From Up On Poppy Hill

Anime without the animals

As the son of Hayao Miyazaki- the greatly acclaimed Studio Ghibli director and all round God of Japanese animation- Goro Miyazaki has surely been aware for some time of the gargantuan shoes he has to fill. Just how gargantuan said figurative footwear is though, must have only become fully clear to Miyazaki jr after the release of his 2006 directorial debut- Tales From Earthsea, which marked his fraught initial attempt to break into the family business.
Though not a bad film, Goro, who obviously wanted to put his own stamp on the proceedings, ended up alienating many by translating the high fantasy of the source material (a novel series of the same name by Ursula K. L Guin) with a heavy handedness that contrasted with the studio’s normal whimsical approach. With the budding director’s inexperience shining through, Tales bombed at the box office on its home turf, suffering critically from somewhat unfair, but nevertheless inevitable comparisons with Hayao’s celebrated back catalogue.

The experience was enough to make anyone throw in the towel for good, but Goro, champion of offspring living in their parents’ shadow everywhere, persevered rather heroically and is back in the director’s chair seven years on for From Up On Poppy Hill, a heart-warming, down to earth drama about the inhabitants of a coastal Japanese suburb in the 1960’s.

With the convoluted sword and sorcery of Tales being ditched in favour of a more realistic, low key script, Goro’s second feature is far more accessible than his first and is likely to appeal to both fans and casual viewers alike.

The story centres on smart, strong-minded teenager Umi, who juggles school work with a busy, chore laden life at her boarding house home. Umi becomes drawn to the student led cause of saving her school’s dilapidated old clubhouse from demolition, amid measures by officials to modernise the capital in preparation for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. This brings her into contact with the opinionated Shun, a school journalist and one of the leaders of the movement. As a carol smillie-esque plan is hatched to restore the clubhouse to its former glory, a hesitant romance develops between the two.
Given Goro’s history it’s perhaps not surprising that there’s a theme running through From Up On Poppy Hill about the difficulties of looking to the future whilst preserving the past. It’s a subtext that connects the wacky goings on at the clubhouse with the film’s deeper emotional layers which involve Umi learning to deal with the loss of her father; who we find out early on was killed in action during the Korean War. Although this all amounts to a fairly simplistic coming of age story, including the use of a rather saccharine flag metaphor, the way Umi manages to overcome her personal hardships and reconcile her feelings toward her father with the help of her (soul)mate Shun, proves to be genuinely touching. Special mention should go to voice actors Sarah Bolger and Anton Yelchin who manage to add pathos through their unpretentious performances, bringing characters Umi and Shun to life.

The film has a tender poignancy that’s reminiscent of lesser known Ghibli classics like Whisper of the Heart and Only Yesterday and is certainly aimed at a more mature audience. Yet while it won’t hold the attention of the very young in the same way as say, Ponyo, anyone over the age of twelve will find it hard not to be moved by Goro and co.’s subtle and nostalgic examination of not only the many challenges faced by a particular generation in 60’s Japan, but the recognisable trials and tribulations faced by all children growing into adulthood.

If for some reason it sounds as if you won’t connect with the story (i.e you have a heart of stone) From Up on Poppy Hill is still worth seeing for the superb animation alone. Studio Ghibli have long been industry leaders in hand drawn animation and with this latest entry it’s easy to see why. From the opening shot to the end credits, every frame is full to bursting with vibrant colour and intricate detail that’s tremendously easy on the eye. Yokohama is expertly realised as well – a town in transition, rebuilding after the devastation of WWII, but still brimming with life and full of hustle and bustle. So captivating and vivid is this idealised vision of suburban Japan, you can almost smell the smells of a local market as Umi takes an evening stroll, or taste the sea salt air when Shun comes to port on his father’s boat. As usual with Ghibli it’s the special, loving attention given to the normal, the mundane, the everyday that makes the film such a unique visual experience and such an absolute joy to watch. Here, even a drab, cramped apartment, or the simple act of a character preparing dinner is a beautiful thing to behold.

It’s ironic that with mere pen and paper, Goro and his team have managed to inject more modest humanity and depth into these 2D representations than a worryingly large amount of live action films. But rather than this being evidential of the sorry state of modern movies it perhaps says more about the prestige of Studio Ghibli and of course Goro’s development as a director. It might have taken a while for him to get back into the driving seat, but he has honed his craft, learnt from past mistakes and delivered a wonderfully pleasant experience that without doubt proves his decision to follow in his father’s esteemed footsteps was the right one.

Despite its distinct lack of grinning colossal bunny demons then, From Up On Poppy Hillis still quintessential Ghibli, awash with that familiar quirky charm, brilliant animation and nuanced observations regarding everyday life. Though the mild story won’t be everyone’s cup of herbal tea, for many it will seem like an uplifting breath of fresh air amongst the stifling multitude of noisy, sterile offerings taking pride of place on most cinema schedules today.

Those sizable shoes should be fitting Miyazaki-san rather more snuggly from now on.