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Whisper of the heart
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Animation - 9.3 |
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Sound - 8.9 |
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Story - 8.8 |
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Character - 9.2 |
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Value - 9.0 |
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Enjoyment - 9.0 |
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Average - 9.0 |
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| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Whisper of the heart, like most ghibli movies, has plenty of atmosphere. It also happens to have a compelling main character. While Whisper of the Heart is a multi-faceted slice of life story, it still feels like it lacks a little direction. The romance helps keep the story together, but the first half and the second half don't seem to mesh perfectly.
Olivia Newton John's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" is the first thing you hear. Whisper of the Heart takes this time to establish Shizuku, our main character's home. Although she lives in the outskirts of Tokyo, there is an element of hospitality that's not too different from the hospitality associated with the American country side. The nostalgia Whisper of the Heart can invoke is all in the details. The smallest nuances of the seasonal Tokyo outskirts are documented here. Even if some of her classmates are a bit corny and unnatural, Shizuku's simple life seems real.
Established as the homey atmosphere is, the story doesn't seem to have the same level of care put into it. It is split between a weakly developed romantic relationship, and a small journey of self discovery...mostly. The real story doesn't seem to occupy any of the first half of the movie. The first half is a bunch of random slice of life like events, some of which work to introduce the characters that are actually important to the story, but most establish characters that don't even make an appearance in the second half. Whisper of the Heart ends up trying to develop a love story in the second half of the movie, as well as follow Shizuku on her attempts of self discovery. While the latter part feels mostly complete, the love story is pretty weak. Shizuku's male counterpart is unbearably corny, and he doesn't get much screen time either. Their relationship seems to jump unnaturally rather than develop smoothly.
Many of the characters seem a bit quick on the tear trigger. Often, it's quite believable. Shizuku's eyes well up when she's reading a story she's gotten into. Still, the semi-frequent bawling made my eyes roll a few times.
Overall, Shizuku's search for a path in life is one that hits home, and it seems to be the main focus, even if it's not given the majority of the plotline. Whisper of the Heart is a difficult feature to dislike, what with its engrossing setting and all, but it is jumbled, and lacking in direction.
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| Average |
8.3 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Whisper of the Heart is in essence a 120 minute long childhood romance anime, with a slice of life element made in 1995.
Although, in my opinion, the graphics and animation in Whisper of the Heart isn't as good as the 1989 masterpiece Kiki's Delivery Service, the way Whisper of the Heart looks and moves is quite some time ahead of its time. Despite lacking the numerous background animations that have captivated audiences in a number of Studio Ghibli productions, every movement, no matter how minor, is animated to perfection and top accuracy. The background, albeit static, are extremely detailed. Animation wise, Whisper of the Heart cannot be said to be a breakthrough. Neverthless, the quality is still top for its time, and this movie is definitely not let down by this factor.
Whisper of the Heart has a decent soundtrack. The number of tunes present is not much, but it is still pleasant to listen to and doesn't damage the mood of the movie. The voice overs and sound effects are very well timed, as to be expected from a Studio Ghibli production.
The movie start off a bit slow, and the ending might feel a bit exaggerated. However, the storyline in between is good and believable. I am not a fan of romantic storylines, but I found Whisper of the Heart to be realistic and pretty much faultless, despite not very interesting or exciting. I suppose that someone who enjoys romance more than me would find this movie much more delightful to watch.
The characters, just like the storyline, seem very realistic for their respective ages. Character development was sufficient, and there is overall nothing to criticise or praise about the characters in Whisper of the Heart.
Whisper of the Heart should be very enjoyable to watch for people into the childhood love/romance genre of anime, and I would recommend this movie to them. As for the rest of us, me included, Whisper of the Heart is a high quality anime with a solid storyline, and will most likely not disappoint anyone watching it.
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| Average |
8.0 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| To be blunt, I expected this anime to be better. After having watched the likes of Totoro, Spirited Away and Mononoke, I was prepared to be blown away by some imensely deep and touching story. Well, I wasn't quite blown away, but I was still entertained.
Whisper of the Heart is a sweet movie about a girl trying to find her way in life. The only real fault I have is the story pacing and flow. I felt that the movie didn't flow very well and that everything happened too fast for me to enjoy the movie properly.
Average Score = 7
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Pellissier |
(2006-12-28 11:20:52) 2005-12-02 09:15:03 |
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| Average |
10.0 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| A delightful gem from Studio Ghibli, the almost unknown "Mimi wo Sumaseba" really should deserve a bit more attention from distributors.
This movie is very pleasurable to see, and so kind, so simple and yet so deep. A little masterpiece.
The best anime movie I've seen.
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petran79 |
(2006-04-27 14:11:05) 2005-12-01 05:12:25 |
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| Average |
8.0 |
| Animation |
0 |
| Sound |
0 |
| Story |
0 |
| Character |
0 |
| Value |
0 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| The director Yoshifumi Kondo here unites features of the movies of Miyazaki with those of Takahata and makes this peculiar anime that has some unique features of its own, some redeeming, others not so much.
But if you've seen Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday and Ocean Waves and liked these, you'll enjoy this too.
Like ''The Cat Returns'', based too on a manga by Aori Hiragi
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Pantha |
(2005-11-14 21:33:44) 2005-11-14 21:28:43 |
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| Average |
7.0 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
6 |
| Value |
7 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| Whisper of the Heart is a film in which the sum is not greater than its individual parts. Although not without the occasional moment of greatness, the movie is monotonous and stays that way until-almost too late-it finally stumbles upon what it took too long to say. There is no doubt in my mind that the majority of this movie is without point and had it been only about an hour long, it would have been as excellent as everyone thinks it is. As it is though, the majority of Whisper of the Heart is repetitious and dull, rather than charming and fulfilling.
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| Average |
9.3 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Largely unknown behind the shadows of more famous Ghibli flims, though not directed by Miyazaki, this flim is among classics of classics. There aren't any mind blowing monsters or action, nor there are any monstrous castle to entertain us: This anime captured the essence of what makes a great anime - characters, great story, and touching moments. This anime captured me from the beginning and did not let me go. I can say that this is one of my favorite Ghibli flims.
The animation however is beginning show its age. There aren't any incredible Howl's Moving Castle or gigantic and spectacular Bath house in Spirited away. its crispness and clarity is inferior to the Ghibli flims we see now. however the animation in this anime is very fitting in its own right. Detailed setting designs and colors that fit the mood characterize this anime throughout. I actually wouldn't have it any other way: Animation in this movie is perfect for this movie.
The music i thought was a bit on the down side. though the "Country Road" was a soothing country song, it wasn't anything spectacular. the background music was also on the low key. In comparison to a movie like Laputa where the music is incredible and distinguishable, music in this anime is not. However again the music is very fitting throughout and helps the flow of this anime greatly. no real complain for me.
What really steals the show are very realistic story and characters. this anime has something that we all can relate to. We've all had a dream and we all had to go through a process to either achieve or give that dream up. this movie explores a young girls insecurity of her future, and her desire to achieve it. As i watched it i was inspired and touched.
What really makes the story come alive is the characters and character interactions. Each characters in this anime effects each others thoughts and people react to them. Relationship between the grandfather and Shizuku was touching, and how Shizuku compares herself to others as a guideline for her progress (especially Seiji) was very real and understandable: I'm sure many of us went through the same thing in our own lives.
This anime also is very touching in many aspects. I still remember the scene when Shizuku, Seiji, and the musican friends play the "country Road" together. That is one of my favorite 3 minutes in all anime.
Flaws? Well the beginning was a bit slow and the ending was bit abrupt in my opinion but that's no problem. It wasn't a big deal for me and i'm sure it won't be a big deal for you.
When it comes to Ghibli I have an expectation of excellence whether or not the director is Miyazaki or not and this anime meets my expectation. This is one of my favorite Ghibli along with Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki's Delivery Service, Only Yesterday, Laputa, and Princess Mononoke (that's qite a bit). This horribly unknown and underrated Ghibli flim should be watched by everyone. Don't miss it.
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| Average |
8.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| A very nice story that had its own enchantment. The animation and music were greatly impressive, for a film that has been made relatively long ago. "Concrete Road", the similar tone to "Country Road" were done pleasingly within the middle of the story, and was witty on its part during the character's role of when they were doing their little sing-along band. The main character Shizuku was on her way to plan the future that she really wanted; not only of when she had passed onward from her junior high, but as on the life that was carried on afterwards during those concerns of what she liked to do mostly, which was obliviously reading, as it was shown in the beginning. This was reason of why she wanted to be a fictional writer later on, not only of when she was inspired on the character Seiji, a violin maker who was thought to be someone she didn‘t expect, but was dedicated of doing something that can make her feel relating to her own experiences. The characters on Shizuku and Seiji were taken with their indirect longing of knowing each other for a long time; yet during their first appearance when meeting, it was then based on those feelings of ambiguity, as from the idea of seeing the relationship they have experienced already. One of those moments were the books that she checked, the cat that was met on the train, and the time of when she lost her book were considered to be the given plot of what was creating the thoughts of Shizuku after when she realizes it later of how it can make that connected to her own story. The dolls with the Baron and the female cat that shown in the past was the ideal symbolism of their longing of their given relationship similar to both of them, as to knowing that one that they would one day be meeting again. The ending was appealing to the whole conclusion, yet felt a little abrupt all of a sudden. It was a great film from Ghibli; no doubt that Miyazaki wanted to give this so much on making it more distinguishing from his previous features, which made plot fully agreeable on those terms on how the movie was created in the long run.
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| This movie is not only realistic but also inspirational for those who seek their true inner talents. The lesson taught in the story is that if you don't test your skills, you'll never realize your own capacity. The beautiful animation and lively characters make up for the lack of action. The main character reminds me of the girl in Spiried Away, which is no coincidence considering Miyazaki's huge role in the making of this movie. Overall I recommend this title to anyone willing to dish out 2 hours for a fun and valuable experience.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
8.2 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| Another nice work from Studio Ghibli. Its a nice family story, where it can be watched by everyone, about a girl falling in love and growing up. the story is linear, and really does not pick up until half way through. The concept is nice, but the story predictability will make some bored before ever finishing it.
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| Average |
7.2 |
| Animation |
7 |
| Sound |
7 |
| Story |
7 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
6 |
| Enjoyment |
7 |
| All that glitters is not gold. Nausicaa and GoTF are two of my favorite anime movies – and the few others I’ve seen weren’t too bad either (from studio Ghibli). I of course automatically expect the rest of their releases to be top-notch. I just wasn’t too impressed by Whisper of the Heart.
“Slice of Life” type stories never really entertained me too much, and romances even less. I could still see the themes in the anime but its kinda hard to place something like this on the same level as the rest of Ghibli when you don’t FEEL anything from it. I nearly fell asleep, I kept looking at my watch, that sort of thing. There just was not enough action (and by action I mean anything overall entertaining) to keep my interest.
The animation was the standard Ghibli fare, but I think they could have gotten rid of a lot of extra stuff. For example, there was one point where the girl was going to go to bed, reaching to turn off the lamp, couldn’t reach it, had to shift positions, then finally managed to reach it and turn it off. Boy what an exciting scene that was…who friggin cares. I haven’t seen anime in a long time and I want to be excited not put to sleep. Sound was blah… I’m still not really sure the whole focus on Country Road, maybe the director just liked that song.
The characters were developed decently, to the point where they at least had enough life to them. The main character and her friend were classic contrasts, but they developed the themes of “going for what you want in life” and things of that nature very well. The romance didn’t entertain me but seemed more thrown together, cliché to a point. You just knew who the guy in all the books was going to be… and that he’d leave, that there’d be a small love triangle…etc. I almost said the words as they did (just not in Japanese).
Overall, I couldn’t wait for Whisper of the Heart to end. Sorry.
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nauXolo |
(2005-04-09 06:16:18) 2005-03-10 17:55:05 |
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| Average |
8.2 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
8 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
8 |
| The reality-like growing up story of a young girl.
Not much of an event happening anime but it tells a great story. A great story of life.
I really enjoy this type anime movie. Its not much more than that, in terms of what it has to offer. You have to draw it out for yourself. These types of movies are more of a short passage of humanity... if that makes sense.
But it is very well made, great music at the proper times, animation is very detailed in many many aspects, and it gives a comfortable feeling.
]]I was very impressed by the Country Road performance between Shizuku and that boy with the violin, Seiji. Not many people make an effort to have a musical accuracy with this sort of thing.
However, one thing... if you aren't focused on it, I can see someone get bored with it. It isn't very active in terms of the usual anime. You either have to watch it or you don't, there's no passive watching this.
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currywu |
(2005-03-09 18:57:00) 2005-03-09 18:54:01 |
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
8 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Out of all the classics credited to its name, Studio Ghibli created a true gem in Whisper of the Heart. It is emblematic of everything that Ghibli has come to represent. And with Miyazaki penning the wonderfully understated script, it contains his usual bundle of themes and quirks. I don't think any other animation studio in the world could make a movie like this as successfully as Ghibli did.
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|
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| Average |
9.3 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
9 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Whisper of the Heart is one of Studio Ghibli's lesser known titles among American fans. The animation is lush and high quality as usual, what you'd expect from Ghibli, and this is the first Ghibli movie to use CG-effects, mainly done in the imaginary sequences during Shizuku's development of her story. Whisper of the Heart borrows some of its morals of growing up from Kiki's Delivery Service and puts a modern twist on it as Shizuku questions what sort of life she should have as Seiji has already planned out his life after junior high and writing the story is helping Shizuku determine if she should immediately start planning out her life like Seiji is. While this isn't really original, the movie does its modern take of the growing up moral very well. Also, the English and Japanese versions of "Country Road" which acknowledge the change of Shizuku's character from the start of the movie to the end of it are sung very well. Another minor nitpik I have with Whisper of the Heart would be its choice of ending which has had mixed takes by viewers in thinking either its too sudden or just another part of the movie's moral. I'm with the latter in thinking that the ending was too sudden, but you should watch the movie a few times through at least to see if the ending was necessary. Nontheless, Whisper of the Heart is a great coming of age romance anime.
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
9.8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Whisper of the Heart is my favorite anime movie of all time. I basically just love every aspect of it. My only complaint would be that the animation wasn't quite as good as some of the other Studio Ghibli movies, but I still really liked the art style. I thought the story was wonderful, and I also really liked the voice acting (in the Japanese version . . . I don't know if there is an English version yet). Overall, I just love this movie, and it leaves me feeling happy every time I watch it.
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m-oyaji |
(2005-02-09 15:04:21) 2005-01-07 15:47:55 |
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| Average |
8.8 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
8 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
8 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| Good and pretty, but something was amiss. The climax. Everything else flowed really well. The characters interacting with the story, but I took a point off of the story because there was no real ending, per se. Definitely very pretty depiction of normal Japanese details and life. The details were magnificent! The symbolism and metaphors!
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0 of 0 people found this review helpful.
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| Average |
6.2 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
6 |
| Story |
6 |
| Character |
6 |
| Value |
5 |
| Enjoyment |
6 |
| A bit of a disappointment, I must say. Having watched "the cat returns" previous to this, I had some expectations that this will be similar, only it wasn’t. this was a simple, slow paced, kiddy romance story that I couldn’t wait for it to end. It wasn’t really clear what was the point of the story and I was pretty much bored all the way through, keep waiting for something to actually happen. By far, the weakest ghibly movie I’ve seen.
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Last Exile |
(2004-11-05 02:37:18) 2004-10-18 05:25:14 |
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| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
10 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
9 |
| Enjoyment |
9 |
| I am astounded at how good this film is. It's set in Japan yet half the time it feels more like Europe. It's perhaps one of the best romance/intimacy films ever made yet there's no hugs or kisses needed. Instead there's honesty, indivduality, search for emaning and purpose, art, great music, luscious animation, one of Ghibli's trademarks, the mighty teen female protagonist in Shimuzu and the heartwarming feeling that comes with Ghibli. I loved where this went and how =it was a different kind of intimacy between Shimuzu ans Seiji. This is special. I feel privileged to ahve seen it.
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| Average |
9.7 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| This is, for reasons I do not know myself, my favourite Ghibli movie, and thus one of my absolute favourite movies overall. This movie instill a feeling of calm in me, I get warm in my heart, prbably quite a bit of nostalgica playing a part of that :) As always when Ghibli is involved, the animation is well above par and an unsurpassed amout of detail in it. The sound track is wonderfull, got to love the ending theme! Characters are better than any live movie I've ever seen and masterfully done. This is clearly a must see, if you have a chance of seeing it, do!
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|
|
| Average |
9.5 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Story |
10 |
| Character |
9 |
| Value |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
| Mimi wo Sumaseba is a solid family film about finding yourself and polishing your talent. A strong coming of age tale set in modern Japan. Given that it's based on a shoujou manga, some moments are a tad slow, but overall this is a good film that most people can enjoy. Such a shame Kondo Yoshifumi died. We anime fans need more films like this, films that show that "if you listen carefully", great things can happen. Hehehe, that's a crappy joke, but what the heck. Watch and enjoy.
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