It is a 2011 Japanese animated drama film. Directed by Goro Miyazaki. ( Hence the ‘Miyazaki’ feel! ) Written by Hayao Miyazaki & Keiko Niwa. It is based on the 1980 serialised manga of the same name illustrated by Chizuru Takahashi. Written by Tetsuro Sayama. Th efilm has the voices of Masami Nagasawa, Junichi Okada, keiko Takeshita with others.
It was released on July 16, 2011 in Japan. Made on a budget of $ 22 million it garnered $ 61.5 million worldwide.
Set in 1963 Yokohama, Japan, the film tells the story of Umi Matsuzaki, a high school girl living in a boarding house.’Coquelicot Manor’. When Umi meets Shun Kazama , a member of the school’s newspaper club, they decide to clean up the school’s newspaper clubhouse, the ‘Latin Quarter’.
The chairman Tokumaru of the school intends to demolish the building for redevelopment. Umi with her friends must pursue him to drop his idea.
With the backdrop of the Korean war & the 1964 Olympic games preparation in Japan, it is a fascinating piece of history. The 1960 s saw lot of student’s unrest & protests. Aptly shown in the show.
It is the 14th highest grossing anime film. Between Grave of the Fireflies, Only Yesterday, Ocean Waves, Whisper of the Heart, & My neighbors The Yamadas , From Up on Poppy Hill is the highest grossing Ghibli film about specializing in Japanese local customs, behind The Wind Rises & it’s 7th best grossing one in the US.
Mark Schilling described it as ‘pure hearted , melodramatic youth film’ while Takashi Kondo said that it’ is filled with many experiences that have been lost in our daily life’
It is a sweet film to watch.
Asian Entertainment 