Only Yesterday

I don’t quite know why I’d never watched Only Yesterday – I’ve watched pretty much every Ghibli film, and I even thought I had seen it. I was reminded of it recently because they’re planning a new western release for it this year with new English voice acting (the film originally came out in 1991). I watched it with subtitles (which is how I watch any foreign film) and was completely entranced and delighted from start to finish. I loved the way it jumps from present to past, and both periods were equally entertaining. The Ghibli films directed by Isao Takahata usually feel more “real” than Hayao Miyazaki’s output (more grounded, even when the setting is fantastical), and here, you could really appreciate the issues that the main character was dealing with (they all felt real and grounded to me, at least). It also made for a beautiful time slip trip back to Japan for me.