Whisper of the Heart
2009 ‘Mimi wo sumaseba’ Directed by Yoshifumi Kondô
Synopsis
Shizuku lives a simple life, dominated by her love for stories and writing. One day she notices that all the library books she has have been previously checked out by the same person: 'Seiji Amasawa'. Curious as to who he is, Shizuku meets a boy her age whom she finds infuriating, but discovers to her shock that he is her 'Prince of Books'. As she grows closer to him, she realises that he merely read all those books to bring himself closer to her. The boy Seiji aspires to be a violin maker in Italy, and it is his dreams that make Shizuku realise that she has no clear path for her life. Knowing that her strength lies in writing, she tests her talents by writing a story about Baron, a cat statuette belonging to Seiji's grandfather
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Continuing my quest to review my favourite movies it was only a matter of time until I'd get to this one and I've both been looking forward to this as I've been meaning to share my love for it for a very long time aswell as dreading having to actually convey my feelings about it in a meaningful and actually readable way. One thing I need to get off my chest right away is that this is in my opinion one of the absolute most underrated films I have ever seen to the point that it is almost sinful just how little it is seen. Animation is a medium I have had a huge soft spot for for as long…
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Despite being one of the lesser known films to be released by Studio Ghibli, Yoshifumi Kondo’s Whisper of the Heart is a touching story of love, aspiration and inspiration, and is certainly a film that more than justifies wider attention.
The film follows a young girl called Suzuku, a brilliant student and an avid bookworm, who meets Seiji, a boy whose irritable charm intrigues her. When the two grow closer, Seiji leaves to follow his dream of building violins in Italy, and Suzuku is inspired to follow her own.
Yoshifumi Kondo’s first and only film effortlessly blends fantasy and realism in a story filled with young love, whimsical comedy and hormonal emotion, but Whisper of the Heart is, first and…
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Whisper of the Heart should be at the top of my profile page, along with my other favourite films. Alas, space is limited, and distilling my favourites down to four meant a number of films don't get the recognition that they deserve.
I saw this film in the summer of 2009 and I think my adoration for it is attributed to a number of factors, which I'll try to address. For instance, the hand drawn animation that Studio Ghibli is renowned for oozes charm which is something at the very heart of this film. The soft depiction of a girl's high school adventure is quite enthralling, and I'll be honest, it depresses me. It depresses me that I don't write…
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A trove of storytelling riches, and enough small magical moments to power a dozen films. Ghibli at its absolute best. I cried like a little girl more than once during this movie.
Whisper of the Heart is likely the Japan Studios most 'meta' film: There are Easter eggs and self-referential goodies buried inside the story, the setting and the story within the story like a light chocolate filling.
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Yoshifumi Kondo was an animation director for Studio Ghibli, working alongside Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata on the films Kiki's Delivery Service, Only Yesterday and Princess Mononoke, all of which are some of the best the studio ever produced, he was Miyazaki's protégé.
Whisper of the Heart is the first and only film directed by Kondo, unfortunately due to a sudden death said to have been caused by excess work.
It's a real tragedy because I felt like the film has a certain purity, Kondo had some proper talent and we'll never get to see anything like it again.Whisper of the Heart is best described as a "slice of life" film, there's real people with ordinary lives.
The story… -
This goes at the tippity-top-tier of my Studio Ghibli ranking. An immediate all-time favorite. Makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Just an absolute joy. What a loss in Yoshifumi Kondo. What a damn loss.
http://cinenthusiast.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/viewings-and-rewatches-jan-27-feb-2nd/
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Story was a little flat and slow for me, felt more like a Disney plot more than anything else.
Lovely animation, and really nice to look at as with all Ghibli films.
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I'm starting to like the reality based Ghibli films more and more. There's still something magical about how these 90's films portray Japanese city life and then there's a charming coming of age tale on top.
It's a shame the American voice work isn't quite up to scratch with some dodgy translations clunking around.
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Yoshifumi Kondō's showcase for Ghibi is a testament to wouldas and couldas.
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a beautiful and joyous animation. a girl's boredom with her unfulfilled life gives way to infatuation and fantasy, leading to inspired creativity and the love of a boy who serves as her muse. a great film, a little slow though.
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Film No.2 in my Anime Marathon
"I'm no man's burden! I want to be of use!"
This film is so far from what i expected, when it comes to animated films you expect fun, you expect adventure. which this films does have. But this is more of teenage drama. with so many themes and messages coming across.
The story follows a girl named Shizuku Tsukishima who becomes intrigued by some one she has never met but checks out all the same books, could this be the ONE for her? The themes in the film are wide and many. Some include not knowing what you want to do with your life, being separated from people you care about, wanting to take…
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Yoshifumi Kondo was an animation director for Studio Ghibli, working alongside Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata on the films Kiki's Delivery Service, Only Yesterday and Princess Mononoke, all of which are some of the best the studio ever produced, he was Miyazaki's protégé.
Whisper of the Heart is the first and only film directed by Kondo, unfortunately due to a sudden death said to have been caused by excess work.
It's a real tragedy because I felt like the film has a certain purity, Kondo had some proper talent and we'll never get to see anything like it again.Whisper of the Heart is best described as a "slice of life" film, there's real people with ordinary lives.
The story… -
Una más de Ghibli que es preciosa. Sigue el ritmo parecido al resto del estudio, contando la vida cotidiana sin demasiados sobresaltos pero dejando caer frases, momentos, escenas y música que te llegan directos al alma.
Ah! La juventud! El primer amor, las primeras esperanzas y lo bonito que es todo, aunque te llueva sobre la cabeza.
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Lovely Ghibli animation about confusing adolescent crossroads; falling in love, taking responsibility, and finding inspiration and ambition to realizae one's dreams. A remarkably sweet film about high school life.
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Teenage love, and teenage life decisions, all animed nicely with a John Denver inspired soundtrack, but I didn't really feel the love that others must have for this seeing as it's rated 7.9/10 on IMDb.