By I don’t think there are really words enough for me to describe the affection I feel towards Studio Ghibli and the wonderful films they create. From Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind all the way up to The Secret of Arietty, I love them all. Needless to say, I’m very happy to share this poster from the upcoming From Up On Poppy Hill, and I’m very eager to see it when it releases this spring.
The film is set in 1963 Yokohama, Japan, and follows Umi and Shun, two high school students who discover love as they attempt to save their high school’s clubhouse from being torn down. With the shadow of World War II still looming over their nation, Umi and Shun are of a generation of conflict, torn between the traditions of the past and the potential of the future. I like that they’ve decided to do something based in reality. Some of the studio’s best films have been those that aren’t fantastical in nature (Whisper of the Heart, Grave of the Fireflies), and I love the idea of being able to see an era gone by of a different culture and time.
The film is directed by Goro Miyazaki from a script written by his father, the legendary Hayao Miyazaki. What has me really excited is that the studio has returned to hand-drawn animation, a craft that just isn’t utilized nearly enough in the modern age of computers, and it must be what the people want since From Up On Poppy Hill was the top grossing film in Japan in 2011 and winner of the prestigious Japan Academy Prize for Animation.
The film releases in LA and New York on March 15, and is scheduled for wide release on March 29. Mark your calenders!
[via Coming Soon]