Only Yesterday - Tumblr Posts
Studio Ghibli - Only Yesterday (1991).
I've been working my way through Studio Ghibli movies I haven't seen before, and last night, I watched Only Yesterday.
As an American woman watching it in 2023, I can't possibly understand what it was like to be a 10-year-old girl living in post-war Japan. At the same time, it was like looking in a mirror. Introspection under the cut, spoiler-free.
I don't often encounter characters that I can identify with. As a storyteller myself, it's always made me feel uncomfortable and strange - and yet, watching this movie, there I was, animated on the screen. Taeko is more myself than any character I've ever experienced in any medium. It's actually a lot to take in, and I don't really know how to feel about being seen so clearly across cultures, time, and place.
I do recommend the film, but I think a lot of people will find it long and boring. It's not your typical "children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story" Ghibli movie. The animation is achingly beautiful, though, and I think it's the best of all the Ghibli movies I've seen so far. So if you have the time and aren't expecting My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away, I think it's worth a watch.
Top 10 Josei Anime: INPO
10. Bunny Drop
9. The Tale of Genji
8. Princess Jellyfish
7. Honey & Clover
6. Chihayafuru
5. Only Yesterday
4. Paradise Kiss
3. Michiko & Hatchin
2. Nodame Cantabile
1. Aggretsuko
there are times in life where a girls just gotta watch a ghibli film
![Only Yesterday, Memories Like Falling Raindrops [ 1991 . ]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/d856ab6d9a1bacb662f7d5e6da576a83/tumblr_okzkilLP0h1r5x837o1_500.png)
only yesterday, memories like falling raindrops おもひでぽろぽろ [ 1991 . ]
#Watching “Only Yesterday”
Director: Isao Takahata
Mellow, understated but very poignant.
Feels very simple but with a quivering sincerity that still feels very relevant.
Looks at urban life with a sense of apathy, but not hatred – while it faces quiet rural life with empathy, romanticism but also caution.
Beautiful animation, naturally. The contrast of the fuzzy, vignetted watercolors in the flashbacks and the crisp, vibrant colors from the present time work wonderfully.
The narrative maintains a sense of struggle without having a villain or antagonist that is a person, but instead it’s this ever present sense of dissatisfaction and anxieties that can’t easily be resolved.