Only Yesterday ( おもひでぽろぽろ) Review

Only Yesterday ( おもひでぽろぽろ)

Continuing with my impressions of Studio Ghibli’s ‘non-Miyazaki’ productions, Only Yesterday by Isao Takahata is another overlooked film. Released back in 1991, it was a surprising box office success and was popular among both adults as well as children. With My Neighbour Totoro and Kiki’s Delivery Service having been released in 1988 and 1989, it was a slight departure from Ghibli’s narrative style. Yet Takahata had already established himself in the studio with his most compelling film: Grave of the Fireflies back in 1988. 

Set in the 1980s, the film follows bored office worker Taeko as she heads to the countryside in an attempt to escape the busy, urban landscapes. Meeting with family, friends and working on the farm, she reminisces about her childhood, parents, dreams, puberty and romances through flashbacks. Only Yesterday’s plot doesn’t distinguish itself from the waves of ‘slice of life’ animated dramas, primarily because at first glance it’s pretty simple. The film doesn’t have talking animals or mystical monsters, but focuses on very ‘human’ experiences and that’s what Isao Takahata does best. 

The ‘downhearted worker’ retelling stories or revisiting their childhood, has become a cliché in Japanese culture and is a characteristic of Japanese society. Whilst I am a manga reader, it is clear that audiences and the ‘otaku’ culture has occurred from individuals wanting to relive or reminisce about frivolous stories and ‘adventures’ through these types of media. Teenage dramas such as Azumanga Daioh and Haruhi Suzumiya have cemented themselves globally, and have attracted mature audiences primarily because of clever, realistic and relatable stories and characters. Only Yesterday follows the same setup yet in a more restraint manner and through a realistic approach. No over-exaggerated expressions, cringe-worthy dialogue or events, just simple story-telling and realistic and interesting personalities. As always Takahata employs various cultural references from Japanese television and music during the 1960s which indicate the reality of the story. While Western audiences won’t gain the same nostalgia, recollection of past childhoods or memories from these sources, it’s still interesting to gain a sense of popular culture in Japan during the period. 

With the premise remaining distinctly ‘human’, the characters mirror the atmosphere and the narrative. 20 something-year-old Taeko isn’t as enjoyable to watch as her younger self, but in someways that’s everyone’s personal experience of growing up. Generally our childhood or school-life years are the best times of our life. You make friends, you have little responsibility and are cared for by close family. In comparison, as soon as you start working, conversations boil down to ‘School......those were the days’. And this is what Only Yesterday portrays perfectly. While an ill-favoured criticism would be that mature Taeko’s dialogue primarily consists with her reminiscing back to her childhood. But that is the point of the film. While she meets her family and friends, and forms a relationship with Toshio during her time on the farm, we gain a true understanding of her personality and character through her flashbacks. 

Her younger self is a much more relatable and an interesting individual. We explore the relationship between family members, and the conservative father. We explore Taeko entrance into puberty and the problems/ hardship that comes with that, and subsequently her understanding of ‘love’. Its cleverly directed, with an almost reversed sense of life’s pace and hectic portrayal. There’s a sense of calm and tranquility in her mature self, whilst her younger image frantically experiences everything. It’s full of clever metaphors and morals that leaves a lasting impression and intrigue to Takahata’s personal understanding of ‘growing up’.

Animation-wise, Only Yesterday sticks to the realistic and human approach by retaining Studio Ghibli tried and tested formula of art style. Character models are simple but manage to express more subtle emotion than your average ‘anime’ series. The contrast between urban settings and countryside is beautifully mapped with a colourful visual look. Linked to this, is the clear contrast in art direction between Taeko’s past and present. While backgrounds are detailed and lush in the 1980s, the art team seems to have opted for simple cream backgrounds, almost like ‘thought bubbles’. It’s an interesting choice.My only criticism would be the design of the older Taeko. Her defined wrinkles and cheek dimples make her look like she’s in her late 30s/ early 40s, rather than late 20s. But this isn’t a major problem. 

Overall, Only Yesterday has a simple premise, yet deals with it perfectly, charmingly and smartly. While it hasn’t the cutesy imagery, or magical essence of Hayao Miyazaki’s work, it’s realistic and very ‘human’. There’s a sense of nostalgia, an empathy towards the characters and their experience as we personally remember our childhoods in an attempt to escape the hectic pace of employment or maturity. Highly Recommended.

8/10 

Pom Poko (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ) Review

Pom Poko (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ) (1994)

Pom Poko, released in 1994, is Isao Takahata’s 8th animated project which he has written and directed with Studio Ghibli. Taking a different approach to his usual ‘human’ and realistic style, Pom Poko became a success in the Japanese box office, and was eventually submitted as Japan’s selection for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Stepping back from ‘human subjects’, Takahata focuses on the traditional Japanese folklore of tanuki (Japanese Raccoon Dogs). Essentially, our main characters are a group of mischievous, gluttonous and cheerful raccoons that have the ability to shape-shift in order to trick humans.............and have shapeshifting testicles.  

The story follows a band of racoons who are under attack by MAN!!!! Initially set in the 1960s, a gigantic suburban development is beginning to be constructed on their land. Trees, grassland and forests are being cut down, causing a dramatic effect on the tanuki population. A resistance forms including Gonta, an aggressive chief, Tsurugame, an old guru, and Oroku, the wise-woman, in order to battle the human efforts to build houses, offices and roads on their habitat. Told in a ‘diary log’ style of narrative Pom Poko’s story structure is pretty simple to understand, but does dawdle during the second act. 

Firstly, this is a very ‘Japanese’ film, but one that remains relatively accessible to a wider audience. The focus on Japanese folklore and mythology is quite daunting but is very interesting. Many viewers unfamiliar with the likes of yokai (a class of Japanese supernatural creatures) or oni (demons, devils....), will enjoy a ‘child friendly’ visual introduction to Japan’s unique and strange supernatural identity. The ‘ghost parade’ scene in particular, barrages the audience with Japanese myths and legends, with some cameos from other Ghibli films. Demons, giant babies, three headed females all appear in an effort to scare the locals. It definitely is a hilarious and surreal WTF moment. 

Inevitably, environmentalism and the general impact of humans is prominent in Pom Poko, more so than in any other work by Studio Ghibli. And to some extent this hinders the film’s general impression. This being a major plotline for the film, the message is somewhat preached continuously rather than allowed to be expressed naturally. What the slightly over-rated Princess Mononoke did to successfully convey its message of ‘environmentalism’, was to employ it though a smartly told narrative and well-developed selection of characters, which are lacking in Pom Poko. 

Studio Ghibli, and especially Isao Takahata, have a very creative and masterful understanding of the concept of characters. From the likes of Calcifer from Howls Moving Castle to Kiki in Kiki’s Delivery Service, there’s a special connection that viewers build with them. Their unique, or relatable features/ traits help, or even solely create the film. However Pom Poko falls short even with top notch Japanese voice acting. This isn’t due to the dialogue, but lies with the story and the sheer scale with which we are introduced to all these characters. All too often, characters “disappear” then reappear causing confusion and a disregard for them. 

In terms of the animation, Pom Poko is great with its vivid colour palette and energetic flow and spirit. There is also a good blend of animation styles to depict the characters. The contrast of the ‘red-eyed’, typical looking raccoons from the humans’ perspective, to the ‘humanized versions of the tanuki, and to the cartoony figures of Shigeru Sugiura’s manga, is an enjoyable and interesting arrangement of various visual styles. Meanwhile, the soundtrack is a mix of traditional Japanese folk, kabuki and children’s music that’s matches the playful and joyful nature of the film and its characters. 

Overall Pom Poko is a great film, yet dawdles too much on its message rather than crafting a flowing narrative and memorable, individual characters. The script is great, the story is simple, and its a very funny film. 

7/10 

My Neighbours The Yamadas Review

My Neighbours The Yamadas  (ホーホケキョとなりの山田くん)  (1999)

After my extensive log of Hayao Miyazaki’s filmography, many have asked about my opinions and interpretations of the other Studio Ghibli films. But one that many fail to list is one of my favourites of the studio’s backlog, My Neighbours The Yamadas. Quickly overlooked, there is a common apprehension towards the art style and the dramatic contrast from the adventure, fantasy traits of many of Studio Ghibli’s work. However, directed by Isao Takahata, who has a realistic approach to animation (Only Yesterday and Grave of the Fireflies), the film presents the simplistic nature of family life into a very funny and endearing drama.  

The film narrates the concept of a ‘family’, and the successes and pitfalls that are experienced. Starting off at the wedding of Matsuko (Mrs Yamada) and Takashi (Mr Yamada), they are “educated” by the enlightened elderly about the ‘ups and downs’ of marriage. We are then introduced to the rest of the family; Noboru the son, Nonoko the daughter, and Shige, Matsuko’s mother. There isn’t a definable storyline, but a ‘sitcom’ style of structure, with an intro and outro, that shows the Yamada family’s everyday life.

Being based on Hisaichi Ishii’s four panel ‘yonkoma’ manga (Nonochan), each chapter takes a similar form;  a setup, an expansion on the scene, an unexpected development, and then ending on a humorous note. While this may sound formulaic or repetitive, My Neighbours The Yamadas manages to retain the sharp and entertaining characteristics of the source material. The ‘slice of life’ fiction is very much in the same vein as Only Yesterday’s focus on adulthood, however Takahata takes a more light-hearted approach. The film explores ‘marriage’, ‘child-rearing’, ‘father-son relationships’ and other stages of a family, all in a comedic yet charming manner that both an adult audience and a younger one can identify with. While similarities can be drawn with The Simpsons and the millions of sitcoms, Takahata never lets the film fall into recycled and cliché waters. 

Takahata also employs a strong Japanese cultural commentary throughout his film. The prominent use of brief haiku (short poetry) from the likes of Matsuo Bashō and Natsume Sōseki act as segues between each ‘chapter’. An example: “The scent of plums on a mountain path. Suddenly dawn”, gives a poetic sensibility to the film and to everyday events. There is a fantastic sequence which follows the magical/ fantasy ‘adventures’ of Takashi and Matsuko, as they travel across the length and width of Japan to “find” their children. Its a amazing scene which involves the Japanese folklores ‘Momotarō’ (Peach boy) and the ‘Taketori Monogatari’ (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter), which are cleverly used to represent Noboru’s and Nonoko’s “fairy tale” entrance into the world. 

However, it’s the animation which is the massive step away from the typical style of Studio Ghibli. While detailed backgrounds and top-notch character design have become the standards of Ghibli’s artistic legacy, Isao Takahata has been brave in his unique visual departure. My Neighbour The Yamadas uses a watercolour style of sketching that while looks minimalist, manages to convey a surprising amount of detail and emotion. 100% digitally constructed, the simplistic character designs and flowing colours of the backgrounds, help define the characters and allows for each scenes’ personality to be beautifully displayed.

The Japanese voice acting is superb, really suiting the visualisation of the characters. For a film that relies on the construction of a realistic family, the actors really put in great performance. Touru Masuoka is great as the busy, hard-working Mr Yamada. His constant bickering with his mother-in-law, and unenthusiastic reaction towards work, create a character that represents the general consensus of fathers. Yukiji Asaoka plays the childish and clumsy housewife, that while scorns her children’s behaviour, has a low tolerance for chores and general laziness. Hayato Isobata plays the typical teenager boy, a slacker yet strong-willed and not afraid to question the reality of his family. In comparison, Naomi Uno adds cuteness and normality into the chaotic family as Nonoko. While she doesn’t get enough screen-time, her character still remains memorable. Meanwhile, Masako Araki puts in a splendid performance as the grandmother. The critical and fearless voice of conscience, she finds the ‘joys of life’ in the smaller things. Its a fantastic cast of actors and actresses that create a very believable household. 

The soundtrack, composed by Akiko Yano, is made up of short jazzy piano tunes that perfectly merge with the orchestral pieces from the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. Its one that perfectly manages to match the jovial and charming visuals, story and acting. 

Overall, My Neighbours The Yamadas is a fantastic animated film that definitely competes with many of Miyazaki’s works. Its realistic and humorous perception of ‘family’ is endearing and highly entertaining. While many will be unconvinced by the visual style and a ‘disjointed’ narrative, Isao Takahata’s film proves that a great animated film doesn’t require snazzy and meticulous animation, but requires a funny and smart story, script and characters. This is one not to be missed. 

9/10