Only Yesterday
From Conservapedia
| Only Yesterday | |
|---|---|
| |
| Directed by | Isao Takahata |
| Produced by | Yasuyoshi Tokuma |
| Written by | Isao Takahata |
| Music by | Masaru Hoshi |
| Cinematography | Hisao Shiraishi |
| Editing by | Takeshi Seyama |
| Distributed by | Studio Ghibli, Buena Vista Home Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | 1991, 2006 |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
Only Yesterday (おもひでぽろぽろ Omohide poro poro lit: "Memories Like Tear Drops") is an anime feature film, produced by Studio Ghibli, and directed by Isao Takahata. It is based on the manga of the same name, created by Hotaru Okamoto and Yuko Tone
The film tells "two stories in one"; the first set in 1982, as 27-year old "office lady" Taeko Okajima plans to take a sabbatical from her job. She is unmarried and has lived her whole life in Tōkyō. She plans to visit her sister's family on their farm in Yamagata, and whilst preparing for the trip, finds herself reminiscing back to 1966, when the then 10-year old Taeko was jealous of her school friends, who were all planning their holiday trips to family in the countryside.
During her stay on the farm, she finds herself remembering more of the past, dredging up forgotten memories of school work, friends, first love, the stern judgements and occasional cruelty of her parents and even such simple pleasures as the first taste of a pineapple. She begins to question whether the Taeko from back then would have wanted to become the Taeko she is today.
In keeping with Takahata's style, which differs markedly from colleague and co-Ghibli producer/director Hayao Miyazaki, it tells a story that not only plays out like a real-life drama, but is also geared specifically towards an older female (josei) market. Despite this it was a box-office success. Takahata, determined to prove that animation was a viable means to tell a serious story, depicts the lush green countryside and the friendly down-to-earth farming people with painstaking and occasionally striking attention to detail. This meticulousness extends to the narrative, with the scene of Taeko's relatives making lipstick colouring from safflowers, being described with almost documentary-like detail.
The film is also notable that it, along with Grave of the Fireflies, remains the only Ghibli films for which Disney did not take up the overseas distribution rights, as they were uncomfortable with some of the contents. It also closes with a remarkable Japanese rendition of the song, "The Rose", made famous by Bette Midler in the 1979 film of the same name. It is called "Ai wa Hana, Kimi wa Sono Tane (愛は花、君はその種子; Love Is a Flower, You Are the Seed)" and is performed by Harumi Miyako. The Japanese lyrics were written by Isao Takahata.
Buena Vista Home Entertainment released a subtitled version on DVD in 2006. Plans for a U.S. release have been "shelved indefinitely", according to a press release by both Disney and Pixar.
Cast
| Character | Japanese Cast |
|---|---|
| Taeko | Miki Imai |
| Taeko (Child) | Youko Honna |
| Toshio | Toshirō Yanagiba |
| Father | Masahiro Ito |
| Taeko's Grandmother | Chie Kitagawa |
| Mother | Michie Terada |
| Nanako | Yorie Yamashita |
