Jess Lu

After watching whisper of the heart last week, followed by from up on poppy hill this week, I couldn't decide which one is the best, they are equally beautiful and underrated for Ghibli films. I liked Miyazaki's anti-war sentiments conveyed in this film, it shows its negative influences on families through the subtle depiction of daily life, and of course, the flag that Umi puts up every morning. Furthermore, the preservation of historical architecture was really touching and probably one of the more interesting plots I've seen. How would we educate our next generation if we can't even save the history from demolishing? It was heartwarming seeing the group of people unite together to improve the clubhouse. Finally, the love story between Umi and Shun was very sweet and fits the era well, they look out for each other, helping each other in every possible way. I did wish that how they've known each other could flash out a bit more. Like in Whisper of the heart. At the begining, it was a little bit confusing. Lastly, from an art's perspective, the background landscape is remarkable as always. I quite like the hilly Yokohama's view when both characters ride down, followed by intricate details of the shop front and the ocean view. Nice touch of the boat painting by the artist that stayed at Umi's house!