Whisper of the Heart Is the Unsung Masterpiece of Studio Ghibli
A story about learning to follow your dreams, and the people around us who help make that happen
Adolescence is a very scary thing, especially when you are on the cusp of adulthood. You all of a sudden have to pivot from being a carefree kid, to a young adult, and somehow you are supposed to know exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life. And on top of that, you still have family obligations, the demands of friends, tests to study for, and the first blossoming of love to figure out. It’s no wonder then that we as lovers of movies tend to be drawn to coming of age films. Somehow, seeing the pain that we experienced at a young age constructed and deconstructed on celluloid helps us become more whole. This is exactly what makes the Studio Ghibli film Whisper of the Heart so utterly compelling, it’s not just a story about being young and transitioning into being a grown-up, it’s also the tale of the journey we take when we follow our dreams, and the miraculous people we meet along the way who help us in that journey.
Spoilers below
Our main character is Shizuku, a 14 year old girl who will soon be moving on from junior high school to higher levels of education. She enjoys writing lyrics for her school song, hanging…
