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Kokuriko-zaka kara (2011)
An underlooked, very charming Ghibli movie
You don't hear about this one as much as the others, but I see no good reason for it. It's not without flaws, but it's beaming with charm and joyfulness from beginning to end.
At the core lies a sweet story of young love between two students, Umi and Kun, at the Konan Academy in Yokohama. They see each other every morning when Umi raises the flags for the boat which Kun travels on. He even writes a poem about her in the school newspaper. It has all the qualities of a typical love story.
That is.. until we find out Shun is most likely Umi's long lost brother. The weirdness of the incest angle is most likely the main reason this movie has slipped through the cracks. Even if it's ultimately revealed to not be the case, it's kind of an out-there source of conflict for what would otherwise be a sweet, average tale of two young lovers.
But beyond that, the movie is carried very strongly by the vibes of its time and era. It's early 60s Japan, times are changing, the 1964 Olympics are on the horizon, and everyone is caught up in a desire to tear down the old to make way for the new.
One of the prospective victims of this mentality is the beloved Latin Quarter, a messy old building at the academy where all the boys host their clubs. A damning 80% of students wish to tear it down to build something new.
But the building is rife with personality from all its years of activity, and adored by all the club members, from the hammy philosophy guy, to the kooky chemists. And of course, the school newspaper, headed by Shun himself. He hates the idea of seeing the building go. "We need to learn from the past, to head into the future" he reasons.
A central appeal of the movie lies in the culture, which is very much tied up in its specific context. The characters play jazz and listen to the latest Japanese hits, with Sukiyaki featuring prominently. Many of them live in the aftermath of the Korean War. There is a strong sense of enthusiasm for the future, and desire among the youth to learn, share and co-operate for the greater good of their community.
From Up on Poppy Hill might lack some of the magic or depth as the greatest Ghibli movies, but it's still a very warm and watchable experience.