{"id":4343,"date":"2019-06-27T15:50:06","date_gmt":"2019-06-27T22:50:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/?p=4343"},"modified":"2019-06-27T15:50:13","modified_gmt":"2019-06-27T22:50:13","slug":"whisper-of-the-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/2019\/whisper-of-the-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"Whisper of the Heart \u2013 Perfect for Studio Ghibli Fans! Outstanding Animation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/whispersoftheheart.jpg?resize=137%2C206&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4350\" width=\"137\" height=\"206\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Based on\nthe manga with the same title, this animated film follows Shizuku, an\ninquisitive young girl and a voracious reader, who longs to be a writer when\nshe grows up. One day she notices that all of her library books have previously\nbeen taken out by one Seiji Amasawa. Amid chasing after a large cat,\nbefriending an eccentric antiques dealer and writing her first novel, Shizuku\naims to find this mysterious boy who may well be her soul mate. KIDS FIRST!\nFilm Critic Benjamin P. comments, \u201c<em>Whisper of the Heart<\/em> is a\nsoulful, intimate look at the trials and tribulations of adolescence and a\nworthy addition to Studio Ghibli\u2019s film catalog. This is the next film in the\nGhibli Fest, a series of Fathom Events returning Studio Ghibli\u2019s films to the\ncinemas.\u201d Nathalia J. adds, \u201cThis\n1995 romantic, anime-animated film takes you through the wild high school life\nof Shizuku. As this film develops, you get see the perspective of Shizuku being\na best friend, daughter, sister, high schooler and girlfriend.\u201d Jordan M. wraps\nit up with, \u201cThis film has a very engaging\nplot and heartwarming characters that audiences will fall in love with. Also,\nthis film is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli films. like myself. This film\nhas outstanding animation that perfectly captures the signature style of the\nStudio Ghibli films. The artwork really comes alive in the scenes at the\nantique shop.\u201d See their full reviews below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whisper of the Heart<br>Benjamin Price, Kids First! Film Critic<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/unliPvDv4OI?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Whisper of the Heart<\/em> is a soulful, intimate look at the\ntrials and tribulations of adolescence and a worthy addition to Studio Ghibli\u2019s\nfilm catalog. This is the next film in the Ghibli Fest, a series of Fathom\nEvents returning Studio Ghibli\u2019s films to the cinemas. <em>Whisper of the Heart<\/em>\nis director Yoshifumi Kond\u014d\u2019s directorial debut and unfortunately, his only\nfilm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Whisperoftheheart.SG_.jpg?resize=154%2C212&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4349\" width=\"154\" height=\"212\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This film follows Shizuku, an imaginative aspiring teenage\nwriter who enjoys reading books and writing song lyrics. She spends her time\nhanging out with her best friend Yuko. The school year begins and she has an\nunfortunate series of encounters with a mysterious fellow student. She learns\nthat this name is Seiji and he wants to build violins. The pair bond in an\nantique store and soon fall in love.They encourage each other to elevate their\ncraft. Seiji leaves to practice building violins in Italy and Shizuku challenges\nherself to write a story about a prominent antique statue called The Baron,\nbelonging to Seiji\u2019s grandpa, to improve her writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Studio Ghibli mastermind Hayao Miyazaki has directed some\nexcellent animated films, but above all, he\u2019s a fantastic storyteller. Every\ntime we get a glimpse at Shizuku\u2019s story, the film gains a sudden magic and\nwonder. The romantic dialogue between Seiji and Shizuku is more often than not,\ngenuine and sweet. This story has very few of the fantastical characters and\nworlds that have been a mainstay for a lot of Miyazaki&#8217;s other work. Seeing his characters\ngrow firmly in reality shows a different side of his storytelling abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/whisperoftheheart.a.jpg?resize=225%2C125&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4345\" width=\"225\" height=\"125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/whisperoftheheart.a.jpg?resize=300%2C167&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/whisperoftheheart.a.jpg?resize=768%2C426&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/whisperoftheheart.a.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Something I admire about nearly all of Ghibli&#8217;s work is that,\neven when characters are involved in pursuits of mythical proportions, they\nalways bring it back to the human elements of the story. The same goes for this\nfilm, although with a more realistic plot. There are some particularly great\nshots of the city below Shizuku&#8217;s town that demonstrate Ghibli&#8217;s skill with\nbringing worlds to life on the big screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you enjoy the work of Studio Ghibli,&nbsp; in <em>Whisper of the Heart<\/em> there are\nEaster Eggs pointing to films like <em>Porco Rosso <\/em>and<em> My Neighbor Totoro<\/em>.\nIf you enjoy this film, check out <em>The Cat\u2019s Return<\/em>, which stars the\nprotagonist of Shizuku\u2019s story, The Baron. I recommend <em>Whisper of The Heart<\/em>\nfor ages 10 to 18, and adults. I give it 3 out of 5 stars. Fans of Miyazaki will enjoy seeing\na new side of his storytelling onscreen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whisper of the Heart<br>By Nathalia J., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 10<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/G1djThfXIxg?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This 1995 romantic,\nanime-animated film takes you through the wild high school life of Shizuku. As\nthis film develops, you get see the perspective of Shizuku being a best friend,\ndaughter, sister, high schooler and girlfriend. This dramatic film was written by\nHayao Miyazaki, Aoi Hiragi, Cindy Davis Hewitt and Donald H. Hewitt and\nreleased through Studio Ghibli. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/whisperoftheheart.b.jpg?resize=225%2C127&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4346\" width=\"225\" height=\"127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/whisperoftheheart.b.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/whisperoftheheart.b.jpg?resize=768%2C433&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/whisperoftheheart.b.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The storyline follows Shizuku and Seiji Amasawa, her fellow classmate, and many more. Their adventure begins with Shizuku\u2019s plan to read 20 books before the end of her week. This plan leads to having to explore for a particular person who seems to pop up in every aspect of Shizuku\u2019s life. This search causes Shizuku to get distracted from studying for her high school exams. As this film develops, the exploration begins to seem more meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lead\ncharacters are Shizuku Tsukkisima (Yokko Honno),&nbsp; Seiji Anasawa ( Isley Takahashe) and The\nBaron ( Shigeru Tsuyuguchi). My favorite character is Shizuku Tsukkisima, not\nonly because she\u2019s the protagonist, but because she cares about others. She\nalways puts others before herself, and thinks about their sensitivity. Another\nthing I love about Shizuku is, when she wants something, she will do whatever it\ntakes to achieve or accomplish whatever it is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Whisperoftheheart.d.jpg?resize=225%2C126&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4348\" width=\"225\" height=\"126\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Whisperoftheheart.d.jpg?resize=300%2C168&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Whisperoftheheart.d.jpg?resize=768%2C430&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Whisperoftheheart.d.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>My favorite\nscene is when Shizuku\u2019s teachers inform her she has a male visitor and he\nemphasizes the word \u201cmale\u201d in front of her class. She steps outside and talks\nto him on the roof and her classmates follow discreetly, then Shizuku notices\nand yells \u201cHello?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This film\nshares an important message, which is to be brave and keep on trying even\nthrough hard times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I give this\nfilm 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 15, as well as adults. This film plays July 1 and 2 at theaters\nnationwide through Fathom Events. Check it out.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whisper of the Heart<br>Jordan Millar, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 12<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GTKAACg9wNw?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><br>This year GKIDS and Fathom Events are back with Studio Ghibli Fest 2019 and the next film in theaters is <em>Whisper of the Heart<\/em>. Directed in 1995 by Yoshifumi Kond\u014d and written by Hayao Miyazaki, it is a touching yet bittersweet animated film that deals with the realities of growing up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Whisperoftheheart.c.jpg?resize=225%2C128&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4347\" width=\"225\" height=\"128\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Whisperoftheheart.c.jpg?resize=300%2C170&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Whisperoftheheart.c.jpg?resize=768%2C434&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Whisperoftheheart.c.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>It\ntells the story of a curious teenage girl named Shizuku, who is both an avid\nreader and an aspiring writer. During her many visits to the library, Shizuku\ndiscovers that the books she has been reading have all been previously checked\nout by a mysterious boy named Seiji Amasawa,\nvoiced by Issey Takahasi. Soon enough, she figures out that Seiji is a boy at\nher school, who she believes is irritating and rude. One day, when Shizuku sees\na cat riding on a train, she decides to follow it, leading her to a whimsical\nantique shop owned by Shiro Nishi, with a magical cat statue called \u201cThe Baron\u201d\ninside. Later on at the shop, Shizuku gets to know Seiji, learning that he\ndreams of becoming a master violin maker. Both he and the Baron motivate\nShizuku to listen to the whisper of her heart and follow the dreams of her own.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This film has a very engaging plot\nand heartwarming characters that audiences will fall in love with. Also, this\nfilm is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli films. like myself. This film has\noutstanding animation that perfectly captures the signature style of the Studio\nGhibli films. The artwork really comes alive in the scenes at the antique shop.\nThe film score, composed by Yuji Nomi, include references to the John Denver\nsong &#8220;Take Me Home, Country Roads,&#8221; which is a big part of the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Personally, I enjoy the part where\nShizuku first dislikes Seiji, because it\u2019s a funny hint to the audience that\nshows that she actually really likes Seiji. <em>Whisper of the Heart <\/em>is very\ndifferent compared to the other works of Studio Ghibli, because its characters\nencounter real-life situations that most teens and adults can relate to, such\nas first love and pursuing your passion in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It teaches audiences that, even\nwhen you don\u2019t believe it, dreams do indeed come true. Regardless of how old\nyou are, everyone can take something away as you watch the characters\nexperience everyday issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I rate this film 5 out of 5 stars\nand recommend it for ages 10 to 18, as well as adults. You can see it in\ntheaters on July 1 and 2, 2019 through Fathom Events.&nbsp; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Based on the manga with the same title, this animated film follows Shizuku, an inquisitive young girl and a voracious reader, who longs to be a writer when she grows up. One day she notices that all of her library books have previously been taken out by one Seiji Amasawa. Amid chasing after a large cat, befriending an eccentric antiques dealer and writing her first novel, Shizuku aims to find this mysterious boy who may well be her soul mate. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Benjamin P. comments, \u201cWhisper of the Heart is a soulful, intimate look at the trials and tribulations of adolescence and a worthy addition to Studio Ghibli\u2019s film catalog. This is the next film in the Ghibli Fest, a series of Fathom Events returning Studio Ghibli\u2019s films to the cinemas.\u201d Nathalia J. adds, \u201cThis 1995 romantic, anime-animated film takes you through the wild high school life of Shizuku. As this film develops, you get see the perspective of Shizuku being a best friend, daughter, sister, high schooler and girlfriend.\u201d Jordan M. wraps it up with, \u201cThis film has a very engaging plot and heartwarming characters that audiences will fall in love with. Also, this film is perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli films. like myself. This film has outstanding animation that perfectly captures the signature style of the Studio Ghibli films. The artwork really comes alive in the scenes at the antique shop.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[15],"tags":[370,372,373,375,379,378,374,377,381,369,376,371],"class_list":["post-4343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-feature-film-reviews","tag-fathom-events","tag-hayao-miyazaki","tag-issey-takahasi","tag-john-denver","tag-my-neighbor-totoro","tag-porco-rosso","tag-seiji-amasawa","tag-shigeru-tsuyuguchi","tag-spirited-away","tag-studio-ghibli","tag-take-me-home-country-road","tag-yoshifumi-kondo"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paS5I2-183","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4343"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4356,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4343\/revisions\/4356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kidsfirst.org\/kidsfirstnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}