Studio Ghibli’s latest, flawlessly written by octogenarian Miyazaki (My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away) himself, and directed by his son Goru, is a typically wonderful, exciting, imaginative and moving tale from the acclaimed Japanese animation studio.
Aimed at between 12 and 14 year olds but enjoyable for anyone who has ever been to school, Umi, a young girl whose father has been missing at sea for some years, strikes up a relationship with a young man at her secondary school. Together they attempt to save the school club house from demolition by petitioning a wealthy school patron to come to their aid.
As the children draw closer together they uncover a hidden past between their families which at once brings them closer and drives them painfully apart.
It’s a multi-layered, emotionally complex and narratively gripping tale which shows up the simplistic nature of most children’s animation in the West. A beautifully rendered world with incredible, often haunting and frequently hilarious attention to detail makes this one of the most satisfying films from Ghibli in years.
A wonderful voice cast, including Bruce Dern and Christina Hendricks, in the English language dub, makes this Japanese wonder highly involving and accessible for younger audiences, while the original language version with subtitles is also available for older purists.