I just watched this night and thought it was an overall superb and endearing film. There is a lot of themes, the main ones I found where youth, nostalgia, passion, past vs. present, family/filial piety or obligation, and changes/growth in life.
You notice early how when the past is shown, the corner of the background are slightly not colored in, showing the ephemeral-ness of past memories while the present is in perfect illustration.
There were a few things I found could have been improved. The muscle facial animation or creases on the cheeks looked plain creepy imo, not just being realistic like Takahata was going for. The effect on me was that it make Taeko looked old, which isn't very pleasant to look at. Since that style was constantly contrasted or shown right after or before more traditional ghibli character "cute" face design, it was rather jarring. I'm sure this was one of the things Miyazaki would have objected to if he was allowed to work on the film. I'm kind of surprised this was never made into a live-action short because I think it would be perfect for it.
Some scenes like car drive to the farm and some of farming could have be shorten or edited out. Because on the one hand, this is kind of like a kid's movie with all the 10 year old Taeko's perspective that a kid could understand and enjoy. But it is almost 2 hours, too long for a kids movie, and has a lot of scenes of adults talking about rather mundane things or philosophically that would bore a kid watching and themes that kids would simply not understand.
They really didn't add much and they were long and made feel like I wanted to see the past Taeko more, but by the end it was fine. Some story plot points needed more development, a part of me while watching the movie wished this was a tv series with many episodes so all the little story points could be fleshed out, which I guess is what a lot of good movies makes me yearn for in a story, wanting a lot more.
For example, the Abe kid story, which felt like it came out of nowhere. I get that the purpose to demonstrate that at any moment, you can recollect the past in think deeply about it. But for the viewer it felt completely random because we got no build up or context to care about it necessarily at that point.
Taeko adult's monologue makes us feel close as she is expressing her thoughts like a diary but yet at the same time, for a large portion of the movie, she still feels quite distant as a character herself because we only kind of know her 5th grade self not her as a 27 year old woman. But we learn more a little more about her later on.
Her dad was a real asshole in the film. Not once did I think he show much kindness or remorse. Certainly in those days, the father of the family was very strict, conservative, and patriarchal. The way he demands his wife for the next course meal like servant for example. But then again, it was the 1960's, less than 20 years after the devastation of World War Two which could have made him have or reinforced very stern and unsympathetic habits. Think the dad experienced Grave of the flies and this is his ptsd aftermath.
The way the film treats flashbacks can sometimes feel a little disjointed at time and is not done too uniquely as in this regard as say more modern films like Mirai no Mirai. Also the film has 1 frame random cuts insert to show what characters are talking about sometimes, I find that rather distracting.
There is one point where she is about to take the train to leave the countryside and said, I think "I wish I'd didn't bring my 5th grade self". I couldn't exactly parse that meaning or find a meaningful interpretation. It seems like from her past self, she didn't have the greatest childhood memories. She can't do math, her father didn't let her pursue her acting dream, she got bullied by school girls and made fun of by some boys. But looking over it, it seems like a normal childhood experience. So I'm not sure that she meant by she didn't want to bring her 5th grade self, maybe her naivety? But then her 5th grade self's childness gave her the courage or impulse to change her decision and go back so Idk.
I guess also the part about the period is really unique in anime and how it was handled story wise if thinks about it. Such a thing is rarely discussed in real life let alone an anime. Even I as a kid never once hear about periods in school in elementary or middle from girls so I guess such things was kept fairly secret for a reason. Which is why this movie never got a disney blu-ray release.
Even watching this now, nearly 30 years later, it doesn't feel one bit outdated. The timeless of childhood experiences and growing up will be relatable for generations to come, though again, I feel like adults watching this will gain the most for it. I think this is the type of film one views years later and you will learn sometime new you didn't get the last time you viewed it, much like I think The Wind Rises for Miyazaki, which was his passion and reflective project.
