Shizuku lives a simple life, dominated by her love for stories and writing. One day she notices that all the library books she has have been previously checked out by the same person: 'Seiji Amasaw...
Whisper of the Heart quietly grounds a fantastical romance shrouded in lyrical dedication. Opportunism. The practice of exploiting advantageous circumstances to achieve an ambivalent goal without consideration for ethics and moralities. For many, tackling adolescence meant that two distinct paths in life were figuratively forming. The route powered by the mind, where parental advice and societal values escorted one’s upbringing through the educational system. Learn, undertake tests, obtain a degree and attempt to acquire a profession of rewarding magnitude. The other route is controlled by the heart. Its silent murmurs occasionally overpowering the typical path of life. To follow one’s heart and dedicate their time pursuing their sole glimmering aspiration.
For teenage student Shizuku, whom is currently preparing for state tests where her high school will be chosen during the inevitable school graduation, she experiences the intoxicating conflict of opportunism versus altruism. Her mother expending every minute of every day to obtain a masters degree. Her father working tirelessly at the local library. An otherworldly realm of encyclopaedic information and phantasmagorical stories, where Shizuku challenges herself to read twenty new books over the summer season, in pursuit of becoming a novelist. For each book she borrows, a familiar name also appears on each checkout card. Seiji Amasawa. Could it be a destined bond between two souls sharing the same interests? Shizuku pursues an investigation. Who is Seiji Amasawa? Her eventual findings will push her heart through challenging environments, where adoration, determination and responsibilities will be tested.
Kondō’s first and only directed feature for the animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli, before his untimely death, amalgamates the whimsicality of previous fantasy features with the grounded realism of teenage adolescence. Despite the promotional material heavily inferring this adaptation of Hiiragi’s manga to be another magical adventure, the outcome undoubtedly holds more realism. First and foremost, it’s a love story. A blossoming romance between two individuals who share the same determination for a practice they aspire to participate in. Seiji wishes to become a master luthier, whereas Shizuku yearns to hone her imagination into writing novels. The former journeying to Italy for a two-month study, the latter disregarding her current education and health to finish the book upon his return. A novel adoringly titled “Whisper of the Heart”.
Shizuku, nominated as the feature’s protagonist, beckons for the most transformation across its runtime. Initially quipping that male companions did not interest her, it’s a sensational story revolving around the figurative power of the human heart. Shizuku experiences a formidable emotion. That first overburdening feeling of “love”. We have all experienced it. Knowingly or subconsciously. A powerful and tangible force that puppeteers our every movement.
Miyazaki’s superlative screenplay invests a substantial amount of time illustrating this unintended yet burning love between Shizuku and Seiji, and how relatable it is. From the curious checkout cards to the beautifully tear-inducing rendition of Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads”. Their bond was consistently palpable and investable through cutesy actions that supplied them both with innumerable amounts of personality. Had the last thirty seconds of the film been removed, a short duration that rushed a “happy ending” for the sake of depicting commitment, consequently undoing the wonderfully told tale regarding Seiji’s grandfather and his lost love, it would’ve been near-perfect.
Fortunately, the secondary strand to this coming-of-age journey is Shizuku’s determination, and highlighting the importance of education. Miyazaki allows Shizuku to naturally experience the realisation of schooling importance. It never felt forced for the sake of progressing the primary romance, and that’s crucial for Shizuku’s development. It represents the pragmatic possibility between balancing state education with aspirational pursuits, and how both, more often than not, intersect. Shizuku’s mother being a testament to that ideology. Some additional family discussions regarding Shizuku’s choice could’ve explored differing perspectives, however the decided presentation of Shizuku discovering this importance herself was appreciated. It’s a rather mature romance, despite Kondō’s child-friendly gorgeously animated world, in which sprawling watercolour backdrops act as covers for the glistening sunrises beaming across Tokyo. And it’s a refreshing change of tone for the studio.
Initially, trepidation filled my body with what seemed like a superfluous one-note high school romance. Then Shizuku followed that darned feline “Moon” off the train, to which Kondō then ingeniously sprouted a variety of emotions for these characters. The nuanced whispers became optimistic chants. Echoing through the urban alleyways with its contagious characterisation. Accompanied by Nomi’s flawlessly authentic score, which happens to be the studio’s best accompaniment thus far, Whisper of the Heart journeys across “Concrete Roads” searching for relatable juvenility, and it succeeds.
