Studio Ghibli Countdown: ‘Whisper of the Heart’ 

Can you remember when you saw your first Studio Ghibli film? I do. I was fifteen years old at the time, and the movie was

. Up until then, I had been fed a steady diet of Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks films. I wasn’t familiar with anime in general. The name “Ghibli” rang a dim bell in my mind, but I had no idea what type of films the studio made. One day, my brother brought home

from the library and gathered the family around to watch it. As I sat back, I figured the movie was going to be like many Western animated films—fast, lively, and loud.

, directed by Yoshifumi Kondō and released in 1995, introduces us to Shizuku, a young teenage girl, who lives in Tokyo with her family. Strong-willed, curious, and creative, Shizuku loves to read fairy tales and write song lyrics. One day, bored and looking for an adventure, she follows a stray cat to an antique shop where she meets a boy her age (Seiji), his kind grandfather, and a mysterious statue of a cat with shimmering green eyes. Shizuku is drawn both to the boy and the statue and begins a journey of finding and claiming her own dreams.

Shizuku follows the proud Studio Ghibli tradition of depicting strong, smart female protagonists who know what they want and strive to achieve their goals and dreams. Seiji is just as passionate and dedicated to his dreams as Shizuku, and they complement each other well. Both are willing to work hard to master their respective crafts (writing and violin making). And let’s not forget the cats—live and inanimate. Both are alluring and mysterious and drive the characters forward in the film.

The film’s animation is old, but that only adds to its charm. As for the music, I will always remember

with Olivia Newton-John’s rendition of “Take Me Home Country Roads.” On my initial viewing, the country song stuck out like a sore thumb in a story set in modernized Tokyo, Japan, but it slowly grew on me as the song was repeated throughout the film.

was the only film that Yoshifumi Kondō directed before his untimely death in 1998. He had previously worked as an animation director for

and was expected to be one of Studio Ghibli’s main directors and eventual successor. However, it is clear that Kondō poured his heart and soul into

, making his one and only directed film memorable and a worthy entry in Studio Ghibli’s line of classics.

, I didn’t know what to make of it. The style, pacing, animation, and tone were so different. The movie took its sweet time telling the story. I couldn’t figure out the film’s purpose. Love? Chasing your dreams? Visiting antique shops? Writing? Cat statues? I was puzzled but piqued by this Studio Ghibli.

I soon went on my merry way, finding other animated movies to watch and enjoy. Some stayed with me, but many slipped by without making much of an impression. Except

. For some reason, I couldn’t forget a simple yet resonating tale of a girl’s coming-of-age and her realizations about love, life, and ambitions.

In the following years, I have watched more Studio Ghibli films, and my appreciation for the Japanese style of animation has only grown. Recently, I sat down to watch

again. I hadn’t seen it since I was Shizuku’s age, and now, watching it as a young woman, I could see similarities between Shizuku and myself as a fifteen year old girl. Her love for stories, aspirations to be a writer, and insecurities in her abilities struck a chord with me. I think that’s why I could never forget the film, even after many years. I believe that’s what makes

special: it’s relatable, it’s honest, and it’s hopeful.

What was your first Studio Ghibli film? What did you think of it?

Except for Kiki, I can relate to Shizuku more than any other Studio Ghibli heroine, which is one reason why I consider this film to be one of my personal favorite entries in the studio’s library.

When I first watched this film, I was tickled pink by the fact that the song “Take Me Home, Country Roads” was incorporated into the plot, primarily because John Denver (who co-wrote the song with Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert) is my favorite singer of all time. In fact, WHISPER OF THE HEART has made it one of my favorite Denver tunes. I also rather enjoyed the altered version of the song that Shizuku performed with Seiji and Nishi. The new lyrics didn’t detract a bit from the spirit of the original. (Personally, I think John would have loved it.)

I really love this Ghibli film!! Like you said, Shizuku is very relatable on so many levels of having goals and following through them, only wish I had her determination to want to know what I want out of like lol…

Really an amazing relatable overlooked Ghibli film I think, as well as it’s really amazing “spin off” 🙂

I got intorduced to this film a year ago, then right after that screening I was in love with the story for how real it is. Shizuku came off as a relatable teenager who I fell can really touch any audience who face identity problems. Overall I really like this movie just a little confused by the ending.

Great article! This movie is trully a gem, so sweet. One thing I found interesting while watching it for the first time was how some scenes make you think some fantastical journey is about to begin (as they usually do in Ghibli movies) but then the movie stays so grounded and real. The journey happens inside Shizuku’s heart.

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