Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

It is a performances centric movie

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Excellent but underrated film

Gorō Miyazaki's sophomore effort finds the new director in better control of his craft and is a much improved feature that is brought to life with fine elegance, patience & composure. And while there are a few things that could've been better executed, it is a delightfully sweet & engaging movie for the most part.Set in Yokohama, Japan during the 1960s, the story of From Up on Poppy Hill follows a high school girl who one day meets a member of the school clubhouse and learns that their building is going to be demolished, following which she suggests renovating the dilapidated place in order to persuade the school's chairman to reconsider.Directed by Gorō Miyazaki, the film does benefit from Hayao Miyazaki's input in the screenplay, as its story has a more rigid structure, a better sense of where it is headed, and the arcs of two leads is wonderfully progressed. The characters are believable, their inner struggles are aptly portrayed and the high school ambiance evokes a nostalgic feel too.Production design team does a stellar job in recreating the 1960s scene while its lush camera-work adds more colours to the frames in order to intensify its vibrant tone. Editing is skilfully carried out for the most part although a couple of scenes did feel unnecessary. The background score further uplifts the entire experience and the voice actors do a fabulous job in their given roles.On an overall scale, From Up on Poppy Hill is by every means a sincerely crafted tale but it doesn't really bring anything new to the table. Its theme of long-lasting effect of war on future lives as well as the importance of preserving the past while heading into the future is effectively addressed but where it leaves the most lasting impression is in the gentleness of its narration & rich details of its period setting.

Great Film. Surprisingly unappreciated. Perhaps because it was the second film of Goro Miyazaki whose first wasn't appreciated either (though it wasn't that bad).This is a simple enough story. The characters are simple but strong. The love story is very innocent. More importantly it tells a story. You don't need hard and fast action to make a film entertaining, nor do you need lightning quick pace of the film. What you do need is a good story line with good characters. This has both. All these features make it a treat to watch. The film progresses slowly but it is never boring. It's one of the films that is very real. Most Ghibli films will have fantasy elements about them. However, this one doesn't. This is the plain and simple story about determination and love, loss and remembrance.Good film. Must see for someone who enjoys slow, simple films.

In 1963 Yokohama, high school girl Umi puts out signal flags to passing ships, partly in remembrance of her captain father who died at sea. While getting involved with a project to save a local clubhouse, she meets and falls in love with fellow student Shun. But Shun's father was also lost at sea, and he carries the same photograph as Umi...This animated movie from Studio Ghibli has no fantasy elements: it is a simple drama with several intertwined threads. The animation is satisfactory without being dazzling, the backgrounds are lovely, and the film is, at times, very moving.I enjoyed it a lot.

After the general disappointment with his first film, 'Tales from Earthsea', Goro Miyazaki returns to make his second film for Studio Ghibli; this time working from a screenplay written by his father; the great Hayao Miyazaki.This story is very different in style; set in 1963 Yokohama, it follows high school girl Umi as she tries to save the old building use for school clubs from demolition. The leader of the protests against demolition is a boy named Shum and as the story progresses they grow closer until Shun makes a discovery that may force them to end their relationship before it has really begun.I must say I really enjoyed this film; it may be true that not a huge amount happens and there is no real antagonist but to me that is part of its charm. The characters are a delight to watch and utterly believable. This is especially true of Umi; in the opening scene we see that she practically runs her home; doing the cooking and looking after the others while her mother is away. As one would expect from Studio Ghibli the animation is good and the backgrounds are absolutely stunning with incredible detail; this was particularly true for the club house interior which felt almost real. While this is a slice of life drama there were some nicely amusing moments as well as some poignant ones. If you've enjoyed other Stidio Ghibli films; especially 'Whisper of the Heart', which this most resembles, I can heartily recommend this although the story might not appeal to younger viewers due to its slower pace and lack of real action.These comments are based on watching the film in Japanese with English subtitles.