Covid-19 Day 12

Whisper of the Heart is a 1995 Japanese animated romantic coming of age drama film directed by Yoshifumi Kondō and written by Hayao Miyazaki based on the 1989 manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi.

It was animated by Studio Ghibli.

It was the first theatrical Studio Ghibli film to be directed by someone other than Miyazaki or Isao Takahata.

Whisper of the Heart was Kondō’s only film as director before his death in 1998. Studio Ghibli had hoped that Kondō would become the successor to Miyazaki and Takahata.

This is a teenage romantic story. Very simple and straight forward. Despite the indications from the poster it is mainly set in the modern real world with a few mystical elements.

Despite it’s success at the time, it has not aged well and would be one of my least favorite Studio Ghibli films.