(aka "Omohide poro poro " or "Only Yesterday" or "Memories of Teardrops" or "Memories of Yesterday")
directed by Isao Takahata
Japan 1991
| This is my
favorite anime 'till date, mostly because of the very
pleasant detailed animation and strongly poignant story.
Like Isao Takahata's previous work "Grave
of the Fireflies", this is not about fantasy and is
deeply concerned about capturing the emotional struggles and
hardships of the young, even though now everything happens
in a normal peaceful environment. It is hard to believe you are watching an anime, only in a few scenes where dreams are being materialized in the screen the idea of animation becomes evident. This could easily become a live-action movie and because of the theme it should have a stronger appeal to more mature audiences, although i can't see a single element in the whole movie that would increase its classification beyond PG. But... Disney seems to think different since I read they blocked the American release of this anime because of a few scenes about girls' first period. Since more than 15 years have passed with no release it seems it will never happen. I'm not sure if this is the real reason why no American release came out 'till now, in my opinion the scenes are subtle and no language or direct comments are used. This is indeed a very pleasant and family safe anime. but asks for a larger attention span than most anime and movies do to reach the end and conclusion. The story follows the memories of the early adolescence of Taeko, through flashbacks, and the present time of her life while she travels to the country during vacation. Because the main character is a woman and the story is concerned about her development, in Japan the original manga is classified as Josei, which is a term used for stories destined to adult women. But make no mistake, such classifications are quite ridiculous, the story here is universal and even in Japan is has been a success for more than a decade among men and women of all ages. I see the overcoming of one's past and the fear of seizing the chances as the main point, but the movie presents many other rich aspects that are brought up during the development and experiences of the main character. Themes like generation conflicts, family relationships, puberty, nature, rural life, simple living and love make this anime resemble some of the ideas found in the works of Yoji Yamada and even Yasujiro Ozu. But similarities can also be found among many other animes, mainly Isao Takahata's, but "Ocean Waves / I Can Hear the Sea", an Studio Ghibli anime made for TV and directed by Tomomi Mochizuki, is an example of another exceptional work quite similar to this one, where the memories of high school life and romance of the main characters are depicted. Overall I couldn't recommend this anime more, it will surely have a special place in your collection of animes and movies. |
Poster
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Theatrical Release: 07/20/1991
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Studio Ghibli (Studio Ghibli Collection (2-Disc Set)) - Region 2 - NTSC
Big thanks to Luiz R. for the Review!
| DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
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| Distribution |
Studio Ghibli Region 2 - NTSC |
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| Runtime | 119 min | |
| Video |
16:9 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Audio | Japanese Dolby Digital (2.0) | |
| Subtitles | Japanese, English, none | |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: Studio Ghibli Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 25 |
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| Comments: |
Even though this is a 5-year old release, the quality is excellent. I can't really find any complaints, it is an standard Studio Ghibli DVD9 (dual-layered) release that comes with the overscan prevention bars, as usual. I also noticed some interlacing, it is not present all the time, but you can easily see it in some scenes (check the captures).
The English subtitles are excellent
and if I am not mistaken there are even some explanation notes during
the movie. - Luiz R. |
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Interlacing....
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| DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best... |
| Distribution |
Studio Ghibli Region 2 - NTSC |
|
