"From Up On Poppy Hill" Feature Talkback (Spoilers)

[GWOtaku]

"It seems the whole country is eager to get rid of the old, and make way for the new. But some of us aren't so ready to let go of the past."

​

From Up On Poppy Hill
Animation Production: Studio Ghibli
Director: Goro Miyazaki
Screenplay: Hayao Miyazaki, Keiko Niwa
Music: Satoshi Takebe
Character Design: Katsuya Kondo
Distributor: GKids and Cinedigm
Release Date: September 3rd, 2013

Welcome to the official talkback for Studio Ghibli's 2011 film From Up On Poppy Hill. This thread is for all discussion relating to the movie itself, as well as the 2013 Blu-ray / DVD GKids release and its special features. For coverage of From Up On Poppy Hill, these articles are fine places to start: Ben Applegate's 2011 review for Toonzone and the New York Times' inside look at the movie from March 2013.

Official Synopsis: The dazzling, hand-drawn From Up On Poppy Hill is set in Yokohama in 1963. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the Olympics. The mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off the shackles of a troubled past. Against this backdrop of hope and change, a friendship begins to blossom between high school students Umi (Sarah Bolger) and Shun (Anton Yelchin), but a buried secret from their past emerges to cast a shadow on the future and pull them apart.

Special Features:

• Original Japanese and English Language Versions with Subtitles and Dubtitles
• Post-Fukushima Earthquake Staff Speech and Press Conference with Hayao Miyazaki
• Feature Length Storyboards
• Celebrity Cast Recording Featurette with Behind-the-Scenes Footage and Interviews
• Interview with Goro Miyazaki
• Original Japanese Trailer and TV Spots
• Theme Song Music Video by Aoi Teshima
• 20-Page Booklet Containing Original Project Proposal by Hayao Miyazaki and a Letter from Goro Miyazaki

Comments?


[video=youtube_share;k-vfzhfq5JA]http://youtu.be/k-vfzhfq5JA[/video]

 

[defunctzombie]

So they did include the Japanese track? Last time I looked at the product page it said it was only dub.

 

[GWOtaku]

So they did include the Japanese track? Last time I looked at the product page it said it was only dub.

They absolutely did, the release has DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 in Japanese and English. The dual audio tracks are confirmed on Blu-ray.com and in release details posted here at TZ as well.

Notwithstanding Amazon Prime it appears my Poppy Hill copy arrives on Wednesday or Thursday, due to Labor Day issues I assume. Ah well, a little longer won't hurt...

 

[O-chan]

They absolutely did, the release has DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 in Japanese and English. The dual audio tracks are confirmed on Blu-ray.com and in release details posted here at TZ as well.

Notwithstanding Amazon Prime it appears my Poppy Hill copy arrives on Wednesday or Thursday, due to Labor Day issues I assume. Ah well, a little longer won't hurt...

This is actually the first RightStuf order I made that has NOT shipped super early in the last two months. I'm kind of glad since I saw the Japanese version in theaters with co-workers over the summer so there's no rush. But I am interested in how the dub handled certain parts of the movie.

 

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

This is actually the first RightStuf order I made that has NOT shipped super early in the last two months. I'm kind of glad since I saw the Japanese version in theaters with co-workers over the summer so there's no rush. But I am interested in how the dub handled certain parts of the movie.

The dub is generally good. The biggest change is the opening scene where dub Umi has some voiceover narration("I live up on Poppy Hill, every morning I raise these flags, blah blah blah.") to presumably state the obvious for the intellectually challenged audiences out there. I kid, I kid! But other than that fairly redundant voiceover narration (which really isn't that bad), the dub generally stays true to the original script. And yes, THAT subplot is left intact and THAT "I still love you even though..." scene is still there, although Bolger's acting in that scene makes Umi more hesitant about stating it.

GKids did a fine job packaging this. There's a certain comedy to the fact that out of all of Ghibli's films, it was Goro's flick which got the sexiest home release in North America. 3 hours of extras and even a little booklet included. Disney wouldn't even do half this for some of Ghibli's major films.

I think it's a fine little film that plays better the more you watch it. There are some people out there who still groan when they hear Goro Miyazaki's name, but I like that his films don't just feel like they were directed by an extension of Hayao Miyazaki. Somehow Goro's roughness and inexperience as an animator and his desire to carve out his own voice gives his films a slightly different flavour than most Ghibli flicks. You could argue he didn't deserve to be promoted to director over more experienced animators at Ghibli, but he's here now and he's not going away, so let's see what he can offer.

 

[defunctzombie]

Ah, then I'll definitely have to pick up a copy. I bought the J DVD because of that earlier mixup, but it's still a nice enough film to warrant a second purchase.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know if some of those extras are from an NHK special? They sell a second disc here that has the two hugging on the cover under an NHK logo, but I can't really read enough kanji to tell what all's included.

 

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Ah, then I'll definitely have to pick up a copy. I bought the J DVD because of that earlier mixup, but it's still a nice enough film to warrant a second purchase.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know if some of those extras are from an NHK special? They sell a second disc here that has the two hugging on the cover under an NHK logo, but I can't really read enough kanji to tell what all's included.

I don't think so.

From what I see, the NA edition's extras is basically the same as the From Up on Poppy Hill Yokohama Special Limited Edition disc that was released in Japan. With the inclusion of the english dub behind the scenes doc, of course.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Ghibli releases tend to be bare bones even in Japan.

 

[GWOtaku]

Saw the movie last night and I am in love. The stories told and the leading characters involved are different, but I feel like this is absolutely a kindred spirit to Whisper of the Heart. I can't decide which coming-of-age story I like better, and that's saying a lot because I adored that movie too. It might be Poppy Hill on the grounds of Umi's grown-up, kind of assertive personality, and man does Sarah Bolger deliver 100% on the role in the dub. Umi's a pretty calm person but the performance is nuanced, and during "that scene" to paraphrase Larry the delivery was just too perfect. The emotion that's there, that catch in her voice...lord, that sold me on it completely. The entire dub is quality but Bolger just steals the show.

If Ben is right on the movie maybe being seen as an "oddity" to some viewers, I don't think it'd be over references but moreso the way the story is set against this setting where Japanese society was in this place that we in the U.S. kind of haven't been in, at least not in the same way. But I think an element of nostalgia for the past "good old days" is fairly universal, and I think it's possible to relate to the theme of the past vs. the future & "progress" too. It might be easier as you get older I suppose, maybe the 18 year old me wouldn't feel quite the same way about all this? But ultimately execution is everything, and I think Poppy Hill handles things well and credibly. We root for the students from start to finish, but "progress" is not looked upon regretfully or as a negative thing in irreconcilable conflict with the past / tradition. The kids win not when the big shot denies the idea of a new building, but when he accepts the value of building in some other place in order to preserve the landmark.

Incidentally, it occurs to me they would likely not have won if the female students, led by Umi, had not gotten involved in this giant boy's club and given them a massive push toward cleaning the old house and restoring it to the way it was meant to be seen. Left on their own, the boys were talking up the value of the old place while leaving it like a dump. Feminine influences, in the best sense of the term, are really indispensable to the movie. Naturally this was also an important part of getting the overall student body invested in the place, and I like the general message here also. After the students started treating this old place with respect, ultimately other people did too. Nice.

There are a few fun parts in the movie too. My favorite of these by far is the rambunctious debate scene, where it's basically near-chaos (think British parliament, as executed by rowdy teenagers) and Shun gets up there and starts his fine monologue about the importance of remembering the past and how majority opinion is no excuse to avoid a debate or back down from a worthy principle...and for all this, at the first sign of incoming teachers they're totally prepared to get organized and sing that anthem and look like model students all so there's no risk the teachers will bother them or accuse them of behaving improperly. Heh.

I've only just started on the extras, starting with the booklet and Miyazaki's remarks after the staff screening of the movie, but they look to be interesting. Definitely read the booklet. Goro's letter is an interesting read. In a rather introspective piece, he muses that he and his generation kind of lost sight of higher ambition in the post-boom economy & goes so far as to link this to what he perceives as a certain level of complacency when making Earthsea. Contrast to Poppy Hill, where he basically feels he maybe outdid himself because he had a fire lit under him to do well and "not be defeated" by his father's script. He reflects on a filmmaking process where he (over)worked hard, constantly questioned whether what he was doing was good enough, very badly wanted to avoid an outcome where the script was good but the movie itself was seen as only so-so. Well, mission accomplished. Quite a few things get called "slice-of-life anime", it feels like, but this is the real deal and I don't think anybody does it better than Ghibli ("as well as" is another matter - buy Wolf Children this November). Boy oh boy can this studio deliver authentic, fully-realized characters when it sets its mind to it (and "real" settings, for that matter). I really think this is something to be admired just as much as the fantastical stuff Hayao Miyazaki is usually so reputed for.

GKids has included many trailers for their other animated fare in this release. Definitely check these out on the Blu-ray disc if possible. They all look AWESOME. Michel Ocelot's Tales of the Night is eye-popping in HD. It has to be seen on HD, you just can't quite get the full visual impact even if you turn up the settings on youtube. And yes, that is Steve Blum in a leading role for A Cat In Paris. No trailer for A Letter to Momo, but I don't think that's out yet anyway. I understand they're dubbing it and it should hit some theaters in early 2014, so the wait won't be much longer!

 

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

It might be Poppy Hill on the grounds of Umi's grown-up, kind of assertive personality, and man does Sarah Bolger deliver 100% on the role in the dub. Umi's a pretty calm person but the performance is nuanced, and during "that scene" to paraphrase Larry the delivery was just too perfect. The emotion that's there, that catch in her voice...lord, that sold me on it completely. The entire dub is quality but Bolger just steals the show.

In the behind the scenes dub feature, you see that Bolger actually physically acted out Umi's scenes as she was voicing her. Even in the sequences as mundane as Umi lifting something while she was talking--Bolger would mime that action. You certainly can't say she phoned it in. Love her dedication to the role.

I also second the recommendation for GKids' other films. I actually realized that I've seen quite a few of them, to my surprise. I have to get around to seeing The Painting, which was released a few weeks ago.

 

[defunctzombie]

Ghibli releases tend to be bare bones even in Japan.

What are you talking about? All the JP releases I have come with an extras disc, and some like Mononoke and Earthsea have collectors editions (they run 5000 yen used, while the rest are in the 2000s).

 

[Classic Speedy]

Are they selling the Blu-ray version of this at Target? I was only able to find the DVD version there.

 

[GWOtaku]

Looks like Target sells the combo pack release online but not in stores, based on the website listing. Some Best Buy stores have it, & it and Target are price matching Amazon.

 

[WickedChild]

And yes, THAT subplot is left intact and THAT "I still love you even though..." scene is still there, although Bolger's acting in that scene makes Umi more hesitant about stating it.

What? What were we worried about not making the dub?

 

[defunctzombie]

Disney didn't do this one, so there wasn't any worries about the plot being sanitized. I wish Only yesterday was in GKIDS court, they'd be willing to dub it.

 

[WickedChild]

But what's "THAT"?

 

[defunctzombie]

Spoiler

There's a possibility at one point that the two leads are brother and sister, but they are revealed to be mistaken. It actually turns out to be a poignant story.

 

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

But what's "THAT"?

There's a reason why I wasn't specific about it. If you haven't seen the film and don't want to spoil the movie for yourself, avoid reading spoilers.

 

[Classic Speedy]

Just watched it. It was a typically pleasant and uplifting Ghibli movie. Some parts reminded me of Whisper of the Heart, which isn't a bad thing at all. The soundtrack felt very different than usual for Ghibli, due to not being done by Joe Hisaishi, but instead by Satoshi Takebe, who gave it more of an old school feel in many scenes. I thought it worked well.

I agree about Sarah Bolger giving a wonderful performance. Her delivery just felt very natural.