I find it refreshing and warm. I have thought of giving it to my friends as gift on their wedding/wedding anniversary since it's about family, being a spouse, being a parent, being a child and grandchild and being an daughter/son in-law. As a Studio Ghibli fan, I make it a point to watch all their movies, not only because I it's a Studio Ghibli but I get surprised every time I watch one. And although this is a less popular work of Isao Takahata, as compared to The Grave of Fireflies, and Kaguyahime, I don't agree that this is "lesser" than the other Studio Ghibli works.