What A Cartoon Movie! - Whisper of the Heart

Wow, guys. First End of Eva and now Whisper of the Heart. Two of my most favorit animated movies or in general favorit movies. And these Reviews where amazing, really good job. I really love how Henry is trying to put Kondo in the spotlight (even if Miyazaki overshadows the discussion in the end). I myself had done some research back in the day on Kondo after watching this movie. Didn´t found much aside his early death. Than I watched one episode of my favorit series from childhood again and saw the name Yoshifumi Kondo. This Little Women Anime Henry mentiond in the Podcast is this series. I really love this series and Kondo as Charakter-Designer makes perfect sense. I knew that Studio Ghibli and the World Masterpiece Theater had a history but to confirm that the Director of one of my favorit movies designed one of my favorit characters was something else. Kind of think of it, Jo and Shizuku have a lot in common. Heck, there is even a scene in the Little Women Anime where Jo is insulted by a young man and walks home in anger not unlike Shizuku in Whisper of the Heart. Makes you think how much Yoshifumi Kondo was involved in the storys.

Kurono

Thanks for recommending Otaking, really fascinating channel. Loved the discussion of Ghibli internal politics. Pom Poko has been a favorite of mine for years and I had no idea it was a veiled diss to Miyazaki!

And they were an edible item in Snake Eater!

withasilentG

To be fair, I hadn’t watched 1995’s Gamera Guardian of the Universe until last month before listening to Abnormal Mapping’s Beach House podcast on the movie. Seeing Gamera taking off after some dome destruction just made my inner Ultraman loving 3-year-old went “Yes! Yeeeeeees!”

Robert

He's a friend to all children!

Dan Vincent

I want to point out that "lazy" = sleeping for at least 10 hours every night, and "hard-working" = pulling multiple all-nighters (link to the comic about it: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D5XtqceUUAAZFiO.jpg)

nina matsumoto

All the talk of Kondo's fate reminds me of Shigeru Mizuki, who observed that by being lazy, he lived past 90 whilst all his hard-working contemporaries had died decades before. If only more in the industry took that to heart.

Adam Elmahdi

I was also raised to keep the Gameboy sound off/ wear head phones To the point I didn't realize a lot of game boy games had decent sound tracks. I have no nostalgia for the gen 1 pokemon soundtracks because I never played them with the sound on

Kris

When I visit another country, nothing fascinates me more than seeing how people go about their everyday lives. In that sense, the intro to this film is really something special. I also love the use of real world locations, like where Sugimura professes his love for Shizuku. I went to Japan in December 2019 and it was one of the last amazing experiences I had before the world turned upside down. This whole film brought back warm fuzzies from that trip. We need more strict materialist Marxists in animation!

Brian Biggs

Great observation for on class themes in the film with Seiji. I’ve not finished the podcast so maybe they mention it, but the difference between Shizuku’s and Yuko’s homes and test preparation resources struck me.

Brian Biggs

Ending aside, there is so much I unabashedly love about this movie. It's a really cozy viewing experience.

Nothin' like being 14 and deciding to wait patiently a few years for someone you just met!

The ending had me going ????? too, and knowing Miyazaki pushed for it because he "wanted them to commit to something" makes it even worse I think. It left me feeling really sour.

nina matsumoto

He knows udon! The dub just led him astray here by calling it ramen

nina matsumoto

Man you gotta introduce the world of udon to Bob that's one of my go to comfort foods. And a sign of a more legit Japanese restaurant.

withasilentG

I feel so vindicated by Bob's opinion of the ending (ie. the proposal and them being destined to be together). I remember I saw this in theaters a couple year back and a woman sitting at the front of the theater just shouted "Oh come on!" at the marriage proposal. I'd have to agree!

Also it's not ramen they're having, it's nabeyaki udon. The name literally means "pot-cooked udon" -- It's udon cooked in a specific kind of lidded pot (so it's not a ramen bowl either). Normally only made in the colder seasons. To a Japanese audience, that pot and those specific toppings are a dead giveaway (Google it and you'll see). I'm being pedantic about THIS because you guys were wondering why the "ramen" was so thick! ETA: Some thoughts I had on the film, just so I'm not issuing corrections: the more I think about it, the more I wish this film was about the privileges that come with class. Seiji is able to skip high school to go study with a master in Italy for years, while Shizuku has to struggle on her own without any guidance, and has all these distractions from being in a cramped home she has to help maintain. It shows off how not everyone is able to have the same opportunities even if they have the talent and drive. Not everyone can afford to simply follow their dreams. I don't think this is something Miyazaki thinks about and therefore isn't a theme in the story. From his age and culture he grew up with, I'm sure he believes in meritocracy.

nina matsumoto

Shizuku is eating Calorie Mate at her desk, not Kit Kats. She's using them as intended (they're nutritional energy bars marketed toward busy people who can't have a proper meal). I'm only being pedantic about this because it's another example of something a non-Japanese audience would miss. She's not just eating junk food like a kid -- she's eating something specifically made for meal-skippers and trying to be somewhat responsible with her diet.

nina matsumoto

I'm glad this month's movie selection has finally given me an excuse to watch this film, because it was incredible. Really looking forward to listening to this episode.

SomeBloke

Gamera, Gilbert. The big 1995 Japanese monster movie is about Gamera, the giant flying turtle. Not that lizard.

Robert