Such a cute movie, i wanted to hit myself in the head with an aquarium from the cuteness

Effectively and thoroughly... bored! First off, the poster is incredibly misleading there's no fantasy elements it's actually a teen romance. I appreciate the more mature tone compared to other Ghibli projets but this felt so stale and calm and long and devoid of any fun. I admire the animation style. Great score but I believe a lot of people will fall asleep on it. The voice cast is worth pointing out they were great. It's borderline musical at times but the singing sounds good. Characters are uninteresting. The story with the talking cat seemed interesting though, too bad there wasn't more of it. The romance is ok I guess, I just can't find anything that sets it apart from your regular romance. Nothing special here.

A sweet, small-scale anime, which explores all the awkwardness and inner conflict of young love, teen social anxiety and an emergent personal identity. As late summer winds gently blow, we contentedly explore a sleepy Tokyo suburb alongside an aspiring, if apprehensive, young writer. Stumbling upon old thrift shops and secret city perspectives, we delight alongside her, mutually appreciating the sense of freedom and discovery. Little adventures can be the most satisfying, like these fleeting chances to probe and examine the private character of her home town. That aspect of the film makes for some great, charming, slice-of-life material. And the relationship drama, after school is back in session, doesn't feel overwrought or exaggerated, either. It just... lingers and lingers, way beyond the point of watch-checking and brow-raising. Slow pacing is essential to those earlier scenes, allowing us to really understand and appreciate both character and setting, but it's not as powerful or purposeful in these later bits. Peppered with the usual Studio Ghibli joys and pleasures, it's beautifully realized and sincere, just a bit staid and long in the tooth. The playful flights of imagination so lavishly promoted on the movie poster don't last even five minutes.

This narrative may suffer, a little, from culture disparity. To make the film make sense, I came to some cultural assumptions: 1) When advancing from Junior to Senior High, in Japan, you have to pass entrance exams and however well you grade will determine which schools are open to you, so 2) at a much younger age, than in North America, a child must make substantive life decisions about a future career. 3) Kids are allowed to be more independent and self-determined at an early age, but, they also seem to get away with being defiant, even rude, to their parents who seem to have little influence in their lives. 4) Japanese children carry a lot of responsibilities within their homes. In this year, I have been introducing a young friend (9 years of age) to the works of Studio Ghibli, and, by and large, it has been a delightful adventure for both her and me but I'm not sure this movie would be appropriate for her ([spoiler]Junior Highers who date and fall in love? or, even think about making lifelong partners?, insolent responses to their parents?, considering leaving school after Junior High!?! - I'm not sure I'd even want to seed these ideas into her young life[/spoiler]. Shouldn't childhood be about childhood?). The story also seems to be rather meandering and leaves a lot of sub plots unresolved. The artwork is the high standard of quality we have grown to expect from Ghibli filled with the nuances of human movement and expression. The theme song seems an odd choice for the film and yet I'm not sure there is a unifying theme in the piece. I have to say this film left me shaking my head. I give this film a 5 (huh?) out of 10. [Anime Drama]

The original title of the film is Mimi wo Sumaseba.