“From Up on Poppy Hill” beautifully blends simplicity, seamless animation

By Ari Howorth
Arts Editor

Sometimes simplicity can be key. Goro Miyazaki’s newest film, “From Up on Poppy Hill,” demonstrates this notion as a beautifully animated film that is able to branch out from Studio Ghibli’s trend of fantasy.
The film is lighthearted and charming, due to its pleasant story and its stunning animation.

“From Up on Poppy Hill” is the second film directed by Miyazaki, who follows in the footsteps of his father, Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki’s previous films are all acclaimed and are responsible for establishing Studio Ghibli as one of Japan’s leading film studios.

The film, adapted from a graphic novel of the same name, follows Umi Matsuzaki (Sarah Bolger), who lives in a Yokohama, Japan right before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. She struggles balancing supporting her family and trying to help a group of local schoolboys save their clubhouse from demolition. Along the way, she develops romantic feelings for a local boy named Shun Kazama (Anton Yelchin), and their romance soon becomes complicated by secrets from their past.

The defining aspect of the film is its animation. It utilizes beautiful pastel backgrounds, like many of Ghibli’s films, to depict the slow-moving seaside town and set tranquil scenes for the characters to fill. The characters are simple yet resoundingly human and sensitive in appearance.

This is the first non-fantasy Studio Ghibli film in the twenty-first century. While often these films are praised for their grandiose and majestic sequences (often based around fantasy elements), these are not present in “From Up on Poppy Hill.” But this abscence does not detract from the film, as its story still manages to compel and provide an insightful view of life in 1960s-era Japan.

“From Up on Poppy Hill” uses its unusual yet simple story to its benefit and ends up being one of the better films released by Studio Ghibli in recent years. With its intriguing characters and charming story, the film is enjoyable on multiple levels.

“From Up on Poppy Hill” is rated PG and is playing in select theaters nationwide.