From Up on Poppy Hill

"This is the second film by Gorō Miyazaki (son of Hayao Miyazaki) with Studio Ghibli, with much better results than his first feature film, 'Tales of Earthsea'. 'Kokuriko-zaka kara' leaves behind the fantastical worlds to tell us a more everyday and nostalgic story of modern Japan (making it more akin to Isao Takahata's films like 'Grave of the Fireflies'), specifically in the period of recovery after the devastating Second World War, with the country preparing for the 1964 Olympics and amidst growing student activism (a phenomenon observed in many parts of the world during the decade). Underneath the surface, the film is not just about teenagers searching for their identity, but about a country in the same process, struggling between tradition and modernity in a new era. It is undoubtedly a much slower-paced film than Ghibli's more famous fantasy offerings, but it is a beautiful and nostalgic story that rewards the patience needed for its slower pace."