From up on Poppy Hill

Directed by: Goro Miyazaki
Produced by: Toshio Suzuki
Cast: Masami Nagasawa, Junichi Okada, Keiko Takeshita, Yuriko Ishida, Jun Fubuki, Takashi Naito, Shunsuke Kazama, Nao Omori Teruyuki Kagawa
Based on: Kokuriko-zaka kara by Chizuru Takahashi Tetsuro Sayama
Music by: Satoshi Takebe
Released: July 16 2011

Plot: Umi Matsuzaki is a 16-year-old high school student living in Coquelicot Manor, a boarding house overlooking the Port of Yokohama in Japan. Her mother, Ryoko, is a medical professor studying in the United States. Umi runs the house and looks after her younger siblings and her grandmother. Each morning, Umi raises a set of signal flags with the message "I pray for safe voyages". One day, a poem about the flags being raised is published in Konan Academy's newspaper. Shun Kazama, the poem's author, witnesses the flags from the sea as he rides his father's tugboat to school. At first, Umi gets the wrong impression of Shun as he does a daredevil stunt on behalf of the "Latin Quarter", an old building housing their high school's clubs that's being threatened with demolition. Upon her sister's request, Umi accompanies her to obtain Shun's autograph at the Latin Quarter. She learns Shun and the school's student government president Shiro Mizunuma publish the school newspaper. Umi convinces Shiro and Shun to renovate the Latin Quarter, and all the students contribute, both boys and girls. Umi and Shun start having feelings for each other.

At Coquelicot Manor, Umi shows Shun a photograph of three young naval men. One of them is her deceased father, Yuichiro Sawamura, who was killed while serving on a supply ship during the Korean War. Shun is stunned to see he has a duplicate of the photograph. His father admits shortly after the end of World War II, Yuichiro arrived at their house one evening with an infant, Shun. The Kazamas had recently lost their newborn, so they adopted Shun. At first, Shun tries to avoid Umi, then he finally tells her they are siblings. Umi and Shun repress their romantic feelings and they continue to see each other as friends.

The renovation of the Latin Quarter is complete but the Kanagawa Prefectural Board of Education decides to proceed with the building's demolition anyway. Shiro, Shun, and Umi take the train to Tokyo, which is preparing for the 1964 Summer Olympics, and meet with Tokumaru, the school board's chairman. They successfully convince him to come inspect the Latin Quarter. Umi later professes her love to Shun, and he reciprocates in spite of their situation.

Review: In a time when anime are mass produced with a range of cliches and naughty inuendos it nice to be able to watch one that is full of fun twists and turns and the budding of young love. This has been beautifully written and created. There are a mirrioade of smaller stories woven neatly within the overall film. Such as the students fight to save their beloved clubhouse from being demolished to make way for progress.

The two protagonsists are equally ballanced and feel real to character. From a young platonic love comes the nurturing growth of something deeper. Yet there are obstacles and hidden pasts to be overcome before the two can find their way together.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the film. With it's multi leveled stories and sub plots. As well as the twists and turns in the romantic storyline. Really something to be enjoyed by romantics of all ages.

M J Flack