Up On Poppy Hill (2012)

The latest Studio Ghibli animated movie on DVD (they have a nominee for Best Animated Movie in the Oscar parade this year that is newer), which was adapted by the most remarkable animated story teller of my time, Hayao Miyazaki from a comic by Tetsurô Sayama, and directed by Miyazaki's son, Goro – might usefully play as the restorative half of a double-bill with the recently revived Grave of the Fireflies--meaning that it has a dated air about it that I found very pleasant, a reminder of a gentler way of telling a story.  This one is set in 1963, right before the Olympics in Yokohama.  The scenery that Ghibli animation is known for is just as remarkable as you would hope.

The movie itself is a light, breezy 1960s-set coming-of-age tale that strives to convey something of how Japan rebuilt itself after the traumas of the second world war. The high-school
romance between fatherless heroine Umi and student journalist Shun derives equally from the crowd pleasing  and the history books; the pair's inquiries into their shared, complicated past stand for those of the entire nation.  The blend of sophistication and innocence is well portrayed.

Miyazaki Jr's quiet approach might leave you thinking that this is a minor Ghibli, Studio production, unlikely to hold up to the test of time.  I would disagree with that assessment.  WHile is is unlikely to
an appeal to younger viewers – there's no magic or monsters--it was the biggest movie in Japan in 2012, so it held appeal for the home audience.  It bristles with the vast reserves of patience, optimism and artistry we've come to expect from this studio.