Directed By Yoshifumi Kondō
Starring Youko Honna, Kazuo Takahashi, Takashi Tachibana and Shigeru Muroi
Though anyone familiar with Studio Ghibli will instantly think of talking animals and imaginative worlds of pure fantasy upon mention of their name, Whisper of the Heart is one of the animation giant’s few forays into more grounded, realistic territory. Set in 1995 Tokyo, it’s the coming-of-age story of one bright, confused young girl trying to find her place in the world, with little of the otherworldy elements you’ll find in Howl’s Moving Castle or Spirited Away (though a few daydreams and a story written by a character in the movie do provide the origins for anthropomorphic cat The Baron in Whisper of the Heart’s sort-of sequel The Cat Returns). But while it’s a simple, fantasy-free story, Whisper of the Heart is a lovely reminder that Studio Ghibli can find just as much beauty, magic and wonder in the real world as they can in magical lands of make-believe.
Stuck at the adolescent crossroads between the wonder and whimsy of childhood and the serious choices, drama and responsibility of being an adult, young Japanese schoolgirl Shizuku isn’t sure what she wants to make of her future. An avid bookworm, she spends much of her time at the library, her head buried in fiction, but when she notices that a boy has taken out all the same books as her before, she finds herself daydreaming about what he might be like. Not long after, she crosses paths with a boy who at first glance seems arrogant, annoying and the opposite of everything she wants in a guy, but soon she’s taking her first steps on a journey towards first love and self-discovery as she’s forced to suss out her strengths and decide her future.
 |
 |
(Click images to enlarge)
Whisper of the Heart isn’t the strongest Ghibli movie, but it’s never less than charming, with the studio’s trademark animation style bringing wonderful life and detail to everything from cramped Tokyo family apartments, hilltop views of the city to glowing sunrises. It’s a gorgeous movie, but one filled with the symbolic depth and character that you’d expect from Hayao Miyazaki’s animation house. Shizuku is a well-developed, endearing character who embodies all the curiosity, confusion and self-doubt of adolescence but evolves naturally into a strong, independent female protagonist, while the romantic entanglements of Shizuku and her friends capture the bittersweet pangs of young love and misplaced crushes with a sweet, delicate touch.
It’s a little too predictable in places, though (there’s never any doubt who the mystery boy in Shizuku’s library books might be) and the ending feels hurried and slightly out of place, but neither are enough to dampen the charm and joy that the rest of the film has to offer. It’s a shame we never got to see more from director Yoshifumi Kondō, who died not long after the film’s release, but Whisper of the Heart remains one of Studio Ghibli’s most mature and criminally overlooked offerings, and a wonderful coming-of-age tale well worth seeking out.
 |
 |
(Click images to enlarge)
Whisper of the Heart hits Blu-ray for the first time in the UK courtesy of StudioCanal. The Blu-ray transfer looks gorgeous, with vibrant, natural colours and crisp, problem-free detail that brings out the best in the movie’s beautiful background work.
Audio-wise, there’s the choice between the film’s original Japanese audio in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 dub featuring voice work from Brittany Snow (John Tucker Must Die, Hairspray), Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical) and Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride, Saw). The Japanese audio is the way to go, but as dubs go, the English track is pleasantly performed.
 |
 |
(Click images to enlarge)
The Double Play Blu-ray also comes with a DVD copy and the following special features:
There’s picture-in-picture storyboards for the entire film, and while it’s debatable whether anyone will watch the whole movie that way, especially more than once, it’s hard not to admire the effort off including them all rather than a paltry little gallery.
‘Background Artwork from “The Baron’s Story”‘ offers a gallery of Naohisa Inoue’s background artwork for Shizuku’s daydream fantasy scenes involving talking man-cat The Baron (later seen in The Cat Returns), while ’4 Masterpieces of Naohisa Inoue: From Start to Finish’ provides a step by step look at the creation of the artist’s paintings. ‘Behind The Microphone’ is a behind-the-scenes promo showing the American voice dub’s cast in the studio, with interviews from them all, and also included is a selection of trailers for the film and other Ghibli features. All in all, it’s a pretty great disc for a lovely, charming film.
The Film:
The Blu-ray:
Whisper of the Heart is out on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK now.
Click here to order the Blu-ray from Amazon.co.uk.