Alternative Titles
Mimi wo Sumaseba; If you listen carefully; Ghibli Movie 10
Information
Type: Movie
Episodes: 1
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Jul 15, 1995
Duration:
1 hr. 51 min. Rating:
PG - Children
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 8.401 (scored by 3290 users)
Ranked: #722
Popularity: #357
Members: 5,019
Favorites: 92 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
drama ghibli romance slice of life |
SynopsisMimi wo Sumaseba, which literally means If You Listen Closely, tells the story of Shizuku, a junior-high school student who is struggling to find out who she is. The movie takes you on a journey through her imagination and daily life as she makes decisions that will ultimately decide her future.
(Source:AniDB) |
Related AnimeAdaptation: Mimi wo Sumaseba
Spin-off: The Cat Returns
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Recommendations
|
|
They are oth coming of age tales with romance and basically little kids growing up. They have the same artwork and the same feel to them. If you like on you will like the other.
Both are Studio Ghibli films and both deal with the a girl's emotions in different ways.
|
|
|
The Cat Returns is a spin-off of Whisper of the Heart. Something I found out in the middle of the movie.
That fact, and that fact alone is the reason I recommend to watch [i]this[/i], if you watched [i]that[/i].
Well this is the prequel...essentially the stories and plots are completely different but they both put across the same point about trying your best for those close to you...both great films
|
Reviews
| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
|
Jan 8, 20081 of 1 episodes seen 18 of 22 people found this review helpful Story:
The story is based on a manga by Aoi Hiiragi. What I like about it is that it focuses on a problem that each of us go to at a certain point in our lives, what we want to be when we grow up. This is usually affected by our own capabilities, dreams, certain circumstances and people around us that either pull us down or help us keep going. I think students can relate to the plot better since they are going through similar to what the characters in the story are.
Art:... />
The characters are drawn in the usual Ghibli style. Although simple, the characters are able to portray the emotions needed to make the story believable. The background is very well designed and the little details like thrash on the street, pipes from the houses are all there. They make the environment the character moves in more real. I like these aspects bests in the movie.
Sound:
The music fits the story well, you can get the feel of the story right away and the translation of Country Roads is very amusing.
Character:
The main character responds to her problems immaturely at first but we can see her become more responsible as the story progresses.
Overall:
It's very inspiring once you relate yourself to the plot. It combines a little humor, determination, anger and a little bit of puppy love. A movie you can watch over and over again and pick up ideas from. read more
|
| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
|
Apr 12, 20081 of 1 episodes seen 8 of 12 people found this review helpful I'm not a great fan of Studio Ghibli's films, but this one is definitely worth seeing.
Story
The main plot is quite simple but its plain beauty makes it endearing rather than dull. The pacing is very relaxed, fitting with the general nostalgic atmosphere of the story. Of course there're a few flaws, such as a few very cheesy scenes (ie ending) and a side plot which feels somewhat out of place and is almost separate from the main storyline (the coupl...e at Shizuku's school).
Art
The backgrounds are excellent. Not only are they detailed, but also have a certain artsy charm that makes them stand out among the sea of look-alike anime depictions of urban landscapes. The only thing that could be improved about these are the colours, as they feel a bit faded. The characters, however, in classic Ghibli traditions are mediocre at best - overly round faces, unnatural movements, ever-open mouths, colourless eyes - definitely the lowest point of this review.
Sound
The sound in this movie (both voices and background audio) is strikingly great. I was very surprised to find a 15 year old movie with such quality audio - it has probably the best channel distribution I've yet to hear, so that even with my badly arranged (all on one desk) 5.1 system it sounded as if I was sitting right next to the characters. The theme song Country Roads fits very well with the rest of the movie and completes the atmosphere without being in-your-face.
Characters
Both main characters are extremely generic - to me they felt identical to the ones in Laputa and the heroine of The Cat Returns, and very similar to the rest of Ghibli's movies. Nonetheless, they're likeable and go through enough character growth during the movie to be more than skin deep. There's also the fact that they seem to act a bit too childishly for their age.
Enjoyment
This is the best thing about this film. Its depiction of an innocent childhood and puppy love is very realistic and brings on a sweet sense of nostalgia. My own childhood was much closer to what's depicted here than any other anime I've seen (or any live action movie, for that matter), so it strikes close to heart with me. The little slice-of-life details are a nice touch, though that does keep the main story in the background for most of the movie's length.
Overall, despite the few flaws it has, Whisper of the Heart is a classic that I would recommend for anyone who can appreciate a nostalgic laid-back love story and doesn't mind the occasional bit of naivete and cheesiness.
Finally, even though the average of the 4 separate scores is closer to an 8 than a 9, I do think that in this particular case the total is much more than the sum of its parts so it does deserve a 9 overall score. read more
|
| Overall |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
|
Apr 11, 20081 of 1 episodes seen 9 of 15 people found this review helpful A beautiful story that is so true-to-life and poignant...
The characters have the depth to give what might have been merely another daily life story that magical twist that has made Studio Ghibli so iconic.
With the honest depiction of the struggles teenagers encounter when facing "growing up" and the obvious thought put into every scene, the whole film moves the characters from nondescript children to young adults destined for something more. A coming-of...-age that is anything but ordinary.
There's really no more to say for it. Simply outstanding. read more
|
Opening Theme"Take Me Home, Country Roads" by Olivia Newton-John
Ending Theme"Country Road (カントリー・ロード)" by Youko Honna
Recent Forum Discussion
Fansubbing Groups
Which fansubbers do you like the best? Click + to approve of their subs for this show. Click - if you don't think they did such a great job.
Related ClubsHayao Miyazaki is the God of Animation, #*~The Blue Haired Anime Characters Club ~*#, Random Anime Claim Club, Studio Ghibli , Studio Ghibli Fanclub, ~.:ghibli 24/7:.~, Claim a Soundtrack Club!
Recently Watched By|
1 hour ago |
4 hours ago |
7 hours ago |
9 hours ago |
10 hours ago | |
12 hours ago |
4 hours ago |
Today, 4:14 AM |
Today, 4:04 AM |
Today, 12:58 AM |
|
|
