...this viewer really has to hand it to the skilled writers, directors and animators of the best of contemporary Japanese anime; when skillfully integrated, there's a certain symbiotic relationship between the extraordinary visual splendor of these varied productions, and the engaging & quite compelling storylines, which the striking visuals help to tell. Often, from production to production, the story relies on the visuals, and vice-versa, but also, they complement each other. Without the story, the visuals prove to be merely eye-candy, and without the visuals...well, one might as well merely be reading a book, and imagining the visuals. And some select anime productions are so masterfully written...so visually immersing...so captivating and engaging, with regards to the characters, it makes one genuinely wonder why the filmmakers involved, chose not to conceive and render such an exquisite production, as a live-action feature film, rather than utilizing animation. It is that keen latter observation, which denotes anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, as one of the most skillful artists, working in his field. Most anime devotees very much know and lovingly embrace his masterful work, which includes such classics as "Princess Mononoke" (1997), "Kiki's Delivery Service" (1989), "Spirited Away" (2001), and "The Castle of Cagliostro" (1979), amongst others. And proving that the proverbial apple doesn't fall far from the tree, as far as equally skillful filmmaking artistry, in the realm of anime feature-film production, Hayao's son, Goro, has proven himself, his father's equal, carrying on the tradition, with the strikingly beautiful, breathtaking, captivating and compelling coming-of-age drama, 2011's "From Up On Poppy Hill"...
...Umi, a young teenage student, contently lives a life of devoted routine and dedication. Daily, she awakens, prepares breakfast for her siblings...as well as residents of the boarding house, where she lives...and without fail, raises a set of maritime signal flags (...'wishing you a safe journey'), up a pole, overseeing the local harbor, in dedication to her father, before finally heading off to school. One one fateful day, while attending classes, a fellow student shows Umi, a published article in the school's newspaper, describing the unusual sight of the signal flags; curious as to who the author of the article is, Umi is initially taken aback by a young student, Shun...the newspaper's publisher and editor...who recklessly performs a daredevil stunt from the roof of his classmate's clubhouse, in support of a movement to save the decrepit and broken-down clubhouse, which is slated for demolition. Though put off by the showy stunt, Umi becomes intrigued at not only finding out that Shun is the sole publisher of the newspaper, but also that he was the one who wrote the article...so intrigued, in fact, that she begins to assist him in the newspaper's printing...
...when a winning male class debate results in additional student body support in not only refurbishing and restoring the clubhouse, but also, sending a delegation to a local businessman...also a chairman on the school board...to convince him to save the clubhouse, and personally inspect the preservation efforts, Umi...with the assistance of members of the female student body...focuses her efforts to help Shun...whom she is becoming more smitten with...by aiding with the renovation efforts, as well as volunteering to be a part of the representative delegation. During the clubhouse clean-up, but before the delegation heads off to the city, Umi shows Shun a photograph...three uniformed men, one of whom she says is her father; this time, it is Shun, who is taken aback, as he looks at the picture. Inexplicably rushing off without saying a word to Umi, Shun heads home; that night, he opens up a journal...to a page, bookmarked by a photograph, identical to Umi's. What does this mean?? How will this picture affect his relationship with Umi?? What is the mystery behind the three men featured in the photograph?? And will the clubhouse escape demolition...be preserved??...
...good questions, one and all...and fine examples, which bountifully make up the captivating drama, herein, detailed keenly and specifically to fit the particular time in Japan's history. The coming-of-age, albeit suggestively ill-fated romance between Umi and Shun. The respect and preservation of the past, in light of a time in this film setting's history (...circa 1963 Yokohama, just short of Japan's sponsoring of the Olympics), when a sense of renewal and industrial innovation was on the upswing. A time, just short of when Japanese radicals, activists and idealists assumed a respectable amount of influence...but eventually surrendered themselves to the onslaught of alluringly materialistic ideals, and political torpidity. The clear contrast of philosophic ideologies, between outskirts architecture and local harbor industries, as compared to big-city business, and the hustle-bustle of wayward trains and automobiles in Tokyo. The equally contrasting points of views, as far as inspired and determined adolescents, engaging themselves in an adult world. The assumed sense of responsibility, instilled...perhaps even forced upon a resigning youth, as the result of lost and/or displaced loved ones...in this case, Umi, and her father...lost to the scourges of the Korean War...and her mother, conducting studies in the United States. All this and more...a reflective testament to Hayao Miyazaki's keen sense of history, adeptly transferred to the written page...and then, onto the screen...
...happily, the greatness and the richness of "From Up On Poppy Hill" is not merely limited to the striking visuals (...which look all the more brilliant and rustically colorful, rendered in 1.85:1 aspect-framed HD, on this Blu-Ray/DVD combo), and the intricately engaging storytelling. Although a respectable cast is relegated to the Japanese-dubbed edition of the film, the English dubbing surprisingly consists of a veritable who's who in celebrity pop culture, as far as young, as well as veteran talent. Fledgling actress Sarah Bolger...of late, in the recent series, "Once Upon a Time", and previous, in the 2010 season of "The Tudors"...gives a vibrantly enthusiastic and heartfelt vocal performance, as Umi. Anton Yelchin, the new 'Star Trek' movie series' Chekov, proves a great emotional counter to the Umi character, with his casting as Shun. In supportive roles herein, it might be a bit difficult to identify the vocal talents of such participating greats, as Jamie Lee Curtis, Beau Bridges, Ron Howard, Emily Osment, Gillian Anderson, Bruce Dern, Jake Steinfeld and Christina Hendricks, as good number of them seem ideally cast, and some, 'ideally' miscast against type; however, if the Blu-Ray 'behind-the-scenes' extra feature...showcasing these celebrities providing their vocal abilities in the film...is any indication of the overall attitude and enthusiasm, in this dubbing production, these guys clearly had an absolute blast, performing their prospective roles...
...on the whole, "From Up On Poppy Hill" is exceptionally heartfelt, charming and embraceable...a captivating 'coming-of-age' romantic drama, rich in self-discovery and purpose...likable characters, covering the full spectrum, from idealistic 'everymen', to the humorously eccentric...with a hint of irresistibly compelling mystery and intrigue...all set in a most poignant and realistic time & place. A masterful piece of work, from an equally masterful linage of anime filmmakers...This one's not to be missed...
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