Whisper Of The Heart Blu-ray Review

• 6th Jan 2012

One of the lesser know Studio Ghibli features, Whisper Of The Heart is released by Studio Canal (formally Optimum Release) on Monday and if you have yet to see it then it is certainly worth a viewing. It was the first Ghibli film to feature the feline character of The Baron (who would appear again in the semi-sequel The Cat Returns) and also it was (rather unfortunately) the only feature from Hayao Miyazaki’s protégé, Yoshifumi Kondo, before his death in 1998.

Based on the manga by Aoi Hiiragi, Whisper Of The Heart (or Mimi o Sumaseba in Japanese) is the story of a young Japanese girl Shizuku who is struggling to find out who she is as she comes to the end of her school education. One thing Shizuku has a burning passion and ambition for is to write her own books. During the summer at the library where her father works she finds a mystery borrower has got to and read every book before her. His name is Seiji, a trainee violin maker and over the course of the summer a love/hate relationship starts to bloom. Seiji decides to challenge her to stop reading and indulge her love for writing. After spotting an ornamental statue in the shape of a suit wearing cat, that belongs to Seiji’s grandfather, she decides to start writing an adventure based around the statue coming to life, calling him The Baron.

It is a shame that this is Yoshifumi Kondo’s only film as a director for Ghibli (having worked as a key animator and character designer for previous films). It is a heart warming and less whimsical film than some of the better-known cannon produced by the studio. It is a truly wonderful film to watch time and again. While as an animated coming of age tale (the kind that Ghibli do so well) it has a maturity about it that continues to grow with each successive viewing. It is a relateable experience to anyone who has ever felt lost or alone during adolescence or if they where too scared to fail at something they were passionate about. It stands as one of the more mature efforts for Ghibli fans or appreciators of fine animation (along with Ocean Waves and Only Yesterday).

The Blu-ray presentation is eye opening and utterly scrumptious to watch, each frame is lovingly crafted with expert precision. The disc also comes backed with a smattering of insightful extras. First up is a selection of original storyboards, along with background artwork featured in The Baron’s Story. One interesting extra is the four masterpieces of Naohisa Inoue: From start to finish, which is a fascinating watch for art fans, while Behind the Microphone provides insight to how the American dubbing was achieved. Finally, rounding off the package are several Japanese TV spots, a collection of original Japanese trailers and a Studio Ghibli Collection trailer, detailing other releases. All in all this is a well-rounded package and one that should sit on every Ghibli collector’s shelf.

Dominic O’Brien