Whisper of the Heart Movie Review: A Peaceful Escape
Whisper of the Heart is a slice-of-life Studio Ghibli film that fills me with a sense of calm and happiness. The story is about a middle school girl, Tsukishima Shizuku, who is trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life and the career she wants to pursue. I feel like Shizuku’s mentality definitely captures one that is more mature and thoughtful than most middle schoolers, because when I was that young, I was not as intent on discovering my purpose or career. While the story places an emphasis on Shizuku’s concern about her future and talent for writing, it also explores everyday life events like going to school, worrying about crushes, fighting with family members, and studying for exams. There’s also a romance that blossoms between Shizuku and one of her classmates, Amasawa Seiji, that is really adorable! I found this film to be incredibly charming and sweet, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a calming watching experience.
When I saw the poster for this movie (which shows a young girl in a red dress with an anthropomorphic cat leaping in the air), I completely expected this film to be very fantastical, kind of like Howl’s Moving Castle or Spirited Away. But while there are some brief sequences in the movie that are fantastical, it’s mostly grounded in reality. I think I was really charmed by just the normal-ness of it all - seeing characters going to school, going to the library, chatting with friends, and meeting new people. The main characters, Shizuku and Seiji, are both ambitious and smart, and watching them become friends and sharing their ambitions was really nice. Now that I think about it, most of the characters in this movie are ambitious and focused in their own ways. I think it’s always heartwarming to watch a story about a person discovering and pursuing his/her passions, and watching Shizuku get completely lost in her writing allowed for some really cool animated sequences about her imaginative world and internal struggles. One of my favorite scenes was the one where Seiji is playing the violin and and Shizuku is singing “Country Road” in the basement of the shop. This song is now one that I will always associate with Studio Ghibli, even though the original English version is American to its core. And finally, the ending was really cheesy, but I can’t deny it made me smile and grin like an idiot. No spoilers, so you’ll have to watch it to understand why!
In conclusion…
I think Whisper of the Heart is one of those movies that I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. I realize that I really enjoy Studio Ghibli movies because they are often able to capture the essence of every day life so well and transport you into a world where you can worry a little bit less about your own problems. Whisper of the Heart did exactly that for me, and I would love to know what your thoughts are about this film if you watch/watched it.