Ranked #413

Kokurikozaka kara

From up on Poppy Hill, another great addition to the Ghibli Studio collection in my opinion. Let me start off by saying that what attracts me to to any work associated with Hayao Miyazaki is the element of magic, creative settings and unforgettable characters. Even Tales of EarthSea, directed by Goro Miyazaki (same director for this movie) had some of these elements...however, you wont necessarily find that when you watch From up on Poppy Hill.

Story 8/10

The story is about family, love and determination. I found that each of these elements were strongly portrayed throughout movie by the two main characters and in the end these elements brought the characters together. The symbolic themes such as the flags, the photographs and the club house are shown many times and tie major elements together.Though these elements make the story strong, it also makes it very melodramatic and it doesn't help that the pacing is very slow. Throughout the movie, I never felt in "awe" and there were some scenes where I felt I lost attention. There were also scenes and major themes that weren't fully developed and left me with a "there's something missing" feeling. Though the story is very melodramatic to say the least and when explaining all of the drama, I felt that they rushed the explanations and therefore made everything seem a tad unbelievable. All in all though, the story is very sweet and even with the slow pacing, it will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling on the inside.

Art 10/10

Everything from the scenery to the character design were impeccable. the colours were strong and like any Ghibli Production the details put into making the watchers believe that they are in the story were definitely there.

Sound 10/10

Every song and the BGM fit well with the scene and the and in movies with lots of drama where the music helps to understand the characters feelings, the music is very important. For example, the main/ending song "Summer of Goodbye" is a slow and gentle song which is kind of how the movie was. I also felt that the music did a lot to relate the time period such as the song, "I Shall Walk Looking Up" which was kind of a barber shop quartet type of song which made the story actually feel like it was taking place in the 60's.

Characters 9/10

I'm going to focus on the main characters Umi and Shun even though the other characters were important, I think these two made the movie as interesting as it was.
You can tell right off the bat that Umi is a very responsible person, she takes care of everyone in her house, all the while going to school. She also seems to be a very symbolic person as she [SPOILER ALERT] follows a the routine of bringing a glass of water and flowers to her fathers picture and raising the flag for him every morning [END SPOILER].
Shun is a rebel with a cause because from the beginning of when we meet him, he shows his daredevil (attention seeking) side by jumping from the club house. Though he wants to draw attention to his cause (preserving the club house), we know that what he really wants is the attention of one special girl.

The love between these characters is strong and innocent and it makes you think how far are you willing to compromise for the one you love.

Overall Enjoyment: 9/10

Beautiful art and music and characters, just wish the story had fewer developmental flaws. It's a definite must see because it's a lovely story...however if you are expecting magic and intrigue, don't get your hopes up. read more

Well that's two lacklustre Ghibli movies under Goro's belt. On one hand I can understand Hayao supporting his son in his career, yet on the other hand this blatant form of nepotism is doing nothing but showing that the Miyazaki magic will disappear when he does.

Goro doesn't deserve to be making Ghibli movies just yet. Maybe gaining more experience doing other things would prepare him for that special of roles, but instead what we're left with is his experimentations and learning process stamped with the Ghibli logo. It's diluting the brand. His two films aren't even pandering to mainstream audiences; that’s certainly not a complaint that can be directed at him, but his films are just directorial missteps that don't utilise the tools of animation to their best potential. It’s as if after the drubbing he got for Earthsea he thought to himself “I’ll direct a story set in 60’s Japan, the critics will like that!”

Earthsea was a disappointment on every level. There are some detractors of that opinion, but the general consensus from viewers is that Earthsea is far low on the list of Ghibli films you should watch. From Up On Poppy Hill at least has some modicum of charm and old school aesthetic about it that keeps it from being a complete failure however. The last thirty minutes are the best with more pace, urgency and melodramatic moments, but it’s a slog to get there.

The animation is not special in any way other than bringing to life 1960's Japan with typical Ghibli detail. The story is a simple coming-of-age tale that lacks any life or bite. There is a revelation that sparks things up somewhat, but even that is ultimately diffused. Hayao himself co-wrote the script with the screenwriter of Earthsea, and I like to imagine he tried to make the clubhouse scenes lively in order to bring life to the story.

The music, like everything else with this film, is inoffensive and bland. Joe Hisaishi is not in sight. There's just nothing here to latch onto and keep in your memory as something to return to. I can recall numerous scenes and musical motifs of previous Ghibli films, but from this all I will recall is the main character pulling up a flag. There are no creative scene compositions, no efficient editing tricks; no passion in the bringing of this tale. The last thirty minutes had developments that could have made a better film by themselves, in a manner similar to Grave of the Fireflies.

When Hayao made Ponyo, you could see his childlike passion for the project in the bluray extras, and you can see it in the work itself, it's bold and full of life, and contains the most amazing depiction of sea waves I've seen in animation. Goro needs to ask himself why he's a director, and for our sake he needs to find the answer on his own time, and not on Ghibli's dime. read more