Review of 'Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba)'

Shizuku is a young school girl who is having difficulty deciding what to do with her life as she studies for her entrance exams but is also distracted by her feelings for boys. One boy in particular, a young violin maker, attracts her and forces her to look deep inside herself to see what is most important…

An under-stated and very realistic, touching story. A bit unusual for a Ghibli film this is not a Fantasy or Science Fiction movie but rather a drama with fantasy limited to only one or two dream sequences. I did find the ending a bit “Japanese” (but then, what should I expect) as it reinforces the Japanese life ethic.

Whisper of the Heart is a bit long but otherwise I really enjoyed this film. Truly stunning animation and very believable characters.

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2006-10-24

Directed by: Yoshifumi Kondo

Studio: Studio Ghibli

Year: 1995

Length: 111 minutes

Genre: Japanese Animation

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113824/