Ray recently - a masterpiece that absolutely anyone will enjoy - i cannot score this higher than 4. Actually 3.5 but...

This Ghibli offering is imbued with a sense of 'departed reality', which could be seen as nostalgia, but I don't think that it's as simple as that. One of the great things about these Miyazaki films (Hideo's lasting legacy) is the pleasure of minute observation. This is integrated into the storyline in a seamless way that is in itself very satisfying- its the real film maker's craft and you'll find it here in spades. If you liked 'Whisper of the Heart' then this is a development of the themes of personal development within the matrix of a bumpy love story but without the high art themes found in the earlier film. It's more down to earth with some historical concerns. It has great, well observed characters and some deeply felt moments.

I recently got this title to add to my studio Ghibli collection as we are huge fans. Earth Sea, by Goro Miyasaki, took a while to grow on me - but I now opt to see it often for its interesting story line, marvellously drawn witch and beautiful dragon. Poppy Hill was utterly different, both in its setting and music. However, the graphics were up to the usual Ghibli standard and the music was utterly delightful, being a mixture of jazz in parts and lyrical piano in the Joe Hisayshi vein elsewhere.From a western perspective the joy is in the little details of homelike, food and school activities in 1960s Japan at the time of the Tokyo Olympics. A gentle film with a reassuring message of youngsters striving to maintain their traditions and heritage. Though it is not in the Ghibli fantasy genre, I would highly recommend buying the blue ray version as it also comes with extras including a marvellous comparative view of old and new Yokohama. I am now about to buy the marvellous soundtrack!

What a wonderful, healing movie. I agree with so many of the reviews here. What can I usefully add.. The music and songs are great (and may stick inside your head) and span many styles of Japanese music. I found it worth watching both English dubbed and subtitled Japanese versions, as the dubbed version is Americanized not only in language but in its characterization of the people (like: much more aggressive than the Japanese version); AND the two versions (dub/s.title) give a much fuller account of the Japanese original when combined. Finally, I love the detail of the animation, like: the way the mother closes her eyes briefly as she gets up before comforting her daughter; there's plenty of examples like this, and spotting them is entertaining as well as engrossing. I highly recommend this movie; it's one of the very best Ghibli movies, imo, if you are not looking for fantasy action animation. I have watched it many times.PS, photo is for Hecate, who wondered in her review whether Japanese really store vegetables in the floor.