Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

thomas more One of the main characters says at one moment that he felt like he was "in a cheap drama", and he wasn't wrong. The movie has funny, exciting and overall enjoyable scenes, and there are interesting points in the plot, but they are all wasted to nothing. The story has nothing of Hayao Miyazaki's depth and humanity and is, therefore, hardly touching. Which is a shame coming from Ghibli, specially because it could have been otherwise with a little more effort. But except for the bleak and cheapish story, it is an OK flick to watch your time slipping quickly by, and not coming back.IMDb doesn't let me publish a review so short, so let me add one positive thing (though not much necessary): usually Ghibli's films are quite conservative when it comes to romantic relationships, this film tries to make the girl a little less submissive and embarrassed than the usual, which is a big plus for me, but it doesn't really chase it to the end, it just rather "suggests" it and that's it. The same goes to other positive points in the plot, none of them are developed, they are only hinted at (why? the film is short after all, there was time to improve it). The story is such a cheap trick that one wonders what happened to the idealism seen in the other animations from Ghibli.

mracine There isn't going to be magic or whimsy in this movie. It is more slice of life kind of film. While there is relationship conflict in this movie, it isn't the only focus. There is saving the club house, taking care of the boarding house, learning about the character's history all playing part in the movie. It's entertaining and interesting in a (sorta) realistic way. It's not a kids movie, it's more for teens and adults. The plot is interesting at points but not spectacular. There is some humor but not a lot. It visuals won't blow you away but has Studio Ghibli style feel to it. It's above average but not the studio's best work. If you like "Whisper of the Heart", you may like this movie. I recommend watching Ghibli's best movies and then come back to this one.

hayashimegumi Now, From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) is one film by Gorō Miyazaki that I could ungrudgingly accept that it is a box office success as it was pretty enjoyable. Indeed, the script is made of simple scenes and lines but it does not lack its own charm. I watched the original Japanese version. A dramatic slice of life and coming of age kind of film with several serious themes and unexpected twists which can be funny or lovely at times, From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) is generally nice. Although the story may feel too slow paced for some, to me it looks a little too fast moving as many of the scenes are very brief. They could have been developed. Still, love the music and the storyline is quite fresh!In short, From Up on Poppy Hill (2011) is not bad. The twists confuse me at first but when those complicated scenes sort out themselves, they are actually quite hilarious. The major themes include anti demolition, team work, preserving traditional values and fighting for what you love. The message is quite deep coming from teenager's setting but that is all due the characters being so passionate.PS. So glad that the director did not give up after his infamous first and have improved since!!

Kyle Cohen A simple coming of age story. The visuals, as always for Studio Ghibli, are amazing to look at. They certainly know how to create an immersive atmosphere. The characters and story are good, but don't stand out that much until the third act. That is when the emotions kick in. I don't know why but watching anime characters cry is a tough thing to get through! Maybe it's because the animation creates the emotion of sadness as if it were spilling out of the character. Anyways, it's extremely emotional and almost got me to tears. And that is the only sad point in the movie. The rest of it is extremely sweet and harmless. If you like Studio Ghibli and the trailer looks good to you, then you will probably enjoy this movie a lot.