Only Yesterday (Japan, 1991)

A twenty-seven-year-old office worker travels to the countryside while reminiscing about her childhood in Tokyo.

Only Yesterday is probably the most mature film animation giant Studio Ghibli has ever done, far away from the usual fantasy elements that often marks their other creations. Here, we're acquainted with 27-year old Taeko who, while taking a job out in the sticks, thinks back to her early days in the city. Made by Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies), Only Yesterday shows an incredible appreciation for nature and the life outside our stressful bubble of hectic social life and work. Studio Ghibli takes something as ordinary as slicing up a pineapple and makes it a joy to watch because it's so carefully and meticulously animated. Takahata took 17 members of his staff on a research trip to a rural area in Yamagata prefecture similar to the place where many of the film's present-day (1982) scenes are set. There the staff consulted with a farmer named Inoue, who taught them about harvesting safflowers, as the film's heroine, Taeko, does in the narrative. The staff videotaped their journey so that they would be able to re-create accurately in animation both the fields of safflowers and the natural beauty of the region in general.

The cinematography is a love letter to the films of Yasujiro Ozu (Tokyo Story) with the "camera" set very low and rarely moving. Where Hayao Miyazaki makes films about the often fantastical and made-up worlds, Takahata usually focuses on the character driven stories and the deeply personal journeys that leaves a bittersweet taste with the viewers. The juxtaposition of Taeko's younger and older self naturally portrays the dreams we give up, the wishes never fulfilled but also how we're different people from when we were young. 

Genre: Drama/Romance