Mimi o Sumaseba (continued) |
  Seiji returns the books to an embarassed Shizuku.
 Moon the cat.
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The Story: Discovery Of The Ordinary Tsukishima Shizuku is a good student, but like all children, she is sometimes distracted. What distracts her, however, may seem atypical, since it's not video games or sports or television--it's books. But how can she help it? Her father is a librarian and her mother has gone back to school to pursue a graduate degree. As such, Shizuku is literally surrounded by books. Shizuku is an avid reader, and becomes
interested in a name that appears over and over in the school library
books she has checked--Amasawa Seiji. She begins to wonder what he's
like, since he's read so many of the same books that she has.One day, she follows a strange cat she sees
riding the subway alone and she follows him to a place called the
Atelier Chikyuua (Studio Earth Shop), an eccentric store that changes
her life in ways that she can only begin to imagine. And as she embarks
upon this journey of self-discovery, she faces many decisions about her
life, including career, love, and ability. Along the way, she faces her
greatest challenge--can she overcome her fears and doubts to do what she
really wants to do?This is the part of the story that draws
people in--Shizuku is standing at a crossroads of her life, and her
confusion is often very evident. When she tries to counsel Yuuko in
matters of the heart, she finds herself confused as well. Her confusion
extends to her future--what will she be when she finishes school? After
she falls in love and finds that her intended has his life all planned
out, she worries what will become of her since she seems to live day by
day, with no plans for the future.In Shizuku, we see a parallel with all our
lives--the uncertainty of the future. We may have faced this dilemma
already, which brings a certain amount of nostalgia and familiarity. In
short, it is always the humanity of the characters in Miyazaki moves
that charms us into caring about them. |
 Shizuku sings John Denver's "Country Road" in Japanese.
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Whisper Of The Heart: Echoes Of The Future The production of Mimi o Sumaseba involved some familiar personalities. Miyazaki Hayao is, of course, known to most anime fans. He served as Producer on this film, and also was responsible for the script and continuity. Kondo Yoshifumi was the director of
Mimi o Sumaseba. Although this is his first time as a
director, he is a veteran of Studio Ghibli, having served as the
animation director for Kiki's Delivery Service, Grave of
the Fireflies, and Only Yesterday.One name that was noticeably absent from
the credits list was Isao Takahata, who has also served as a director
for several Ghibli films, including Grave of the Fireflies and
Pon Poko. But, although he wasn't working on Ghibli's latest
feature, he certainly was busy. In April, 1995, Studio Ghibli
established the "East Kaganei Village School of Animation." According to
Suzuki Toshio, a producer of the Studio, this was done so that Studio
Ghibli can find and develop new and talented directors, such as Kondo.
Takahata is serving as the Head of the school.Does this mean that Miyazaki and Takahata
are looking to give up work anytime soon? Apparently not. The next
Studio Ghibli feature, Mononoke no Hime, is scheduled for a 1997
release. And this time, Miyazaki is again at the helm as director.
Suzuki notes that this new picture will be yet another challenge for
Studio Ghibli, as they plan on incorporating much more computer
animation than they have in the past. Studio Ghibli is definitely
planning for the future. They even have their own brand-new website
now! (http://www.ntv.co.jp/ghibli/)Considering these recent developments and
the challenges that await them, Mimi o Sumaseba seems to be
almost about the people of Studio Ghibli themselves. They are all
uncertain as to what their future will bring. Suzuki says, "There is no
guarantee that Studio Ghibli will do as well as it has been. It has
never slipped our mind that each picture comes to us as a new
challenge." And yet, Miyazaki and company stand, like Shizuku, ready to
accept that challenge and give their all for something they believe in.
-- Charles McCarter
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