Mimi wo Sumaseba

High school has always been a popular setting for anime. Most anime associate high school with slice of life, comedy, romance, and of late, harem. This has worked out very well for most anime, but there was one little thing that always bugged me for some reason – it was all just a backdrop and never actually felt like one. The teachers are non-existent, the school is magically empty when the male and the female lead need to be alone and most importantly, the main characters were always a two-goody shoes or a precocious little punk, on whose shoulders the fate of the world rests. ... Even an anime called “School Days” revolved less around the actual school days. Very few anime actually use this backdrop to carve a story out of.

And one of them is Whisper of the Heart, an anime movie produced by Studio Ghibli in collaboration with Walt Disney studios. Released around 15 years ago, this movie continues to be entertaining to this day.

Whisper of the Heart is a relaxing two hour movie about the confused and enigmatic junior high student, Shizuku. Troubled on what to do after graduating, she finds solace in reading fairytales. On the way to the library, she meets a cat, who she follows to a quaint shop called “The World Emporium”. There she meets people and objects which help her listen to the whispers of her heart.

There’s not much to the story, really. This movie was primarily meant for children, so don’t go in expecting any complex plot with devious twists and turns. It is a very simple tale on how Shizuku tries to discover her true talents. That said, it does not mean that this feature is uninteresting. It was amazing how such a timid storyline kept me entertained for two whole hours.

The animation is trademark Ghibli style, with the chubby girls, detailed backgrounds and the smiling characters. But you know that when two heavyweights such as Ghibli and Disney come together, they sure aren’t going to fail on the technical aspect. Their previous collaborations (Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle) are testament to that fact.

The music is peaceful and fits the bill. The movie’s main song, Country Road, is a lovely number and very catchy.

The cast is pretty small, but it’s good. The protagonist is Shizuku, a spunky junior high student. Her good-humored family and friends comprise the rest of the cast, but I’m not going to go to deep into that. The casual voice-acting fits in well with the anime’s atmosphere.

The reason why Whisper of the Heart is so charming is because of its impeccable attention to detail. Just trust me when I say that the level of detailing to the characters’ unconscious actions and the constantly active background is ridiculously high. Things like a pencil lead snapping when writing furiously, pulling back of the skirt when sitting down, moving to the side of the road when an occasional car passes by, spacing out when looking out the window...I could go on all day. Long story short, this anime looks and feels very natural. The director and the storyboard artists have clearly put their heart and soul into making this anime, and it reflects on the quality of the movie.

But, when it’s all said and done, this movie does have its fair share of flaws. The start is extremely slow paced and I can already see a few people dozing off by the half hour mark. The show can be a bit melancholy at times and this is quite strange, seeing that it was meant for children. The ending was abrupt and could’ve used more build up.

All in all, Whispers of the Heart is a lovely movie that is sure to put a smile on your face with its realistic take on a girl’s junior high life.

[ THE WRAP-UP ]

Whisper of the Heart is your usual Studio Ghibli movie. Although aimed at a younger audience, this pleasant anime is a fun ride for kids and a nostalgic journey for adults. The show’s plot is simple, but it has a way of engulfing you into the picturesque world of the characters. The unimpeachable detailing to the characters’ actions adds on to the already realistic anime. The show takes its own sweet time to get off its feet and the ending was a bit off. But you can look past these shortcomings, because of the charming shojo elements that it oozes. Although the movie is 15 years old, it is able to hold its own in the audio visual department. Like the ore from which precious metals are extracted, this movie is rough, unpolished and natural. And that is exactly what makes it completely worth your time. Like, the MAL score of 8 says, Whispers of the Heart is a very good anime. No more, no less.

Ok, first of all, take my rating of this anime with a grain of salt. It's my all-time FAVOURITE Hayao Miyazaki film, so I'm biased (towards Miyazaki and towards this particular film among his films), to say the least.

I don't really think that anything I could say would really be very different from other reviews out there. I've read a bunch of them, plenty saying how well this film captures raw emotion, it's one of the Miyazaki films that is left unnoticed after Spirited Away and the like, etc, etc. All very true, so 'nuff said.

What I CAN say, which really goes without saying for ... anyone who has ever watched Japanese anime, is that the English translations (not always, but certainly in this case) completely BUTCHERED the movie! It trivialized the portrayl of adolescent emotions. This movie gives insight to how profound emotions (sorry if I"m being repetitive with "emotions" but I'm at a loss for an equally all-emcompassing word) can make an impact on young people. Just because they are young does not mean that they feel any less intensely or that their feelings (ah! a synonym! why didn't I think of that earlier....) are less true for them.

But the English translations RUIN this! Miyazaki has a knack for drawing out a realness in his films, even in the more fantastical ones. The emotions (there's that word again) are so raw that a receptive audience can sympathize with the characters quite easily. This movie especially is touching because it's sweet, but it's not all flowers and honey. Not everything goes over smoothly (this is my agreement to another preview I read somewhere on the interweb. I don't mean to copy :P).

Now, if you already know this about translated ANYTHING and completely ignored the English version, GOOD ON YOU. It sucked. I find very few are true to the original story. No matter how close in meaning it can be, there's always something lost in translation (cliche, I know). Basically, DO NOT WATCH THE ENGLISH VERSION. I only watched it out of curiosity. I've watched this movie (in Japanese, of course) countless times (it's my go-to movie when I feel like watching something Japanese-y and moving yet not too far fetched, which the Japanese have a flair for as well). I only wanted to make a comparison, but really THERE IS NO comparison.

Japanese > English ANY DAY.

edit: one more thing. The soundtrack for the English movie is also inferior to the original Japanese one (duh!). The music sounds dinkier which adds to the overall effect of "corny"ness (if you're unfortunate enough to have watched the English version, you will get what I mean by "corny") in the English version. I understand that they had to reduce background sounds to put in the voice overs, but they removed too much and put in too many unnecessary extra sounds. BLEH >:P

edit (again): another synonym: raw/DELICATE handling of emotions/feelings.

From the top 3 Ghibli animations that I think are the best, which are Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and Howl's Moving Castle, this movie is the one I hold closest to my heart. I am just absolutely in love with this movie and wish that I had watched it much earlier than I did.

Whisper of the Heart is about youth, it captures the feeling of uncertainty for the future, a hopeful yet also doubtful look into one's self, a mission to find your inner passion and a coming of age story that is both nostalgic and romantic. The story follows a girl who meets a ... boy that she instantly looks up to, Seiji is an artisan, passionate and devoted for the violin. While Shizuku, is a bookworm who is still unsure of her true calling.

This film explores a teenager's complexities very well, how Shizuku feels inspired by Seiji and her willingness to find what she loves and express art the way he does. She is determined, curious and passionate, giving her all to achieve this goal. I just love how the relationship that blossoms between them is strengthened by their willpower to find the best version of themselves despite everything else. I love that they support each other's dreams...

I think this movie will resonate for a lot of people, it'll just make you reminisce of times in your middle school or high school where things are uncertain yet you are scrambling for some footing, for some guided path. I definitely recommend to watch this movie if you are a Ghibli fan !

Generally speaking, I love Ghibli movies, but this one was kind of dull. Very heavy on the teen romance, very light on the magical elements. (And the theme song being a play on "Country Roads" was a little... odd.) Visually, it was beautiful. I just kept waiting for the story to go somewhere, and it didn't really. Not to mention it has one of the most abrupt endings I've ever seen in any story.

Which might sound a little harsh, because I did like the characters well enough. Seiji got off to a rough start, but I really liked him once they started developing his character. ... I'm a big fan of stories about people who are really passionate about their craft. Shizuku felt very relatable too. I loved how that passion for writing took over her life by the mid-point. And I really felt that pressure-- how she's not even in high school yet but feels like if she doesn't have her life figured out by now, she's doomed for failure. (And the romance is very sweet, but a love story is never enough to stand alone for me.)

It felt like a very slice-of-life, glimpse into one tiny moment in a person's life, coming of age sort of story. I just wish it went somewhere. I would have even settled for it switching a bit more between Shizuku's real life and Shizuku mentally living out the story about the Baron she was writing. Neither of those stories really felt like they had enough substance to them. I kept waiting for some kind of concrete life lesson to be communicated. The credits started rolling, and I just had to stare for a few seconds like, "Really? That's it?"

Whisper of the Heart is another Studio Ghibli film that focuses of love, life, and what it is like to be a teenager. It is a bit sappy and predictable, but if love stories are your thing then you will probably like this film. To put it short, the story is about a bibliophile who dreams of living in a fairy tale until she meets a special someone who shows her that fairy tales can be a reality if one looks hard enough.

The story of Whisper of the Heart is a heartfelt and somewhat realistic story of what life could ... be like for a young girl who dreams of love and adventure while reading countless stories about fiction and fairy tales. It starts slow and finishes slow. I am a bit surprised there was enough to the story that it would fill nearly two hours. It flows like a slice of life story and leaves you feeling inspired and encouraged like most slice of life stories should. What I found to be the most interesting element about the film was the few references to other previous and future Ghibli films. It was fun to try to pick out the little references here and there to see to which film they could go. That is all I will say about the subject. It is up to you to find the references yourself.

The animation was great. What else would you expect from a Studio Ghibli film? There is not much else to say about it. I enjoyed the art as always, which is a large part of why I like Studio Ghibli's films.

Sound wise, the film was inspiring. The music fit each mood perfectly. The voice acting was great too. I loved the voices that went with each character. They just seemed to fit almost perfectly, as if the characters could indeed be alive.

The characters are another reason I watch and love Studio Ghibli's films. They relatable and often address thoughts, fears, and emotions that are common or have been personally felt. Whisper of the Heart is no exception. The main character was lovable and relatable as well as admirable. Her resolve to do her best and be her best was inspiring. I have noticed that Studio Ghibli has an affinity for short brown haired heroines. The other characters in the film were likable as well, predictable and tropey but likable.

Overall, I enjoyed myself watching the film. It was sappy and hard to believe at times, at times most of the time, but it was enjoyable. It was a slice of life story that was refreshing but shallow. One you do not really know why you watched it, but you enjoyed yourself nonetheless. If you like, those type of stories, you will like the film but if you do not you might want to watch it anyway just so you can say you have watched it and complain to your friends later.

Whisper of the Heart was, overall, a good film, not great but good. It is a lesser known, lesser-watched film but worth your time if you chose to watch it. The story is relaxing and free flowing but shallow while the characters are relatable. Nevertheless the animation is great and the sound wonderful. The enjoyment is there too. It a great film for a lazy evening or spacer between loads of homework.

Shizuku Tsukishima is an extremely relatable character. She really enjoys reading fantasy books, and hanging out with her friends, but she isn't sure what she wants out of life in general. Throughout the movie she discovers many forms of inspiration that make her want to work hard to complete something.

The art, as usual for Studio Ghibli films, is excellent, really highlighting parts of life that can be beautiful and magical, without being completely fantastical.

This movie is filled with some very comforting things: libraries, cats, violins and young romance, but it also manages to take it's simplicity and push you towards fulfilling your dreams, whatever ... they might be.

Every aspect of this film was outstanding, from character to plot to artwork. Hayao Miyazaki is without a doubt a genius, but he outdid himself with film. Shizuku Tsukishima, the female protagonist, went through her journey of self-realization through her hard work and dedication to find her where her true passion lies and also find her talent. Along the journey, not only did she learn more about herself as a person but she found inspiration, love and motivation from those around her. While I do have sentimental attachments with the film, I rewatched it to understand the plot and characters better and every time I ... fall deeper in love with the film. Truly a masterpiece.

The best way I can describe the experience of watching Whisper of the Heart is to compare it to a critical scene in the film itself, where the protagonist Shizuku first stumbles across the old antique shop that will come to serve as her inspiration. It’s a quiet, stuffy, ancient place, tarnished trinkets from bygone ages covered in the dust and cobwebs of time’s unyielding march forward. It would be so easy to overlook such a quiet, shut-off corner of the universe in today’s much more active world. Yet there’s something enchanting about the place that can’t help but draw you in. There’s a real ... magic in these stodgy old antiques, their old luster still shining through the rust. And the longer the seconds pass, Shizuku’s gaze fixating on an enigmatic statue of a besuited cat with gleaming emerald eyes, you realize that this quaint little shop has wormed its way into your heart, like an old memory you only just remembered was special to you. It’s a quiet, pensive kind of love rather an a boistrous, energized love, but that in and of itself has its own special charm. And that’s really Whisper of the Heart in a nutshell: an unexpectedly blissful delight of a film, winning you over bit by bit until you easily surrender to its simple, homespun charm.

The story, easily the most naturalistic and grounded of any Miyazaki film I’ve seen thus far, centers around Shizuku, your typical junior high student living in the big city. Living in a cramped apartment with her family and going through the same routine day in, day out, she can’t help but long for excitement and adventure, some way to inspire a change in her listless life. That opportunity presents itself when she follows a wandering cat on a whim and ends up at the aforementioned antique shop, and her long-gestating creative aspirations start bubbling forth. Slowly but surely, she realizes that she may be a writer at heart, and the film follows her artistic awakening over the course of an otherwise ordinary year in an otherwise ordinary life. There’s a mysterious name that keeps popping up on slips of all the library books she checks out, a crisis with a friend’s one-sided crush, a somewhat arrogant classmate whom she slowly grows close to, and the guidance of the shop’s elderly caretaker, a man whose sense of whimsy and imagination inspire her to take life into her own hands. And all along the way, she’s faced with a choice between the stability and safety of walking down the same path... or taking a leap of faith and following the dream she’s only just realizing she had.

It’s that central question that elevates Whisper of the Heart from a good film to a genuinely great one: whether or not it’s worth taking the risk to follow your dreams when the potential consequences are so terrifying to think about. I’m an amateur fiction writer myself; I actually wrote my first novel at the age of 10, and I’ve been refining and updating it over the years. And I can tell you this, the way this film depicts Shizuku’s literary struggles was painfully real at times. Writing a story- hell, pretty much any creative art- is one of the most emotionally vulnerable hobbies one can pursue. It requires you to look inside yourself for you own truths, display those secret parts of yourself for the world to see, and pray to god people understand it. A criticism of something you poured your heart and soul into can’t help but feel like an attack on you yourself. It’s anxiety-producing as hell, is my point. And sometimes, it can be really hard to put yourself out there and get those words down, because there’s always that nagging thought that they’ll never speak the same truths on the page as they did in your head. Even if it’s something you love doing, the stress of allowing yourself to be that vulnerable, both to others’ opinions and your own self-critique, can be so overwhelming that at times you wonder if it’s even worth the effort.

And it’s that fact that Whisper of the Heart nails along every step of Shizuku’s coming of age. Her self-doubt was my self-doubt; her inability to see the value in what she could do, while holding everyone else up on a pedestal, is the struggle any young artist will inevitably go through. The boy she becomes close to is an aspiring violin maker, and she can’t help but compare herself negatively to his high pedigree, unable to realize that he sees the same value in her work that she sees in his. That particular nugget of truth has been one of the hardest things for me to internalize over my many years working on creative projects alongside people whose talent I recognize more than my own; you always see the best in everyone else over yourself, but that doesn’t mean they’re not still seeing the best in you. It’s such a truthfully realized depiction of coming into your own as an agent of your own voice, learning how to trust yourself and let your hang-ups fall by the wayside. I’m actually feeling legitimately inspired to recommit to some old projects I’ve left by the wayside and give them the attention and care I know they deserve. That’s the magic of this film; it understands how hard the creative process is, but also how rewarding it is when you finally let people in to the weird, wild world you want to share with them.

Aiding that sense of wonder is the film’s presentation, which, like I mentioned above, apes a very deliberate quaint, nostalgic aesthetic, almost like it’s preserved in amber from the ravages of time. It’s easily Miyazaki’s most realistic work yet, eschewing the fantastical imagery of his previous films (aside from a few visually gorgeous cutaways to the story Shizuku ends up writing) in favor of the cozy naturalism of whatever the Japanese equivalent of a Rockerfeller painting is. It’s got a corny throwback sort of vibe, between the warm summer colors, lush and homespun score, and the occasionally treacly dialogue all delivered expertly by the dub cast, all intended to put you in the same mindset as Shizuku herself, awash in the possibilities and desire to just put your pen to the page and get out the unfiltered mess of imagination swirling around in your head. In any lesser film it would be too much of a throwback, sinking into cheesy histrionics and feeling as stuffy and outdated as a gas lantern. But excepting maybe a handful of overly corny moments, the sincerity shines through, and much like that old antique shop, you find yourself getting swept up in the simple magic and feeling energized to explore everything it has to offer.

Whisper of the Heart is the best kind of simple, the kind of simple that you’ve seen a million times before but never get tired of going back for more of. It’s a moving portrait of an artist’s awakening and coming of age wrapping in a feel-good package of Ghibli-branded whimsy and comfort. I get the feeling this is a film I’ll be coming back to a lot; they way it speaks to my experience as a young writer is truly remarkable. It’s a portrait of an ordinary life in search of something much more extraordinary, and in that process it finds it own unique magic that I will likely be revisiting many times to come.

All I can say is AMAZING!!

The story is very cute...and simple. It pulls you in without overworking you...you don't have to put too much thought into figuring out the emotions/actions and you don't get on a devasting emotional rollercoaster. You just go with the flow and the next thing you know, you are watching the ending with a smile on your face. It's kind of warms your heart. Of course, you do think in the back of your head, "will it be alright"? However, the story is just so nicely set-up that you just go "oh heck, it was cute."

You ... should definitely watch it. Something nice to give you a break from all those typical shounen or mind-numbing psychological/drama animes (hehehe...not that I'm hating on those genres).

P.S...I have to add a comment about the art...something that really impressed me was the background...everything was nicely detailed and the people in the background (near) flawlessly carried out their own activities. ^_^* hehe...I thought I should just mention that since it was on my mind.

" Country road, take me home ... "

A classic Japanese anime with a classic Western song, this anime is so underrated in many ways. Country road, coincidentally, was also sang by Merlin in Kingsman when he sacrificed himself to save his friends, listening to the Japanese version of it gave me extra feels and it's especially amazing.

This is a simple story with a simple setting in a simple town, a girl and a boy met by fate set out to chase their dream, one to become a story writer while the other to become a famous violin maker. It starts off with a mysterious ambience ... to lay the foundation and to keep the mystery up for the reveal.

On the surface, it's an anime with mystery and fantasy genre where she experienced something that will change her outlook on her future, chasing her own dream and polishing her hidden skills with time and effort and her love in reading for it to shine and for her words to reach someone that she loved. Deep inside, is a green germ to be discovered, a beautiful and pure love story. Portrayed by the cat dolls in the story, a love story that is bitter sweet and too vague to be real, and yet too hard to just let it go.

Overall, this is a classic anime that is worthy of time to see for a change, and it might in some way changes you but it will definitely be enjoyable if you opt for something simple and nice to take a breath from everything else. And the only question remain will be, are you willing to discover it?

'Whisper of the Heart' is a down-to-earth, lovely and heartwarming story about pure love between two adolescent teenagers. The characters are well-written and likeable. The background score is incredibly suited to the atmosphere of the story.
True love is helping your partner move forward in life by being their support - love should not always necessarily be associated with romance. I absolutely love how the movie conveys this message. The movie also explores the anxieties faced by teenagers while thinking about their future and trying to find their purpose in life.
I would highly recommend slice of life lovers to try this amazing movie by ... the legendary director, Mr. Hayao Miyazaki.

The mid-90s brought a plethora of anime and the increase in studios and production is no surprise. Studio Ghibli is no exception to some expansion is some aspects. Thus brings a sweet slice of life film by the first Ghibli director not named Miyazaki or Isao Takahata. The director of Whisper of the Heart was Yoshifumi Kondou. He was set to actually be the successor in Studio Ghibli until his untimely death in 1998.

Our story focuses around an adorable hard working bookworm by the name of Shizuku. One day she notices a name, Seiji Amasawa, in all of the books she checks out and searches ... for the mystery person. One day, she follows a funny cat on a train that eventually leads her to an antique shop. As fate would have it, the person running the shop is the grandfather of Seiji. When the two finally meet, they begin a heartwarming adventure to pursue their own dreams, be it a professional violin maker or a writer.

As a slice of life, this anime hits all of the right marks. Motivation to pursuing ones dream is fantastically done and makes the viewer realize that sacrifices and some risk must be made in life in order to reach a goal. It takes the viewer into their world and the realization of what drives another is amazing being it what your brain knows and how long it takes for the heart to catch up.

Being it is Studio Ghibli, everything is done right from the animation to the writing, so it should not come as any shock. Now, the story is a bit on the slow side and there are some scenes that do seem fairly out of place. The best example of this is the fantasy world scene as the antique owner tells a story about a cat figure. This particular scene is one of the main motivators in the story but seems slightly out of place. A strange happening overall, but not so poorly done to throw off even a casual viewer. Whisper of the Heart is a very enjoyable anime film and should not be missed.

I loved this movie a lot. It captured perfectly the essence of being young and facing the impending decisions that decided your future. It also captured what it felt like to be in love for the first time, and it did it well not forcing anything. It entailed finding your passions and doing whatever you have to do to make your dreams come true. It spoke to me personally very much, as I'm a freshman college student who has just discovered his passion for writing. So this film touched me and helped me understand myself better.

The animation was classic Ghibli, very well made. The ... story, though it felt slow at first, found a comfortable pace fast. The sound was great, and the song "Country Road" is definitely something i would listen to again as it brought back some good memories for me.

Recommend to anyone with a passion or a love for writing, as it will surely inspire you and make you want to chase your dreams too. Amazing film from powerhouse Studio Ghibli.

This is the first anime film that I watched, and I really liked it. If I had to describe it, I would probably say the exact same thing as what the description says.
It's a very funny film, especially when Shizuku shows Yuko her lyrics in the first 20 minutes of the film, and if you haven't seen the film, I would definitely recommend that you watch it.
And if you like the film Whisper Of The Heart, then you will probably like Castle In The Sky too, and as someone else said, it's also quite like another film, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time :)

The best sakuga is character acting sakuga, and this movie has that in spades. Extremely impressive art.

I can see why this is a popular undercard pick for "favorite Studio Ghibli movie." It's not as somber as Kiki's Delivery Service, but it hits the same general marks while being a bit more down to earth. None of the romance angle did anything for me and I wasn't really rooting for them as a couple by the end. But I was rooting for them as partners. And maybe that's better. I believe they will support each other. Moreover, the girl's arc was all about discovering her drive ... in life, which is essentially a fantasy for me these days, so that was nice.

Anything that involves the due date cards they used to have in the backs of library books immediately carves itself into my cold heart. I love those things. They make you feel connected to the people who came before you, much more than the current computerized systems. I'm not quite old enough to prefer the card catalog to keyword searching, but I do hate the design of essentially every library search engine I've ever encountered. They may be better than card catalogs by most metrics, but card catalogs weren't offensive.

"Country road, take me home"

The Whisper of the Heart depicts two teens relationship with their own personal struggles and how they overcame it.

The story itself to be honest is pretty lackluster but it still is light and refreshing for the mind. The visuals for me is pretty badass, especially if you see that it is a 1995 film. Being able to alter and not ruin the prestigious John Denver hit "Take me Home" is a big accomplishment itself. Furthermore, this track brings out even more nostalgic feels from me, that is why I gave 10 rating for the Sound section.

Overall, there is nothing much to ... say about this anime. It is light, good, beautiful and definitely one of the best coming of age films I have ever watched.

mimi wo sumaseba is an aesthetically pleasing movie that gives you a sensation of nostalgia and comfort and has a calming atmosphere. the highlights of this movie were the parts concerning inspiration — feeling inspired by someone —, seeking to discover your own talents, exploring your abilities, polishing yourself (as seiji's grandpa says), as if we were uncut gems; the appeal of the imaginary world created by shizuku; the sweet moments between shizuku and seiji's grandfather, when various ideas about maturation and coming of age appear (and i have to admit i like that kind of character)
but the movie includes also quite odd and incomprehensible ... situations. having watched this movie again, after 5 years, i feel very disappointed about some things. the movie's pace is very fast (not that this is a bad thing itself), unlike what i remembered, and some things seem incomplete, disconnected. the romance between shizuku and seiji ended up having a very weird outcome, a fast and inexplicable one. i believe the major question here is that shizuku >is< a teenage girl, extremely dreamy, who idealizes everything, and by chance the movie turns everything she creates in her head into reality. and that to me is a flaw that makes the movie trivial. when shizuku, after meeting seiji again, says that she had created the whole story because of him, that she "did it because of him", this made no sense at all. if they had used the inspiration seiji gave her as a tool she could use to mature, discover and polish herself, putting this together with the moments she had with seiji's grandpa, things would have worked out a lot better — and that's what i remembered. but, in reality, the movie chooses a way simpler, superficial outcome, and everything ends up in a kind of taken-out-of-nowhere romance.
p.s.: seiji's extremely specific ambition, for some reason, seemed strange to me. and situations like sugimura's confession, at first, looked like they made no difference in the story as well. but i'm still thinking about that

EM PORTUGUÊS:
mimi wo sumaseba é um filme bonito visualmente, que passa sensação de nostalgia e conforto e tem uma atmosfera calma. os pontos altos desse filme foram as partes sobre inspiração — se sentir inspirado por alguém —, buscar descobrir seus próprios talentos, se aventurar com suas próprias habilidades, lapidar a si mesmo (como diz o avô do seiji), como se fôssemos joias brutas; o apelo do mundo imaginário criado pela shizuku; os momentos doces e bonitos entre a shizuku e o avô do seiji, em que várias mensagens de amadurecimento são passadas (e eu tenho que admitir que gosto desse tipo de personagem)
mas o filme também tem coisas muito estranhas e difíceis de engolir. vendo esse filme de novo, depois de 5 anos, me decepcionei bastante com algumas coisas. o ritmo é bastante rápido (não que isso em si seja um defeito), diferente do que eu lembrava, e algumas coisas parecem meio incompletas, desconexas. o romance entre a shizuku e o seiji tomou um caminho muito estranho, muito rápido e inexplicável. acho que a grande questão aqui é que a shizuku >É< uma menina adolescente, extremamente sonhadora, que idealiza tudo, e por um acaso o filme realiza tudo o que ela idealiza, e isso pra mim é uma falha que torna o filme muito trivial. quando a shizuku, ao reencontrar o seiji, diz que se esforçou e fez a história por causa dele, que "fez tudo por ele", isso não fez sentido algum. se tivessem usado a inspiração que o seiji plantou nela como uma ferramenta pra ela se descobrir, amadurecer e se lapidar, juntando isso com os momentos com o avô do seiji, as coisas teriam se desenvolvido de uma forma muito boa — e era isso que eu lembrava. mas, na verdade, o filme escolhe um caminho muito mais simplório, muito mais superficial, e tudo termina em um romance meio tirado do nada.
p.s.: a ambição extremamente específica do seiji por algum motivo me causou estranhamento. e situações como a declaração do sugimura, a princípio, não parecem fazer muito sentido pra história também. mas ainda tô pensando sobre isso

Whisper of the Heart is an excellent coming of age story that can appeal to everyone. When I first watched this movie I was disappointed that it wasn't some epic fantasy adventure. Upon a second watching I fell in love with this film. It captures the struggles of an artist and all the doubts that come along with it. The feelings come across very naturally, each character has their own worries. If you are an artist or feel lost in life this movie hits close to home. My only complaint was the soundtrack. In comparison to the scores of other Studio Ghibli films it lacked ... the magic it normally has. Besides that the movie overall still managed to have its own charm. I love how the art makes everyday life seem beautiful. Thank you for reading :)

This is my favorite Ghibli movie of all times!
Many like the fantasy kinds like Mononoke, Nausicae and Howl more, but I just love this one.
To sum up, why:

The story is maybe one thing that I really like.
It's about life in many aspects, showing one year in the life of a japanese middle school student. The girl is having problems with her big sister, is helping her best friend getting her crush, living through the feeling of a broken heart, finding interesting stuff, falling in love for the first time and getting her own dream of what she wants to be.
This, together with the side story ... of the Baron's missing loved one and her search for her "inner jewel", is what makes the story realistic and hearthwarming.

The art is, like the one of many other Ghibli movies, outstanding, the music too, which resolves around a improvisational translation of "Country Roads". The main characters are all with their own character, realistic and lively, growing through a progress as they act together through the year.

I just simply love this movie, the calm parts of Shizukus everyday live as well as her fantasy imaginations of what the adventures of the Baron would look like. It's made with much love and without much drama or actions scenes, so if you want to have a nice time with a wonderful movie, I can recommend this to you with all my heart!

I have been longing to watch Studio Ghibli movies for so long, finally watched this. This animation style is so unique and completely different from any other anime movie, or series I have watched so far. The work that is put into every character is phenomenal. Would recommend it to anyone who has a love for anime and I up for a dramatic+ slice of life + heartwarming story. Loved it ♥️

The story is unique, at least I don't know any anime protagonist who is aspiring to become a violinist and a story writer. The art style is very fitting to this kind of ... story, I was so amazed seeing this kind of art style as this is my first Studio Ghibli movie. Yes the characters are well-rounded they remind me of someone I know, hence we feel real.

I think anyone who watches this movie is going to have a hell of a treat and is surely gonna love it.