Review of Whisper of the Heart

This was my second time watching Whisper of the Heart, and suffice to say I thoroughly enjoyed it just as much as I did before. The lighthearted romance and coming-of-age themes warmed my heart without fail, making it the perfect movie to watch the second time on my anniversary with my boyfriend. My favorite scene by far is of course the famous Japanese version of "Country Road" performed by Seiji, Shizuku, and the grandpa's buddies. However, since it is a movie that I rewatched, I did perceive the flaw that I couldn't quite put a finger on before -- its pacing in the beginning andending. I am so tempted to rate this movie an 8 out of 10, but my honest feelings make me rate it a 7.5 (there isn't a 0.5 system for these reviews) because of my issues with the flow of the narrative. Perhaps not many will agree with me on this, but personally, I felt that the first third or so of the movie moved EXTREMELY slowly. Although I do understand that the appeal of this movie is its slice-of-life parallels and relatability, which I truly love, I feel like they could have provided a better "hook" for the audience in the first part of the movie. This was especially so for me, who had already previously watched the film and had to wait quite a while for the exciting parts to arrive.

I also feel like the ending was rather rushed. Yes, it was absolutely adorable that Seiji asked Shizuku to marry him. However, I would have preferred that they ended the story on a more subtle note rather than making it so explicit. I suppose this is just a nitpick, though.

However, the meat of Whisper of the Heart is where its true strengths lie. It is a beautiful, feel-good story of a girl searching for purpose in her life while falling in love in the process. This is also so relatable for me personally, as an aspiring writer and as someone who met her partner in school as well.

This is definitely a Ghibli classic that is great to watch whenever you're feeling down! So, so cute.