MovieChat Forums > Omohide poro poro (2016) Discussion > Does this film pick up?

Does this film pick up?

posted 18 years ago by Pedosh
9 replies | jump to latest

Hey guys,

Since seeing Spirited Away I've gone on to watch and purchase several Ghibli films. I received Only Yesturday the other day and because it was late when I got back from work I did not get to see too much of it (roughly 45mins.)

Now I must say that at this moment in time this film has not hooked me in at all. It feels somewhat similar to Whisper of the Heart, which did not resonate with me either, although the animation was superb. On the other hand Grave of the Fireflies was superb - compelling and powerful.

What I am trying to say is, is it possibly because the main star of these two films is a girl, written from a girl perspective (despite the fact it was written by a man,)that these films have yet to strike a cord with me?

I've still got 1hr 15mins left of the film but I figured it should of at least pulled me in by now, the film has yet to create any incentive in me to want to continue watching it.

Do things pick up, will it draw me in eventually?

Your thoughts and opinions on this would be most appreciated.

[–] MovieEccentric 18 years ago

Well, I have to say, it drew me in immediately... maybe because I loved Whisper of the Heart, which sort of has the same feel, but I think Only Yesterday is better and I loved Whisper of the Heart.

It depends if the scenes of young Taeko move you... they definitely moved me. In fact I just finished watching it and was crying again all thru the credits. I just love the nostalgic feel of it - it reminds me of a screenplay I was working on (just fiddling around), where I based it around memories of my past (particularly childhood).

I hope it picks up for you because it'd be a shame for you not to enjoy it.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Pedosh 18 years ago

I've just watched this film through and unfortuantely it failed to strike any cord with me what so ever, though there were a couple of scenes that had me emotionally engaged. For me the film did not set itself up with a problem/mission to solve and therefore came to no real resolution at the end. I was personally waiting for something to happen that would get me involved and caring about things but it never did. The whole concept of her looking back at her ten year old self seems totally irrelevant to me although it shouldn't.

In all honestly the charactetr felt distant and her childhood up bringing was totally different from mine; perhaps this mixed with the fact that I'm 23 has something to do with its overall affect upon me?

I was also disappointed by the fact that the film seemed to suggest that her childhood was generally full of misery, we never really see her family treating her that well. The film also eludes to this brief childhood romance at one stage but doesn't continue it through, it would have been nice if the film had showed glimpses of her being older than ten, so we got a greater sense of who she is - in this way I think I may have connected with her more; also if she had been younger when the real time stuff plays out.

Overall I was extremely disappointed with this, I would have loved to have loved it and I tried my best to.

[–] MovieEccentric 18 years ago

That's alright - not everybody loves every film. We all have different opinions and tastes, obviously. As for her only thinking back to when she was 10, that resonates for me because maybe it was time she was most fond of. I'm 22 and whenever I think about my high school days, it's always full of misery. I always love thinking back to when I was in elementary: the personality I had back then (sort of spunky like Taeko was and now it's completely different like older Taeko - more tamed, I guess), the TV shows I was into, phases I was going thru, etc.

Not all childhoods are happy happy. I didn't grow up in '66 Japan, but I think every kid knows what it feels like not getting something that they want (Barbie dress, enamel purse, etc) or doing poorly in a class subject (in her case, math). I'm sure she had great times with her family, but those specific scenes were shown for a reason. For me, Taeko is still trying to find herself at 27. It's kind of hard to explain - everything is summed up in the evening car ride with Toshio at the end. She goes to the country because she thinks that'll be her answer, and when she's put in an uncomfortable situation where reality sets in, she thinks it was all just a facade - that's when she remembers about Abe-kune and deep down she re-examines what her true intentions are instead of what she "ought" to feel or do. I hope that makes it clearer... sorry it kinda missed the boat for you.

[–] paperbullet 17 years ago

Ghibli turns out different kinds of movies. You're going to like some of them (for me, Spirited Away, Porco Rosso) and you're not going to like some of them (for me, Ocean Waves, Tales from Earthsea). At least this insures at least a few of their films will receive the attention they all deserve.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpXwPdJIOJY
Best thing ever.

[–] tintinrulz 16 years ago

It's more like a gentle psychological drama. She has to face her demons from the past and move on with her life. It's a very good movie but I much prefer Whisper of the Heart.
Only Yesterday gets a 8/10 from me.

[–] JimmyZappa 15 years ago

Whisper of the Heart is my favorite Ghibli film and this one is probably my least favorite. It started out promising but then starts to die a slow death. I think what killed it were the scenes where the girl is grown up, they are not engaging at all. There's even a pointless sequence on how to make dyed fabrics, I imagine the animators were probably bored out of their minds drawing this. Also there's no "enchanting" theme that defines the other Ghibli films. It's similar to Disney making an animated film about the day to day ordinary life of a 10 year old. The format just doesn't work here. It doesn't help that the characters are pretty stock and are generally not interesting to begin with.

I'm just waiting for it to end so I can move on to the rest of the Ghibli films I haven't seen yet. I can see the real reason why Disney has not picked this up yet: its more for incredibly patient grownups who are nostalgic or fascinated by rural/urban 1960s Japan. I'd be pretty hard pressed to find kids who will find this interesting since even I can't get into it.

Stuff like this reminds me of "Movie Poop Shoot.com" from Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

[–] rebeccatrevisan 15 years ago

I just watched Only Yesterday for the first time about half an hour ago...

For me, it was a strange experience. A lot of the time I reallllly identified with the story, because my childhood was very similar. There were so many moments in this film that just had me thinking "Oh, yeah. I remember that..."

But at the same time, the film felt to me like it was going nowhere. It almost seemed to be an exploration of the mundane...

But THEN, at the same time, the final scene (spoilers)...

where Taeko goes back to the country and the kids are all chasing her almost brought tears to my eyes. And I love all the expressionism...like the massive pink heart appearing after she flies through the sky...

So...I dunno. I'm still not sure whether or not I enjoyed this movie...

[–] blondiebear_17 15 years ago

I'm watching it right now and while I really enjoy the parts where Taeko is a child her life at 27 is a complete snore fest. I honestly can't see how these two characters are the same person. I'm up to the part where she is in the car with the farmer and I'm so tempted to fast forward.

Your no bunny till some bunny loves you