Only Yesterday [DVD]

As the title of my review says, Only Yesterday is not just my favorite Studio Ghibli movie, but my favorite movie, period. I watched it a little over a year ago when I was in the process of discovering the magical world of Ghibli. I had seen Kiki's Delivery Service and The Secret World of Arrietty, and was looking for something else to watch. I remember seeing a compilation of Ghibli trailers on YouTube, and the one for Only Yesterday looked really interesting. I looked up the plot and realized it was right up my alley, so I watched it. I thought it would be a nice coming-of-age film I could use to pass the time. I didn't know that it would affect me so strongly.Only Yesterday is a truly beautiful movie. Like pretty much all of Ghibli's work, it is visually gorgeous, with lush country landscapes and soft, muted pastels for the 1960s scenes. However, it's the story that really drives this film. Taeko was such a relatable character for me in so many ways. I had just turned 20 when I watched Only Yesterday for the first time, and although I am younger than her, I am going through a turning point in my life too. I am entering the realm of adulthood and becoming a woman, and I feel just as confused as her sometimes. I'm doing a lot of thinking and reflecting on my past, wondering if certain things I have done were right or wrong. Also, fifth grade was a very significant year for me, just like it was for Taeko. I have a lot of good, bad, and bittersweet memories from that time.Taeko definitely grows as a character throughout the movie. She starts off as an insecure and slightly awkward woman, and emerges as someone with more confidence and grace. The segments with 10-year-old Taeko are very well done, and remind us of the ups and downs of childhood. Each time I watch this movie, I find myself feeling giddy with her as she runs home after an encounter with a boy who likes her, feeling her frustration when she fails a math test, and wincing when her father loses patience with her one night and slaps her.I recommend Only Yesterday to every twentysomething (especially females) and to people who enjoy slow-paced, slice-of-life films. Although it is not as known as some of Studio Ghibli's other work and Miyazaki isn't the director, that doesn't mean that it isn't worth watching. I actually think the quiet brilliance of Only Yesterday leaves a bigger impact than the epic Ghibli fantasy tales (don't think I'm knocking those, though - they are wonderful too!).This movie is calm, thought-provoking, and will stay with you long after it is over. It absolutely rocked my world, and I hope anyone who is reading this will check it out and feel as deeply moved by it as I am.

I remember seeing this in 1992, multi-generation copy, no subtitles, but a printed synopsis in hand, trying to follow the story. And back then, I fell in love with the depiction of Japanese rural living.Now today, with a subtitled DVD of the film, I was able to gain so much more out of the cultural meaning behind this story, and it looks more beautiful than ever.Not only does it feature luscious scenery, rich in detail, but the animation was outstanding for a 1991 film and holds up well with the better feature films today. Of particular notice, is the portrayal of facial expressions of the characters. Characters which, unlike typical anime, are portrayed as normal people. They are not magically beautiful in appearance, but as we get to know them, we find that their beauty radiates from whom they are--from inside them.On the surface, this looks like a film about an office lady, bored with life, who goes on vacation to the countryside. But on a deeper level, it's about a woman and the little girl inside of her, meeting with events and people that present her opportunities to grow and mature. She finds herself mentally tripping back to 1966, during her pre-puberty childhood years, recalling various memories that her current day experiences and concerns evoke recollections of. It is through the meeting of a new friend and hashing it all out, reconciling her childhood idiosyncrasies with her adult reality, that she comes to make important realizations which will forever change the path of her life.This film is generally slow-moving, happening at the pace of life. There is no 'action', as this is a film that's a psychological drama. The viewer will get a sense of what it is to be Japanese and a sampling of the customs as they relate to making new friends and the possibility of romance. There is much of beauty to take in while experiencing this film, and there are several key moments where the beauty and the mood are profoundly-inspiring, such as the sunrise over the safflower fields. If you have a yearning to go back to a simpler life, or simply have a fondness for the countryside of Japan, this film is for you. It is truly and art film, with every scene like a scene out of a fine art painting, come to life in motion. Simply stunning.

Good move liked

Great story and artwork. It great for the whole family. But it's Regin 2. I had to go to Ebay and got a new one! It play with any dvd player. I am getting ride of the old one. The tin box was little dent and finger print on dvd. Beside that it was in great shape.

Another excellent Studio Ghibli movie from Master Isao Takahata. A beautiful story of a young woman finding a new path in life. Taeko waxes nostalgically of her childhood self, while simultaneously wrestling with adult issues of career and love. Hopefully Disney will find a way to have this released in the US. It truly is beautiful story.

It say multiple region not for America

This movie was really great. From a kids perspective this would be some thought provoking material. There is a long part of the movie about girls having their first period which seemed a little drawn out, however beyond that the movie was fantastic!

This is my favorite Hayao Miyazaki movie out of my whole collection. I find it a wonderful story to relax with. The dvd was in good condition and arrived several days before expected.

Honestly... i dont know what to say; I wasnt expecting such a bad image quality ... honestly felt like watching youtube at 480 . I am baffled.I did only tested the DVD, though... as it was a gift for a friend; I expect the Blueray is better but honestly ... this is not worth the money for the DVD.

綺麗でした。子供がとても喜びました。ありがとうございました。

Opera poco conosciuta del maestro Takahata, tratta del rapporto tra città e campagna nell'accezione presente vs. passato, andandosi ad intrecciare con la vita della protagonista, che ripercorre con analisi critica e diversi flashback la propria vita, il che la porta a crescere interiormente e scegliere di compiere quei passi che mai aveva avuto il coraggio di compiere prima. Non c'è un adattamento in italiano, ma il film è pur sempre comprensibile in inglese. Consigliato

Nostalgic reflection is nearly always a sure-fire route to artistic success. Some of my favourite novels such as Alain-Fournier's "Le Grand Meulnes" and L P Hartley's "The go between" demonstrate how successful nostalgia can be as a subject when handled with expert care and attention. For me, "Only Yesterday" manages to achieve the same high standard not only in cinema but also in the animated medium. "Only Yesterday" is proof, if it is needed, that animation can produce cinema as effective as anything with live action. As a recent fan of Studio Ghibli's work, this is the most creative and artistically successful film they have ever made and stands head and shoulders above more celebrated films like "Spirited away." I think that the film's achievements are attributable to a number of factors. To start with, despite this film is only available in Japanese with English sub-titles, the script is exceptional. It works on three levels:- as conversation in the present, as a reflective and profound monologue upon the past experienced by the prinicple character Taeko and ,utlimately, in the scenes that take place when she was ten years old. The childhood scenes seem to resonate with truth in their depiction of awkwardness and serve to show how society changed in the decades that followed the 1960's. Take for example the scenario with the new experience with the recently introduced pineapple which is dealt with in a bittersweet fashion that obviously attempt to replicate Proust's famous madelaines. It goes without saying that the quality of illustrations from this studio are of the usual high standard but "Only Yesterday" offers two styles of images. The "recent" scenes are all drawn in the familiar Ghibli style. On the other hand, the scenes with the 10 year old Taeko set in the 1960's feature backgrounds which are a kind of washed out water colour with the characters seem a little more cartoonish although with no less expression. I felt that this was a brave decision by the film makers and totally inspired. It also allows a few liberties to be taken with reality such as the conclusion of the scene where Taeko meets the base-ball playing friend who has a crush on her in a street and both characters are too embarrassed to say anything other than to ask each other what their favourite kind of weather is. I found this scene to be especially effecting and it ends in a totally unexpected fashion. However, the film's trump card is not played until the film appears to have ended when Taeko boards the train home to Tokyo from her holiday in the countryside. As exceptional as the film had been up to that point, I felt this was truly the icing on the cake. It is not difficult to explain why a film about a 27 year old woman reflecting upon an awkwards childhood should appeal to this 40-something, male reviewer. Despite being set in Japan, it shows that childhood has plenty things about it which are universal and nicely records how seemingly insignificant events can have a bearing on how a child develops. Most people will be able to recognise many of the incidents recounted in this film themselves regardless of their gender. "Only yesterday" is also very much a "feel good" film even though this is a film that has been made by people with intelligence and vision. The only point that I felt to be slightly uncomfortable for me were the scenes concerning "female development" which did shock me a bit but the whole issue was dealt with in a delicate fashion and it served a purpose to illustrate Taeko's embarrassment. Ultmately, it did manage to retain a degree of dignity as well as humour. Not a subject that you would expect to encounter in cinema but I doubt if it could have been dealt with more sensitively as in this film. Much of the film's success is also due to the fact that Taeko is a modest and admirable character. The parts of the film concerning struggling at mathematics also amused me - the first time I've ever seen the questioning of the logic of dividing fractions by another fractions! I'm on Taeko's side with this one! Another scene shows her responding to a younger child in a fashion that contrasts earlier with her own treatment at a similar age by her parents and older sibblings. Miyazaka's film are usually notable for their strong, female characters and it is difficult not to fall a little bit in love with Taeko who is one of Ghibli's finest creations. She is not a 2-dimenstional character and finely etched as a very admirable human being in a superior piece of script writing. In conclusion, this film is not only the most exceptional film from the Ghibli stable but also one of the finest pieces of film-making from the 1990's. "Only yesterday" offers ample reason to jettison those reservations about both foriegn language films and animation. An essential addition to any film collection.

My friend was really happy with my present that I bought for her as a birthday present to go a long with the rest of the collection as she is a very big fan of studio ghibli