Animation Review: From Up On Poppy Hill

So with blog series about Pixar and Disney under my belt I know the next animation studio people want to hear about is Studio Ghibli. I promise I will get around to blogging about the history of Japan's greatest house of animation, but I want to first watch the final films from Hayao Miyazaki (The Wind Rises) and Isao Takahata (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter). The former sadly wasn't released in theaters around here while the latter has yet to even hit theaters in Japan. In the meantime, I thought I would take the time to write some reviews about animated films. And what better way to start than with the latest Studio Ghibli film to hit home media in the US, From Up On Poppy Hill. I watched the film tonight in its native Japanese with English subtitles, something I would recommend everyone does when watching foreign films of any sort. Here is my take on Goro Miyazaki's latest.

From Up On Poppy hill is the second feature from Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro and it is a vast improvement over the animation master's prodigy's first film. Whereas Tales of Earthsea managed to butcher one of the greatest young adult fantasy films out there, From Up On Poppy Hill successfully adapts the manga of the same name. It might help that this film was not written by Goro but by his father and co-writer Keiko Niwa. Taking place in the early 60's the film tells the story of a group of high school students attempting to save their clubhouse from being demolished in the lead up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. At the forefront is Umi Matsuzaki, a Junior who is pulling double duty by also taking care of her family while her mother is away in the US. Her father was a naval captain killed in the Korean War and the film focuses on both the challenges she faces taking on far too many responsibilities and also her burgeoning romance with fellow student Shun Kazama. Shun is leading the charge to save the Clubhouse, and his over the top antics have made him the school's most popular boy. Umi begins working with him on the school paper and decides to enlist her friends to help restore the clubhouse in an attempt to convince the school's owner of its worth.

It's a slight story that lacks the grandiose fantasy typically found in Studio Ghibli films. In fact it is the first film worked on by Miyazaki to have no element of fantasy whatsoever. In that sense it feels in a way closer to the works of fellow Ghibli helmer Isao Takahata. Like Takahata's films and shows, Poppy Hill focuses on social and family issues, not grand adventures. This film though thankfully lacks the heavy handed approach often seen in Takahata's films, managing to not let the message get in the way of the characters. Umi is a delightful heroine, the type of strong young woman that tends to characterize so many of the best Studio Ghibli films. Likewise Shun is a great foil, a caring and compassionate young man who is fighting for a cause he believes in. A twist partway through the film provides the main element of conflict between the two, and very nearly derails the film, but the Miyazakis manage to keep the melodrama reigned in, letting the characters and the story flow naturally and avoiding the over the top conflicts that manage to infest the majority of American made romances. The pacing overall is tight, the dialogue highly natural, and the characters believable. To anyone who says anime can't do pure high school romance, make sure to point them in the direction of From Up On Poppy Hill.

Of course this wouldn't be a Studio Ghibli movie if it wasn't filled with exceptional art, animation, and music. The highlight here has to be the clubhouse itself, a lovely mess of a building that feels immediately worth saving. The character art is pure Ghibli, that is, it is the best in the business and the animation has a level of fluidity and detail not seen in any 2D animated film not made by Ghibli or Disney. Suffice to say that while the setting may not let Ghibli's artists create their normal array of fantastical creatures, it nevertheless is one of the most stunning pieces of animation to come out this century. The score, by first time Ghibli composer Satoshi Takebe, is also excellent, as are the various songs sung throughout the film.

From top to bottom From Up on Poppy Hill is an excellent addition to the Ghibli canon. While it lacks the imagination and sense of adventure that has made many of Hayao's films international classics, it does what it sets out to do incredibly well and at the very least gives hope for a quality post-Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata Ghibli.

4/5

Nice review, though you enjoyed this movie a little more than I did.

I think Poppy Hill is the weakest film to come out of Ghibli in a long time. That doesn't say much though, since I still thoroughly enjoyed it. It just lacked a bit of spark that Miyazaki senior is known for. I'd definitely suggest taking a look at The Borrower Arrietty if you want to see some more non-Miyazaki Ghibli.

@kinggiddra: I enjoyed Arrietty more visually but I enjoyed Poppy Hill more from a story standpoint. I would say both films were weaker than any of Miyazaki Sr.'s films but I did enjoy them both quite a bit. Earthsea for me is the only Ghibli film I can say I honestly think is just straight up bad. As an American I didn't exactly enjoy Pom Poko or My Neighbors The Yamadas but I appreciated the quality of both films. Pretty much every other Ghibli film I've thoroughly enjoyed.