The Kid Inside: Only Yesterday
Greetings, one and all! It’s time once again for another review from
yours truly. And of course, with it
being Miyazaki May, I’ve got another Ghibli classic on the chopping block. Well, okay, maybe it’s not a classic that
people can name right off the bat, but it’s still pretty good. So enough of the chit-chat and let’s get on
with this week’s review of Only
Yesterday.
Only
Yesterday follows twenty-seven year old Taeko. As she travels to the countryside of Yamagata
to harvest safflower, she thinks back to when she was in the fifth grade. That’s pretty much the gist of the film, well
except the ending. When her vacation
comes to a close, the relatives she’s been staying with offer her to stay and
even marry the organic farmer she’s been making friends with named Toshio. This upsets her and she storms off, only to
be brought back by Toshio. The following
morning, she leaves for home. But as the
credits roll and her fifth grader self overcomes her, she comes back to
Yamagata to see Toshio again. Though it
is not directly mentioned, Taeko decides to stay and starts dating Toshio. Oh, and interesting fact, one unique aspect
to this film is that it was originally released in 1991. However, it didn’t make it to North American
audiences until 2016.
So yeah, the film itself is pretty
self-explanitory. It’s simple and yet
beautifully told. And so I give Only Yesterday an eight out of ten. I think the biggest highlight of the film was
the story, particularly with the flashbacks.
There’s just something about Taeko’s fifth grader days that’s so
charming. Granted, I feel that’s a bit
odd to say given that there’s a point where periods are mentioned among Taeko
and her friends. So, while there are
some mature topics discussed amongst these young people, the feeling of looking
back at a time when all you had to worry about was dividing fractions just woos
you in a way. It’s especially true with
this film.
So as charming as this film can be,
there is one down side. Much of the
Studio Ghibli films that the current generation is familiar with are the fun
and magical movies. Only Yesterday is not one of those movies. There really isn’t a whole lot going on in
this movie, besides Taeko’s flashback.
So don’t expect getting whisked away to a land of spirits or forest
gods. It’s because of that that the
movie can be a little boring (makes you wonder why it took over twenty years
for this film to get dubbed in the first place). Still, it’s an all around sweet and touching
film with deep and mature thought put into it.
Don’t miss this one if you’re a Ghibli fan!
So while Only Yesterday is an unsung film in the Ghibli archives, watching
it will make you appreciate your fifth grade self. This film is available for purchase wherever
anime is sold. Also, the dubbed version
includes the voice talents of Star Wars:
The Force Awakens star Daisy Ridley as Taeko, Slumdog Millionaire’s Dev Patel as Toshio, and a handful of other
famous anime voice over actors (trust me, it was fun picking out which voices I
recognized). And so that ends this
week’s post! As for the third part, I
have decided to skip Grave of the
Fireflies this year. This means that
I will be doing a Ghibli-themed reaction for Sunday instead. Still, I’m sure that it will not
disappoint. And finally, before I go,
and while it’s still fresh on my mind, I want to wish all you moms out there a
happy and wonderful Mother’s Day- especially my own mom. She’s been a great person to come to the past
few months when things were absolute hell, and I know that if anyone deserves a
day to herself, it’s her! Anyways, Happy
Mother’s day to all you moms out there and stay tuned next week for my Ghibli-themed
live video reaction!
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