Studio Ghibli brought to life Whisper Of The Heart in 1995, based on the the 1989 manga by Aoi Hiiragi. It is one of the most charming anime films to come to the United States from Japan. Directed by Yoshifumi Kondō and written by Hayao Miyazaki, This review is based off the Walt Disney English dub released in 2006.

14-year-old student bookworm Shizuku Tsukishima (Brittany Snow) lives in Tokyo, Japan with her parents and older sister. She runs into aspiring violinist Seiji Amasawa (David Gallagher) who annoys her at first. Shizuku dreams of being a writer and experiments with rewritten the Country Western song “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

One day, she follows a cat into an antique shop where she sees “The Baron,” a beautiful cat figurine dressed in a suit and carrying a cane. She strikes up a friendship with the shop owner, Nishi (Harold Gould), who is also Seiji’s grandfather. The sweet old man encourages Shizuku in her writing and, with his permission, begins writing a novel about The Baron (Cary Elwes).

This is one of Studio Ghibli’s finest movies. It smooth, charming, enduring, and inspiring. It tells a simple, yet elegant story about following your dreams, but also about being willing to work hard to achieve those dreams. The animation is simple, as it was made nineties, but it is a fascinating way for Yoshifumi Kondō to end his film career. It was the first film he directed and the final one he worked on before passing away.

FAVORITE QUOTE: When the afternoon air currents mix, we can even touch the stars without fear!

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Mild thematic elements

Watch the Japanese trailer below:

That is my review. What did you think? Let me know in the comments below and tell me if there’s a movie you’d like me to review. Check out my thoughts on the popular anime flick The Secret World of Arrietty. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

You can find me on everywhere on social media! Facebook: Author Jacob Airey | Patreon: Click Here | Instagram: real.jacob.airey | Twitter: @realJacobAirey | YouTube: StudioJake

This article has been updated from a previous version.