Highlights
- Whisper of the Heart is a slower-paced and more grounded film compared to Studio Ghibli's other popular movies, but it is still an incredible movie that deserves recognition.
- The film follows Shizuku, a high school student, on a journey of pursuing dreams and feeling lost, which anyone can relate to if they give it a chance.
- The story highlights the struggles and conflicts of an artist sharing their work and the importance of creating art for oneself rather than for others.
Whisper of the Heart is one of Studio Ghibli's less talked about films. When most fans of the studio go over the best movies they've produced, the most frequently brought up candidates are Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, and Howl's Moving Castle. Whisper of the Heart is certainly less flashy than any of these movies. There's less action moving the plot forward at any given moment, the conflict is entirely internal rather than external, and there is no magic whatsoever.
In spite of this, however, Whisper of the Heart is an absolutely incredible movie that absolutely deserves to be counted among Studio Ghibli's best work. It is absolutely a slower-paced and more grounded journey. The journey in question, however, is one about pursuing dreams and feeling lost. It is a film that anyone could see themselves in, if they would only give it a chance.
Video Games To Play If You Are A Studio Ghibli Fan
Studio Ghibli makes some fantastic films. Here are some games with a feel similar to the studio's work that fans are sure to enjoy.
The Making of Whisper of the Heart
Whisper of the Heart is the first and only film directed by Yoshifumi Kondō. Kondō was a Japanese animator who got his start working at A Production before eventually moving to Studio Ghibli. While there, Kondō displayed immense talent and began to rise the ranks, working on a number of the company's greatest films. He was on the key animation team for Porco Rosso and was the animation director for Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki's Delivery Service, Only Yesterday, and Princess Mononoke. The latter was the last project he worked on, but before that, he stepped into the field of solo directing with his feature debut, Whisper of the Heart.
With all of these movies under his belt, Kondō had proven himself an incredibly impressive animator and filmmaker. So impressive, in fact, that the legendary Hayao Miyazaki viewed him as a worthy successor. The Studio Ghibli co-founder expected Kondō to continue to rise through the studio and become one of their biggest names, and eventually to take his place as the studio's primary director. Unfortunately, Kondō passed away due to a sudden aneurysm before he had the chance to do so. His passing came only three years after the release of the only film he ever directed. Whisper of the Heart was meant to be the start of a beautiful and rich career for Kondō, but now it stands as the one and only movie directed by him.
The Heart of the Story
Whisper of the Heart is a story about Shizuku, a high school student who is passionate about reading and writing but feels bored and restless. In her search for adventure and excitement, she wanders the streets of Tokyo and happens upon an antique shop, where she becomes instantly captivated and befriends Nishi, the elderly owner. At the same time, she has a series of chance encounters with a strange boy named Seiji. After meeting him at the antique shop, Shizuku discovers that Seiji is the grandson of the store owner and has checked out all the same library books she has.
As the two become friends, Shizuku discovers that Seiji has a goal to one day become a master violin maker. Shizuku is impressed with his passion, but feels inadequate in comparison, finding that she lacks a purpose to work towards. When Seiji leaves for on overseas apprenticeship, Shizuku decides to use the two months without him to dedicate herself to her craft in the same way Seiji did. She vows to finish a novel in that time, choosing to write about the Baron, a cat figurine from the antique shop.
Shizuku leaps into her work with dedicated fervor. She writes constantly, staying up late and skipping dinner in order to keep working. In some ways, her dedication is infectious and triumphant. Shizuku felt aimless before she began writing, remarking to others that all she ever did was read books and write silly songs. She considered herself to be wandering around without purpose, wasting away her time in search of meaning, and this feeling only grew stronger when she compared herself to others. In trying to finish a book in a limited time frame, she discovers what true dedication feels like, what it's like to be have a singular goal in life.
Whisper of the Heart, however, is not a simple story about finding a goal. Shizuku loses herself in her work, burning herself out by forgetting everything other than writing. She pushes her family away, holing herself up in her room in order to work uninterrupted. The conflict is further exacerbated by Shizuku's desire to stop studying for exams, as they will only distract her from her project. Her stress mounts as she struggles to put the novel together, becoming more focused on getting something finished within the time limit than she is on writing the story she really wanted to tell.
Whisper of the Heart can be appreciated by anyone, but it will hit especially hard for those who want to create art. An exhausted Shizuku completes her novel within the two-month window and brings it to Nishi, whom she had promised would be the first to read the story. Shizuku sits and waits for the store owner to finish reading, and when he does, he responds with positive but not glowing feedback. Shizuku breaks down in tears, the anxiety of the past two months finally catching up with her. She denies Nishi's assesment of her story, claiming that it's awful. The film suggests for a moment that perhaps there is no greater conflict than that of an artist sharing their work. It's the thing they strive for, the reason they create; and yet in the process of sharing, an artist stands to lose everything. If an artist's work is not satisfactory, what was all the time and effort spent creating for? If an artist is not happy with their art, are they still an artist? And if not, who are they?
Nishi soothes Shizuku, telling her that creating is like digging for gemstones. The work is not finished once the jewel has been found; that is where the real work begins, polishing the gem, making it sparkle as bright as it can. Shizuku realizes that she'd stopped writing for herself. She'd begun writing for others, wanting to match the progress she felt they had over her rather than create because she loved stories. The truth of Whisper of the Heart is revealed here. An artist does not make art for others. Artists makes art for themselves, and hope that perhaps one day, someone else will see beauty in their work as well.
Shizuku resumes studying for her exams and strives to strike a balance with her life, retaining her commitment to writing without letting it consume her. Seiji returns to Japan, telling Shizuku that his master believed he was not great yet but could be one day. He expresses great admiration for Shizuku's completion of her novel and professes his love for her, suggesting that they marry one day. At this moment, Shizuku sees that his perspective is the inverse of hers. Seiji sees himself as the one lagging behind, struggling to keep up with the pace of her accomplishment. Each of them view themselves as unworthy of the other, when in reality they are two souls on the same path, inspired by the other to continue pursuing their dreams.