As a young man returns home after his first year away at college he recalls his senior year of high school and the iron-willed, big city girl that turned his world upside down.
This is one of the lesser known movies released by Studio Ghibli, and it’s pretty linear, direct, and anchored in reality. It shows a slice of life of high school teenagers, with their personal and interpersonal dramas, their fears, conflicts and problems. It’s well written and realistically made and it makes you reflect on your own high-school years and decisions. What it lacks in Miyazaki magic it makes up in relatability and authenticity, making this coming-of-age drama resist the test of time and being a strong movie on its own, worthy of the Studio Ghibli mark. Five popcorns.
