Only YesterdayThere is a part of me that cannot help feeling a sense of irony in watching Only Yesterday. Only earlier today, I was going through my basement, clearing out an old shoebox full of photos and letters, poems and addresses, a concentrated container of nostalgia. It is the same for Taeko Okajima in this film, a young woman in her later twenties, preparing for her vacation from her cramped apartment in Tokyo to the countryside in Yamagata to visit her brother-in-law's family and work on their farm. And although she leaves her mundane routine behind, she brings a small part of her with her, a small voice in her subconscious crying out for something she cannot fully comprehend yet.
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Only Yesterday is a jog down memory lane in more ways than one. This almost forgotten gem of Japanese animation is the product of the beloved Studio Ghibli, directed and written for the screen by co-founder Isao Takahata, also known for the moving Grave of the Fireflies. Only Yesterday was a smash hit in Japan when it was released...in 1991. Yes, much like Taeko, Only Yesterday seemed to exist in a state of stasis, not quite yet ready it would seem to find its place across the Pacific, to take the daring plunge into the unknown, although the films of Studio Ghibli now enjoy adoration stateside, known for providing heartfelt and charming stories, and defying the perception of anime as an immature and absurd (even perverse) diversion for adolescents. It seems even more ironic that the reason Only Yesterday did not make it to America sooner was for the same reasons which have made Studio Ghibli films so popular: it is a very human, natural drama, meditative and contemplative not unlike the works of legendary Japanese filmmaker, Yasujiro Ozu. And even while Only Yesterday was released in the early Nineties, it is set in 1982, and is filled largely with flashbacks of Taeko's to her childhood in the fifth grade, circa 1966. The past is ever-present in Only Yesterday...even the title recalls it; this is crucial since Taeko's "fifth grade self" is not just always in the back of her mind, but even the forefront as she enjoys her time in the countryside and en route. Taeko never seems as though she is haunted by the past, or is in a kind of arrested state of development in the way we tend to understand it; but it is clear that as she relates so many of her experiences to the events of her past, that it is a lifeline she cannot untether herself from. Taeko is a kind, independent woman who honestly enjoys getting in touch with nature and doing hard, honest work. One might argue that this is just another escape for her from her boring Tokyo existence, and her job with a "good company" doing who-knows-what. Taeko finds that her interests in nature are reciprocated by a distant relative-in-law, a young man who is impassioned for farming and takes an interest in her, a man named Toshio.
Most films with a young and single man and woman meeting and sharing interests would naturally transform into a romantic story. But Taeko and Toshio spend most of their time conversing, getting to know one another, building a genuine friendship and camaraderie throughout Only Yesterday. Taeko recalls moments of her past with Toshio, as well as the farmer's daughter, as they go for walks around the countryside, staring out and watching the sunset. A moment when crows fly off into the distance prompts a story from Taeko about her near brush with stardom following a performance in a school play. A journey through the market back home among the fruit vendors reminds her of the time her father brought home an exotic pineapple, intriguing the family, but leaving them largely dissatisfied when the mystique of carving the spiky fruit gave way to a flavor they did not find to their choosing. Taeko claims she has a difficult time understanding why the fifth grade proved to be such an influential time in her life. There is certainly the awkward awareness which came over her class as the school instructed the young girls about menstruation, provoking the expected reactions from the boys once they got news of the secret. But the most touching moments come following a few girls in another class trying to provoke Taeko and the baseball whiz kid, Hirota, into "liking one another". Unsure how to understand her feelings, Taeko is bashful and runs away from the boy. They cross paths in the street following a thrilling baseball game, and while Hirota may be a natural at the game, he awkwardly fumbles and trips over his tongue to try to converse with his crush--but he at least tries. And when Taeko again finds herself confronted by her feelings in Yamagata, her reaction is the same: she runs away. There is an unfortunate slip of the tongue by Taeko's mother when she tells Taeko's sister, Yaeko, that Taeko isn't a "normal girl", something which comes out in Taeko's earshot following her frustration at Taeko's poor performance on a math test. And while it is the kind of unintended misstep all parents make at one point or another, sometimes those things resonate with children in the most lasting ways. Did that utterance "destroy" Taeko? No; nor did a slap by her father following a tantrum by Taeko. In fact, Taeko is not "destroyed" or "damaged" in any sense of the word; she's just shy and uncomfortable at being cornered and presented with another way to live her life. Perhaps she is a bit insulated, but this is the great hurdle she must finally overcome when she realizes just what it is in her life she finds so satisfying, so long as she can make that great leap of faith; sometimes, you need a helping hand to do it. It can be a friend, a loved one...it can even be the small, child-like hand of your fifth grade self; whatever gets you to where you need to be.
Recommended for: Fans of a touching and personal drama about development and making the big leap into becoming the person you want to be, even if it is scary and unfamiliar. It's also a phenomenal animated feature which further broadens the scope of this great medium in a rich and rewarding way for both fans of animation or those who have been unsure about anime before.
Most films with a young and single man and woman meeting and sharing interests would naturally transform into a romantic story. But Taeko and Toshio spend most of their time conversing, getting to know one another, building a genuine friendship and camaraderie throughout Only Yesterday. Taeko recalls moments of her past with Toshio, as well as the farmer's daughter, as they go for walks around the countryside, staring out and watching the sunset. A moment when crows fly off into the distance prompts a story from Taeko about her near brush with stardom following a performance in a school play. A journey through the market back home among the fruit vendors reminds her of the time her father brought home an exotic pineapple, intriguing the family, but leaving them largely dissatisfied when the mystique of carving the spiky fruit gave way to a flavor they did not find to their choosing. Taeko claims she has a difficult time understanding why the fifth grade proved to be such an influential time in her life. There is certainly the awkward awareness which came over her class as the school instructed the young girls about menstruation, provoking the expected reactions from the boys once they got news of the secret. But the most touching moments come following a few girls in another class trying to provoke Taeko and the baseball whiz kid, Hirota, into "liking one another". Unsure how to understand her feelings, Taeko is bashful and runs away from the boy. They cross paths in the street following a thrilling baseball game, and while Hirota may be a natural at the game, he awkwardly fumbles and trips over his tongue to try to converse with his crush--but he at least tries. And when Taeko again finds herself confronted by her feelings in Yamagata, her reaction is the same: she runs away. There is an unfortunate slip of the tongue by Taeko's mother when she tells Taeko's sister, Yaeko, that Taeko isn't a "normal girl", something which comes out in Taeko's earshot following her frustration at Taeko's poor performance on a math test. And while it is the kind of unintended misstep all parents make at one point or another, sometimes those things resonate with children in the most lasting ways. Did that utterance "destroy" Taeko? No; nor did a slap by her father following a tantrum by Taeko. In fact, Taeko is not "destroyed" or "damaged" in any sense of the word; she's just shy and uncomfortable at being cornered and presented with another way to live her life. Perhaps she is a bit insulated, but this is the great hurdle she must finally overcome when she realizes just what it is in her life she finds so satisfying, so long as she can make that great leap of faith; sometimes, you need a helping hand to do it. It can be a friend, a loved one...it can even be the small, child-like hand of your fifth grade self; whatever gets you to where you need to be.
Recommended for: Fans of a touching and personal drama about development and making the big leap into becoming the person you want to be, even if it is scary and unfamiliar. It's also a phenomenal animated feature which further broadens the scope of this great medium in a rich and rewarding way for both fans of animation or those who have been unsure about anime before.