Coquelicot-zaka kara

Atop a hill overlooking a seaside port sits a boarding house named Coquelicot Manor. Since the building is run by her family, Umi Matsuzaki carries out many of the duties involved in managing the small establishment, such as preparing meals for her fellow boarders. When she isn't at home, she is a student at the local high school—one that is currently dealing with a small crisis.

In anticipation of the upcoming Olympic Games, a beloved old clubhouse is set to be demolished to make way for a modern building. As a result, a large part of the student body has banded together, working tirelessly to prevent this from happening. Umi finds herself helping the newspaper club to spread information about this cause where she befriends Shun Kazama, whom she gradually begins to fall in love with. But Shun is an orphan who doesn't know much about his origins, and when the two begin searching for clues to the boy's past, they discover that they may have a lot more in common than either of them could have thought.

[Writtten by MAL Rewrite]

Matsuzaki, Umi Main

Nagasawa, Masami Japanese

Kazama, Shun Main

Okada, Junichi Japanese

Mizunuma, Shirou Supporting

Kazama, Shunsuke Japanese

Hirokouji, Sachiko Supporting

Hiiragi, Rumi Japanese

Nobuko Supporting

Kanno, Toshimi Japanese

Sawamura, Yuuichirou Supporting

Okada, Junichi Japanese

Tomoko Supporting

Philosophy Club President Supporting

Hokuto, Miki Supporting

Ishida, Yuriko Japanese

Yuuko Supporting

Teshima, Aoi Japanese

Suzuki, Toshio Producer

Miyazaki, Gorou Director, Theme Song Lyrics

Nakazawa, Shintarou Episode Director

Niwa, Keiko Script

Reviews

Oct 8, 2013

totorolover33

Recommended

When people hear the words 'Studio Ghibli,' many have come to expect a masterpiece. This is both a blessing and a curse; whilst this does mean that more people watch these (usually pretty amazing) films, it also means that people can mistake 'imperfect' for 'bad.'

I can't speak for everyone, but I actually really enjoyed From Up on Poppy Hill. The characters were likeable - not particularly in-depth or rich, but likeable - and the quirky supporting cast were always there to pick up any slack. In fact, I would say that the supporting cast is one of my favourites from a Ghibli film so ... far, beautifully designed and entertaining to watch.

The story was engaging, too: a simple teenage romance with a couple of surprising plot twists and an ultimately uplifting result. It may not have been full of drama and suspense, but the film had that wonderful Ghibli charm to it, reminding me of some of their other simpler works: Only Yesterday and Whisper of the Heart (the latter being a personal all-time favourite).

Whilst the plot may have been slow-moving, a faster one wasn't really required. The world of the story was, as always, built beautifully, and it was a pleasure to watch events unfold even when they were unfolding quite cautiously. This, of course, was because of the astounding artwork, backgrounds and animation more than anything. There's not really anything more to say on this, it's just beautiful.

The music also deserves a mention. The opening and closing songs were lovely, very fitting and atmospheric, and whilst I can't really pinpoint a specific part of the background OST that I enjoyed, I can safely say that it always suited the scene it was played against, whether or not it was anything particularly special.
I was also pleasantly surprised at how good the English dubbed voice acting was, for the most part. (I can't comment on the original Japanese as I didn't watch it).

So, to summarise; this film isn't for everyone. It doesn't have a very describable plot, nor does it have any particular deep characterisation or meaning (unless I was missing something). It's comparable to a nice soup in winter; it might not be the most exciting or substantial thing ever, but it's comforting and sympathetic and it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Unless, of course, you don't like soup. But anyway, you get my point.

It's not the best work ever to come from Ghibli, but it's still a lovely film, it has an irresistible charm and it's definitely worth a watch.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Jul 22, 2012

Beatnik

Mixed Feelings

Well that's two lacklustre Ghibli movies under Goro's belt. On one hand I can understand Hayao supporting his son in his career, yet on the other hand this blatant form of nepotism is doing nothing but showing that the Miyazaki magic will disappear when he does.

Goro doesn't deserve to be making Ghibli movies just yet. Maybe gaining more experience doing other things would prepare him for that special of roles, but instead what we're left with is his experimentations and learning process stamped with the Ghibli logo. It's diluting the brand. His two films aren't even pandering to mainstream audiences; that’s ... certainly not a complaint that can be directed at him, but his films are just directorial missteps that don't utilise the tools of animation to their best potential. It’s as if after the drubbing he got for Earthsea he thought to himself “I’ll direct a story set in 60’s Japan, the critics will like that!”

Earthsea was a disappointment on every level. There are some detractors of that opinion, but the general consensus from viewers is that Earthsea is far low on the list of Ghibli films you should watch. From Up On Poppy Hill at least has some modicum of charm and old school aesthetic about it that keeps it from being a complete failure however. The last thirty minutes are the best with more pace, urgency and melodramatic moments, but it’s a slog to get there.

The animation is not special in any way other than bringing to life 1960's Japan with typical Ghibli detail. The story is a simple coming-of-age tale that lacks any life or bite. There is a revelation that sparks things up somewhat, but even that is ultimately diffused. Hayao himself co-wrote the script with the screenwriter of Earthsea, and I like to imagine he tried to make the clubhouse scenes lively in order to bring life to the story.

The music, like everything else with this film, is inoffensive and bland. Joe Hisaishi is not in sight. There's just nothing here to latch onto and keep in your memory as something to return to. I can recall numerous scenes and musical motifs of previous Ghibli films, but from this all I will recall is the main character pulling up a flag. There are no creative scene compositions, no efficient editing tricks; no passion in the bringing of this tale. The last thirty minutes had developments that could have made a better film by themselves, in a manner similar to Grave of the Fireflies.

When Hayao made Ponyo, you could see his childlike passion for the project in the bluray extras, and you can see it in the work itself, it's bold and full of life, and contains the most amazing depiction of sea waves I've seen in animation. Goro needs to ask himself why he's a director, and for our sake he needs to find the answer on his own time, and not on Ghibli's dime.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jan 21, 2012

ClaudeDante

Not Recommended

Kokurikozaka Kara is not only Studio Ghibli's newest film. It is, in my opinion, the worst film they have made so far.

Our story begins with Komatsuzaki Umi, a girl living in a coastal town in 1960s Japan. Every morning, she rises a pair of flags which can be seen from the sea. Without spoiling anything, I must admit the reason why she does it is pretty tear-jerking.

What isn't tear-jerking, however, is the story in general. I've never seen such a horribly put-together story. The characters are absolutely forgettable, and the script is horrendous. I was shocked when I realised how many inconcistencies and plotholes plague ... this film. There is a moment in the film in which a main character, after a very important confession, says the following: "I know this sounds like a bad melodrama". I couldn't keep myself from laughing. This is the first time I've seen a movie condemn itself through dialogue. All this to say that, from a purely narrative point of view, this film is a disaster.

However, as with every Studio Ghibli film, the art is beautiful. The backgrounds are masterfully drawn, and the animation is proof that Ghibli is unmatched in that aspect. Character design was alright except that sometimes the characters are very mannequin-like in their facial expressions. The soundtrack also shines thanks to amazing songs which are delightful to the ear.

Furthermore, I must confess that I was very disappointed with this film not only because of its dreadfully executed story, but also because it is very boring. My enjoyment for this film progressively reduced to zero as I kept realising how uninteresting the characters were. I didn't care for them because they didn't have any redeeming features. They were just cardboard cut-outs made to go along with the story and that's what kills this movie. The story is not presented to the viewer, it is just shown. Its very artificial since things just happen like that without no reason. It is like all the film's universe revolved around the story. The result is pretty shattering. Story progression should feel natural, even if the pace is all over the place. And that is Goro Miyasazaki's film largest sin: it let its mediocre story take control of the film.

In conclusion, I definitely do not recommend this film. I do, however, recommend it to future film-makers as a counter-example as it will allow them to see what they must avoid in order to produce good stories. If you can get past its story's fatal flaws, then you will definitely find some enjoyment with this film as there is plenty to be had. I know that I couldn't look past them.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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