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| The facial expressions a bit odd, I see that it was an attempt at realism but I think it looked pretty bad. Other than that it was a really solid film, I guess this was supposed to be targeted at a female audience but the message/theme of moving on is very relateable. I felt like some of the film dragged on, it would have been wise to shorten it a bit since many scenes seemed unnecessary, such as the long drives that only consisted of them talking about farming. I wish they had also dived deeper into her first love and her first childhood romance. The ending was what really won me over, it was very sweet to see. 8/10 Lol also forgot to add, loved the Japanese rendition of the Rose in the ED. |
ShuhanJul 10, 2013 3:36 PM
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| This is probably my favourite Studio Ghibli movie (switching constantly with Kiki). It's not your typical anime, not even regular anime slice of life, and I'm glad, among the more than ridiculous amounts of fanservicey, moe, fantasy, supernatural anime, you have something as down to earth as this movie. If your fare of anime leans over the aforementioned, then this movie is not for you. The narrative switches between the childhood memories of an O.L. getting on her years (by Japanese standards of that time) and her current life, and how much contrast (or not) there is in her life. I find fascinating how time has made her different from her childhood days, but her essence is the same. I can make the connection that the girl they're showing is this older lady in love with the countryside. While I understand why some people would find it boring, it really comes down to your tastes and not the quality or type of the movie, which regardless of whether it's Studio Ghibli or not is without doubt an excellent movie. It could be a Studio Gonzo movie and I would still claim it as one of my favourites. |
| Only Yesterday I first saw this film without benefit of subtitles, around 1992, on VHS tape. I bought the soundtrack CD that same year and it has owned a place in my heart for specially wonderful things. This month, I bought the PAL (UK) DVD, since it is not released in the US, and I use my Oppo region free player. The only unfortunate matter, beside the lack of a US release or a Blu-ray disc, is that the master seems to be from analog video and is not as good as masters made digital today from film. It still looks acceptable, even on a 12’ projection screen. The sound was a shade above mediocre, but okay, and lacked surround channels, but this film is not about sensational effects and its strong point doesn’t need all those things to convey the story. For more than twenty years, Omoide Poro Poro (Only Yesterday) has been one of my favorite films. Now, with the benefit of subtitles, I got so much more out of it this time around. It was a gusher of emotions and insight into this young woman’s life and choices. The use of muscles in facial animation was a breakthrough in this film. It’s what’s responsible for the realistic expressions and conveying emotional subtlety. The extensive location photography, capturing Yamagata Prefecture laid the groundwork for some of the most realistic scenery of that era. The daybreak over the safflower fields was breathtaking. One thing that struck me about the story was a scene where Taeko and Toshio are stopped alongside the road and pointing out various features of the landscape. While Taeko thinks that is nature, Toshio points out, one after another, that all these things are work of man and that the land became that way through generations of farming. It was a recognition of man’s importance as part of the ecosystem, a welcome contrast to Miyazaki’s views as expressed in films like Nausicaä. I see that several people find the film “boring” or that their impression of Taeko is unfavorable. On the surface, that may be a valid appraisal. But if we look deeper into the human psyche, “Only Yesterday” is an interesting study into the thought process of, what may be, the typical Japanese office worker. I wrote to one as a pen pal from 1986, right up until 2000. And having read the book “Pink Samurai” by Nick Bornoff, it gives me a bit of insight into the Japanese attitudes on marriage. Taeko was marking time, and she knew it. At 27, she was realizing her prime years were coming to a close. What happened on the farm was not the result of ten days of ‘thinking’, but more like the last 17 years of her life, coming back to the forefront of her recollection and, with Toshio’s thoughts added to the mix, a clear picture of the future she wanted came into focus. And this was her second time visiting the farm. No doubt, it reinforced her positive memories of the last visit. Grandma’s suggestion to her may have planted the seed, but her putting her life into perspective, coupled with the ‘feeling’ that she had when spending time with Toshio, as well as her love of the country life, were all factors that pushed her to make a major change in plans. I think it is very much how people in Japan carry on. Other minor details were interesting. The fact that Toshio would smoke old cigarette butts from the ash tray.. the slicing of the pineapple and Taeko’s excitement over discovering this ‘new’ fruit.. or when the train stops and the people lean forward from the inertia.. or the Johann Strauss music in the cafeteria scene where Taeko agrees to finish another student’s lunch.. the baseball game.. I could go on. Thinking back to her school years, I often wondered how things would have turned out had she not been so shy and had responded more favorably to Shuji Hirota’s crush on her. Opportunities lost, I thought at the time. A lot of people don’t seem to understand the appeal of country living, but it was this film that spurred me to use the phrase, “sometimes I think I should have been a rice farmer in Japan”, when technological things frustrated me. There are times when going back to a simpler lifestyle is appealing. Look at where we are, as a society, with almost no one knowing how to survive without access to a supermarket. But the people living on the farm will do just fine, even if the technological world breaks down. Some favorite scenes: daybreak on the first day of picking safflower, the tutoring in math from Taeko’s older sister, Taeko walking downtown with her mother after her father put a stop to her show biz interests, that sixties TV theme show music, that drive with Toshio on that rainy evening, her realization that she hadn’t really changed, emotionally, since she was ten.. and that ending.. was perfect. It left you with just enough to know that everything’s going to work out fine. In the most simple terms, this story chronicles that part of a young woman’s life, where she makes the transition from childhood to adulthood. Just because she has a job in Tokyo doesn’t mean that she’s all-around emotionally mature. This film was about her coming to terms with, and overcoming some areas of development that she lacked. In that sense, it was an inspiring film. And I loved the scenery. It made me want to live in that part of Japan one day. |
| Loved it, it's so realistic. both in graphics, and story. effin loved it |
| EL PSY KONGROO!!! |
| loved the expressions. the story, the everything. might be kinda boring on her adult scenes but the ending and her memories compensate this. |
| EL PSY KONGROO!!! |
arimakenshin said: This is one of the most boring, messed up slice of life series I have come across. I picked this up expecting a timeless snapshot of one woman's life as the youngest of three. Instead, I was given the opportunity to spend just shy of two hours of some 27 year old female virgin munching on her dreams of her glorified childhood because she had nothing interesting happen between the ages of 10 and 27. Your comment made me laugh and I do agree with a good part of it. Her reminiscences are pretty mundane. While this may be the author's intent, >1h of pondering is too much. This film is nonetheless one of my favorites. The last scene is what does it for me - it's like watching a poem come to life. |
hellogoodbyeApr 5, 2014 11:15 AM
| Unbelievably underrated! |
| This movie felt... bland. I'm not saying there were no good part but it was bit too slow, left many loose ends (whetever happened with that baseball guy liking her, for example?) and for most time, it felt pretty boring, mainly in present. Those talks with Toshio in felt too long and almost needless (save for that one in the end perhaps), not to mention I hated how he was giggling all the time. Not to mention his constant annoying and moralizing talks about biofarming, I really don't like that. I know ordinary life is boring but do I want to watch boring movie of it? I don't think so. I liked those flashbacks into her childhood days as she was cute when she was 10 years old but even that it wasn't put together well as it felt really episodic and there were many occasions where Taeko's memories felt forced. Many stories were about her failures and there was no sort of accomplishment in the end. Though I have to say this is how life is. The end was... I dunno... I felt nothing as I couldn't find any spark between main two characters in whole movie (rather, there were many moments of awkward silence), her grandma forcing her onto him would have opposite effect in reality. For some reason I couldn't even appreciate atmosphere of ruric environment though I often like it. Animation-wise it was great but that alone is barely enough for good movie. 5/10 |
| Wow ... all I can say is that this was an AMAZING movie. I didn't go into it expecting much to be honest, but it blew me away. Great characters, loved seeing her childhood,and it all felt so REAL! Imperfect dialogue, bratty kids, and just ... wow. Her family was pretty strict, and seeing the contrast and then seeing Taeko transition from a child to an adult ... what can I say, I loved it! :D Great music and animation (though of course, no 1080p for us D:) and honestly, this is one of my favourite Ghibli films that I've seen so far. Probably closely tying with Nausicaa and Howl's Moving Castle. Just amazing. Only, I kinda wasn't a huge fan of the ending. The ED song was really nice (and I loved how they included the school kids!) except really, I think it would've had a bigger impact if she just went on with her life instead of deciding to stay and marry Toshio. Well, that's just my opinion though. Still, a really awesome movie, very worth the 9/10 I'll give it :D |
| Ananas, Hungarian music, farm life, reminiscing--oh that nostalgia. Alone and strong, but alone. The ending was just pure beauty, with the music and the whole idea. Perfect. Fascinating. I loved it and enjoyed every bit of it. And I love Taeko :) |
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| This one just doesn't do it for me, then again I've never really liked "slice of life" anime that much. I enjoyed it in places but I definitely prefer the fantasy elements of usual studio Ghibli films to this. |
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| I liked the transitions between Taeko's past/present and the facial expressions. This movie also taught me to respect the farm life more. Great laid-back movie, one of my fav Ghibli movies. 10/10 |
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| Nice execution by Ghibli again. Not much of a conflict but the plot pacing is amazing, and some humorous reminiscence of Taeko |
| I've never watched anything that was incredibly boring and interesting at the same time. BTW, the music they said was Hungarian was actually Romanian, but hey, it was close. I'm Romanian, that's how I know. Hungarian music is much sadder, and I actually know the name of the Romanian folk song they used. So yeah... really slow and really boring but I don't regret watching it. Women will probably enjoy it more, and be able to relate to what is happening better. |
DmonHiroJul 20, 2015 5:56 AM
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| It was a little boring and drawn out, but I did enjoy watching the movie. Reminds me of my 5th grade days. |
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| I love how the film was presented. The way each scene was done was definitely well done. The animation was also really nice, as was the soundtrack. The characters had some charm to them, and there were some good, memorable moments throughout, but for whatever reason I just couldn't get into the overall story. Throughout the film, the story was laid out in such a slapdash manor that it didn't really have any kind of arc to it, making it feel like a bunch of random events & stories occurring one after the other with the same characters, without having any real meaning behind them. The story felt more experimental than anything... and it made me feel like the film was lacking something important. In some ways it felt like it had all this potential but didn't know what to do with it all. Still, because of the animation, the soundtrack, and some memorable scenes with some charming characters, I give it an 8/10. |
::End of Transmission:: What have I been watching? Click here and find out on my viewing blog, "Vigorous Viewing" |
| I think this is the first Ghibli film I've seen directed by someone other than Miyazaki. I loved it! My mind was racing just as much as hers was after hearing the story about the boy who wouldn't shake her hand. And obviously from the ending it's inferred that she has a happy ending with Toshio, but I love how it's because her 10 year old self pushed her to it. Right before she said that next time she'd come without her 10 year old self, but that same self led her on the path she really wanted to take. Listening to your inner child can do wonders for reevaluating where you are in life and where you want to be. This movie, like most Ghibli films tbh, definitely inspired me to make changes in mine. Don't hesitate or let others make decisions for you, chase after what you want. Also...I loved that scene where the baseball player comes up to her and she's literally on cloud nine afterwards lol. So cute. jal90 said: On the other hand, I don't think the romantic feeling is as much emphasized as it is the desire for self-determination of Taeko. She is almost thirty and has a prosperous job at the city, but she still wants to escape from time to time and feel that she is still able to direct her life in the path she actually wants to, without any external/social pressure. Agree. |
| Pure Slice of Life. |
| That was pretty good! I loved how they included two Bulgarian folk songs that are related to farming and flowers. The Hungarian music was also a delight. I also understand why some people'd call it boring but there were many times I could relate to the characters and quite a few moments made me remember that I felt/did the same in my childhood! I liked it as a break from fiction and exaggerated beautifully drawn characters. |
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| This film was fantastic! It really captured elementary school life and the alternating between past and present was well done. The ending was beautiful. |
Mirai, zura~!  |
| Saw it in a theater today. Incredibly underrated on here! I'm giving it a 9 but it's really close to a 10. It was a beautiful film. Slow paced, funny, and moving. I had no complaints about the English dub. |
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| most underrated and most likely my favorite ghibli film ever. 9/10 |
| Finally saw this after only seeing it on tv over 10 years ago. Absolutely amazing, this is quite possibly the best Ghibli has ever made, I loved the arthouse feel of it all; the amazingly realistic expressions and dialogue. It's so refreshing to hear normal voice acting for once, you can actually sit there and appreciate that you're hearing realistic dialogue, that phone call scene with Taeko and her sisters was superb. As someone around her young adult age group, I can relate to the feelings of impulsive tangents of childhood nostalgia, but also sometimes regret and the pains of growing. Her childhood was still lovely, but as non-asian person, I couldn't help but feel her parents were too strict, and sometimes much too harsh to such a timid little girl. Her mother would nag in such a resentful manner, and her father was about as emotionally distant as one can get, her sisters acted with typical sibling bratty behavior though. From what I understand, that's unfortunately a relatively common experience in East Asian families, which I absolutely disagree with, but that's another subject. I loved the sudden change in the ending, matter of fact....I totally forgot that she decided to stay. It was so touching! I was happy for her character that she found a way out, the city life simply wasn't for her, and it seemed to me that her office job had a fair amount of math involved in it. Even though math was her biggest academic weakness, something I also relate to as I am embarrassingly incompetent with numbers. As the OP mentioned, this film transcends anime and its stereotypes and limitations. |
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Quoting myself. I think the same still now. :) Though I understand Taeko more now, whether it's because of rewatching or because I'm older I don't know, but I still love this. For those who didn't really get it: "During her stay in Yamagata, she finds herself increasingly nostalgic and wistful for her childhood self, while simultaneously wrestling with adult issues of career and love. The trip dredges up forgotten memories (not all of them good ones) — the first stirrings of childish romance, puberty and growing up, the frustrations of math and boys. In lyrical switches between the present and the past, Taeko wonders if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self. In doing so, she begins to realize that Toshio has helped her along the way. Finally, Taeko faces her own true self, how she views the world and the people around her. Taeko chooses to stay in the countryside instead of returning to Tokyo. It is implied that she and Toshio began a relationship at the end of the movie." -Wikipedia |
MirorinJul 12, 2016 11:15 PM
| It wasn't bad, and there were a number of things that the film did very well... but it's just not a good sign when you're watching a movie and checking the clock. About half way through I wished it would be over soon- it was just very boring. I want to say I still liked it overall, but that may very well be because I wanted/expected to like it going in. |
| "My name is John Locke, and I'm responsible for the well being of this Island" |
| i liked it.. though my only gripe on this anime is Taeko's cheeks when she smiles.. it's just too damn distracting and weird!! |
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| wait why is this Ghibli film so unpopular? and why does it have like the lowest score out of all of them? this one hit home the most out of any of them. i think this may actually be my favorite Ghibli film at the moment the art was the most beautiful out of all the films, i absolutely adored the pastel colors and watercolor backgrounds. it was so soothing and calming and the music was fantastic as well i think the reason why i enjoyed this movie so much was because i related to Taeko so much to the point where i was remembering some things as well. oh man there were so many scenes that i absolutely loved and related to i can't name them all. the one that stuck out the most was the pineapple scene (lol), my family lived in poverty and i remember we also got some sort of food for the first time but it wasn't nearly as good as the cheaper food we usually eat. i loved the "rainy, cloudy, or sunny day" scene as well...i just loved this anime so much, for me it was nearly perfect. it was so realistic and the interactions between characters felt so familiar to me. my childhood was a lot like Taeko's and her family was very similar to mine. actually i can see why this film isn't as popular. i'm assuming most of the people on here are Americans, or from some sort of English-speaking country. i felt like in order to appreciate the film you needed to relate to the small things in it, so a lot of it has to do with culture and how you were raised. |
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| The ending saved this movie for me. Overall I found it a bit weird and not up to my taste, but in the end I still got the usual melancholic feeling of the Ghibli movies. Characters: +1. Atmosphere: +1. Quality: +0.5. OST: + 0.5. Storyline: 1. Background story: +1. Ending: +1. Drama: +0.5. Overall: 1. |
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| Yeah yeah. We get it. the farming life and the Japanese countryside is probably really nice. But the whole "Oh. City life is not REAL living" thing? Fuck off. It's not all about robotic and soulless office jobs and oppressive dehumanizing atmosphere. As if farming for a living isn't all also full of routines. That stuff is also hard work and not just fun in the sun. I found moving from Tumbleweed, Nowhereistan to the big city to be incredibly liberating personally. But you won't see me denouncing small-town living. I liked the art though and the beautiful watercolor-ish backgrounds. |
| The animation in this was fascinating, I can't even imagine how much work went into the faces during all the conversations. |
| It was fun to watch. I really like rural landscape and animation was awesome. The ending was perfect. 9/10. :) |
| "The future is always blank. Only your willpower can leave footsteps there." "Ruling over death means ruling over life. Death is the climax of life. To have the best death, you must honor life." |
| The voice acting and the animation were superb! I could really feel the atmosphere of the movie. I especially loved the voice acting of the farmer guy. The movie itself seemed so simplistic, yet beautifully executed. It felt like listening to my grandpa, except the stories in the movie were less silly. It's 10/10 for me. Beautiful! |
| 8-track/radio. Awesome. I wore out several of those, never mind the tapes themselves. |
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| it was boring.. and since i dont know how to score boringness ill give it a 5 for cant decideness.. |
| I have to say I was disappointed with this one. The scenes of Taeko's childhood were engaging (if awkward and sometimes uncomfortable to watch), but I didn't feel it connect to the main story in the way I think the director intended. It came off more like, "City life sure is awful. Hey, you know what? I've been working in the fields for all of a week. I'm practically a professional now, so I'll marry this guy I've spent the week with (kinda). This is a good decision. After all, I sure do have some fond memories of... doing exactly nothing related to this in an environment not at all similar to this." I've seen the argument that she's taking a hold of her life and doing what she wants, but unless the film is secretly about the folly of making impulsive choices without thinking them through because you're blinded by nostalgia (which, again, relates in no way to what she's choosing to do), then I don't feel as though this movie is one of Ghibli's best. Actually, I'm currently going through all the Ghibli movies, and I'm a little saddened to say that this, so far, my least favorite. In terms of structure, character, tone (ESPECIALLY tone), and the overall message of the film, I can't say I'm a fan of this one. 4/10 |
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| Fun fact; this movie has a 100% approval rating on RottenTomatoes. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/only_yesterday_1991/ Safe to say it's not as underrated among critics as it is among the regular audience. |
| Like Citizen Kane, the ending makes the movie. Of course I'll never be able to relate to Taeko in any significant ways, but I still can't help but admire the incredibly empathetic nature of the movie |
| Hoo boy, got a bit emotional there at the end. My eyes were tearing up as Taeko decided to go back to Toshio while being cheered on by her classmates and childhood self. Anyway believe it or not this wasn't the first time I saw this movie. Turner Classic Movies had a month of Studio Ghibli films way back in I wanna say 2006 and I saw it then. I remember it stood out because it was the only movie they showed subtitled instead of dubbed, and at that time I wasn't nearly as used to watching subs as I am now. My memories of it though were understandably vague going into this rewatch considering it had been around 12 years. I definitely remembered the flashbacks with the story narrative, and one in particular with Taeko's father causing her to cry, though didn't recall the specifics. Movies like this are right up my alley though. I loved the flashbacks, the introspection, and the beautiful contrasting countryside scenes. Just the Slice of Life atmosphere, I'm a junkie for it. It was certainly a very beautiful film to look at too, but then Ghibli excels at that. Something else they excel at, and as I mentioned at the start, it could be pretty emotionally powerful as well. Poor Taeko! I found myself feeling sorry for her more than once during those flahbacks, but I guess she turned out alright regardless of any childhood hardships she had to endure. That was nice, a very feel good movie for me. I'm fluctuating between a high 8 and generous 9 for this one....I'll say 9. Well this was just the first of quite a few films I think I'll be checking out in the days ahead, and it was certainly a great start. :) |
| The story is inconsistent, and dramatized in parts. |
| And still, Bill will live on. He will befriend the next inhabitants of the earth, beings of light who revere him as a god. And Bill will outlive them all... for millions and millions of years...exploring, learning, living, until the earth is swallowed beneath his feet. Until the sun is long since gone. Until time loses all meaning and the moment comes that he knows only the positions of the stars and sees them whether his eyes are closed or open. Until he forgets his name and the place where he'd once come from. He lives and he lives until all of the lights go out. |
| This film was a wonderful surprise. I consider it one of the best films made by Studio Ghibli, as far as I'm concerned. I found myself reflecting in the events and thoughts of Taeko and Toshio, it is as if I had passed all my past life, so I felt the joys and sufferings of Taeko. In addition, the final was knitted in treating the story in such a sweet and genuine way. I do not understand why I've never heard of this film around any of the other titles of Sudio Ghibli, but I think it's a duty to make it known to a wider audience. 9/10 |
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| One of my first ghibli films and definitely one of my favourites. Taeko's story just reminds me of being a child again. So much nostalgia. :) |
| I find it hard to describe with words just how much this movie moves me. It's so beautiful, so warm; it's an inspiring journey. Taeko goes, for the second time, to the countryside she so longed for when she was a little girl; and this spurs all kinds of memories from that year. Her 10 years old self (with her whole class) just goes along with her. She meets Toshio, and grows closer to him without even realizing it at first. When the family that welcomed her started to urge her to stay and marry him, making her conscious of him, things gets uncomfortable because she didn't even see it as a possibility. But that last sequence, when her child self and her friends are kind of present there to spur her to action, and she decides to go back and stay with him; that was beautiful. Especially with the theme song playing in the background. For some random comments I wanted to say that her father bought a bad pineapple. I mean, people aren't obliged by nature to like pineapples or something, but I can't believe they didn't find it sweet or tasty at all, that couldn't have be a good one *says a pineapple lover*, but well. Taeko was acting like a spoiled girl at that time, but her father didn't have to hit her like that "because" of the shoes. He was also terrible not letting her act in that play. She says herself that she wasn't cut out for it after all, but he let his prejudices and preconceptions cut her wings before she could even try to fly with them, and it wasn't fair. Toshio having watched the same show she did as a kid, and reminiscing about a song from it with her, with his positive view on it, was really cute too. This isn't even all this movie has to offer or touches, but I will leave it at that. As I said, I find it hard to describe, but this is certainly one of my favorites, not only from the studio, but from among every single one I ever watched |
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