Only Yesterday (1991)

Such beautiful and moving films. Easily one of Ghibli's best and most mature works. An introspective exploration of childhood memories and their role in shaping life as an adult, like most Ghibli movies, it's a movie about growing up, told in a way that makes the viewer reflect on their own childhood and realize how even the smallest things can make a big impact in the future, as well as how something seemingly hugely important may not really affect you in any way. Life is strange that way. What a masterpiece.

"Only Yesterday" is the "Boku dake ga Inai Machi" made for adults. I would even say for adult women. Like the hero of the "Boku dake...", the main character - Taeko - goes back in time to her school years to rethink them and to comprehend what to do with her life. Or rather, she goes on a trip to rural area, on vacation, and takes with her ten-year-old herself, imposing childhood memories on her present life. It looks like Takahata Isao made an anime about downshifting before it even got into fashion. In a sense, Taeko really turned on the lower gear - she slowed down her life, because she realized that she was going the wrong way. The old Toshio's car, slow and stalling now and then, but nevertheless loved and preferred to newer cars, is a kind of metaphor for the main message of the "Only Yesterday". Another metaphor voiced by Taeko herself is the caterpillar, which needs to become a chrysalis in order to turn into a butterfly and to fly away. And why did Taeko take ten-year-old herself on vacation? It's strange even to her - it's not because of bright memories about her youth in the 60s, not about hairstyles, boyfriends, "Beatles" and miniskirts, like her sisters memories. Not at all. This is a little girl's memory on the verge of growing up - school and home. Taeko answers herself - it was then the chrysalis for the first time decided to become butterfly. She "swallowed nonsense about fractions" and chose work, career, success. At first it seemed to her that she was flying, but in reality she was only flapping her wings without moving. Because two thirds of an apple didn't want to be divided by one quarter, and the exotic pineapple turned out to be much worse than usual banana. Now, it is time for already grew up Taeko to become "chrysalis" in order to try to fly for real. And who knows, perhaps, along this path - traveling in space and time - she will find kindred spirit and meaning?

As a movie, I did not like it I found it disjointed and kept me wondering why the director is showing me this. The subject matter of the movie is a young woman who is trying to find her place in the world, and thinks back to her time in the 5th grade when much of her life was shaped. Made me think of a first draft that needs to be worked on, maybe some scenes need to be moved to make the story line smoother and more relevant, or maybe cut because they are extraneous.

Well, this is rather embarrassing, isn't it? Not only am I on the wrong side **** film, but I'm on the wrong side of an Isao Takahata film with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (if that means anything to you). Now, don't get it twisted, "Only Yesterday" isn't a bad film by any stretch. It's consistently gorgeous to look at, insightful on the whole and sweet as all get-out. I guess I just wasn't expecting this to be as much of a plunge into the realm of reality as it ended up being, especially coming from the last Ghibli film that I saw — "Howl's Moving Castle." The first 45 minutes are moderately delightful and quaint, but the dip in entertainment value within the second act was almost insurmountable for me. Maybe Yamagata's countryside really is tranquil enough to lull someone to sleep? Or perhaps it's the long, drawn-out conversations on agriculture that do the trick. Jesus Christ, I feel like such a heathen for bagging on a Ghibli film like this. Man, I really wish I had enjoyed this more than I did.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]