Written by: Kevin Berge
How did her hair grow so naturally dark as she grew older? (Image Courtesy of: slantmagazine.com)
Quick Take: Only Yesterday is a mature exploration of life and the effects we take from how we grew up. Despite a plot with very little drive and a plot made to comment on Japan 25 years ago, the film feels relevant and intense in its musings on the small aspects of life that carry the most weight.
***This review will not contain spoilers as the movie itself is not plot-driven. Rather, it will focus on the themes present throughout the movie. Still, if you wish to watch the movie unaffected by another critique, you should watch the movie first.***
Calling Only Yesterday a 2016 film is somewhat of a misnomer. This Studio Ghibli movie was actually released in 1991 in Japan; however, it was released just this last in North America with an English dubbing. This was the last Studio Ghibli film that had yet to be released in America.
Written and directed by Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies), this is one of the most indicative films of his style. Nothing much happens in this movie, but it tells a complete story of Taeko, a woman stuck at two points in her life: in fifth grade at the peak of early discovery and at 27 finding herself and her first true romance.
Adult romantic drama is a rare field for animation, and it shows at times in this movie. This is a methodical film that does not push at any point. Unlike the Studio Ghibli films of Hayao Miyazaki, there is no action and nothing fantastical throughout.
The only point where this movie even bends the realms of reality is its portrayal of how Taeko's two moments in her life blend together. While first she simply reminisces over her fifth grade experience, it begins slowly to blend into the narrative, to crop up without her knowledge.
Due to all this, Only Yesterday is not for the same audience as much of the studio's other films, yet it captures its concept so well that it can captivate those of all ages with the patience. The magic is in the details, the philosophy behind the thought.
Calling Only Yesterday a 2016 film is somewhat of a misnomer. This Studio Ghibli movie was actually released in 1991 in Japan; however, it was released just this last in North America with an English dubbing. This was the last Studio Ghibli film that had yet to be released in America.
Written and directed by Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies), this is one of the most indicative films of his style. Nothing much happens in this movie, but it tells a complete story of Taeko, a woman stuck at two points in her life: in fifth grade at the peak of early discovery and at 27 finding herself and her first true romance.
Adult romantic drama is a rare field for animation, and it shows at times in this movie. This is a methodical film that does not push at any point. Unlike the Studio Ghibli films of Hayao Miyazaki, there is no action and nothing fantastical throughout.
The only point where this movie even bends the realms of reality is its portrayal of how Taeko's two moments in her life blend together. While first she simply reminisces over her fifth grade experience, it begins slowly to blend into the narrative, to crop up without her knowledge.
Due to all this, Only Yesterday is not for the same audience as much of the studio's other films, yet it captures its concept so well that it can captivate those of all ages with the patience. The magic is in the details, the philosophy behind the thought.
The Joker has nothing on this creepy smile. (Image Courtesy of: anigamers.com)
I will be honest that I often watch movies with little patience, and this did occasionally get on my nerves by how slowly it moved. That is mostly personal preference, but there was a sense to the film that it could have been ten minutes shorter and showed the same content.
The structure though is all intentional as Only Yesterday dwells upon its ideas. The small traumas in Taeko's childhood speak upon her current state of mind as she must question who she is and what she wants.
She faces questions of identity, love, and life with contemplative internal and vocal dialogue. The script from Takahata is poetic even as it sometimes fails to translate naturally in English.
The translation to English is also hit and miss in this new English dub. Many of the filler voices are familiar sounds for anime veterans, and they don't all make the complex script sound perfect. Daisy Ridley (The Force Awakens) though mostly hits the right notes as Taeko, and Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) is charming as Toshio.
For 25-year-old art, Only Yesterday looks great particularly in its landscapes. Some of the character models could be improved, and the colors looked a bit washed out. Still, you don't get much better than this in reworked art from so long ago.
As a whole, Only Yesterday stands out as something other to expectations. It is mature and introspective, using its animation for the sake of majestic landscape rather than attracting a younger audience. It is light enough for all ages but only deep enough for those willing to sit back and listen.
The structure though is all intentional as Only Yesterday dwells upon its ideas. The small traumas in Taeko's childhood speak upon her current state of mind as she must question who she is and what she wants.
She faces questions of identity, love, and life with contemplative internal and vocal dialogue. The script from Takahata is poetic even as it sometimes fails to translate naturally in English.
The translation to English is also hit and miss in this new English dub. Many of the filler voices are familiar sounds for anime veterans, and they don't all make the complex script sound perfect. Daisy Ridley (The Force Awakens) though mostly hits the right notes as Taeko, and Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) is charming as Toshio.
For 25-year-old art, Only Yesterday looks great particularly in its landscapes. Some of the character models could be improved, and the colors looked a bit washed out. Still, you don't get much better than this in reworked art from so long ago.
As a whole, Only Yesterday stands out as something other to expectations. It is mature and introspective, using its animation for the sake of majestic landscape rather than attracting a younger audience. It is light enough for all ages but only deep enough for those willing to sit back and listen.
