SPOILER-FREE REVIEW
A curious and charming exploration of childhood that leads its audience by the arm on a journey back in time, Only Yesterday is purely spellbinding animation.
If you’ve ever found yourself at a crossroads in life, you’ll know what Only Yesterday is all about. As one of Studio Ghibli’s lesser known films, it’s frequently overshadowed by Spirited Away’s stunning menagerie of fantasy beasts, the epic and philosophical tale of Princess Mononoke and the inevitable grief of Grave of the Fireflies. To be fair, each of these movies excels. But what so impressed me about Only Yesterday was its extraordinary power to enthrall, to hypnotise, and to reach into the past, my past, and give me the ability to see myself in a character whose life I thought differed greatly from my own. Films with which anyone and everyone can form a close personal connection are exceedingly rare, and it is a testament to the power of animation and to the talent at Ghibli, that this is one of those films.
A creation of the late Isao Takahata, Only Yesterday was first released in 1991 and received an English dub for the first time 25 years later. It’s rare to find truly timeless live-action movies, but I believe animation struggles differently with the passage of years. The charm of Steamboat Willie is still perfectly evident even now for example, and among Only Yesterday’s strengths is the timelessness of its story and its message. It follows office worker Taeko, now in her mid-twenties, as she goes on vacation to the Japanese countryside for a break from her hectic job in the big city. As she works in the fields, the experience brings up old memories of her childhood and leaves her wondering if she has been true to her childhood self.
Its original Japanese title roughly translates to Memories Come Tumbling Down in English; a far more apt title, as tumble down they do, both for Taeko and for the audience too. The film flits between Taeko’s present and her past and through these flashbacks, we begin to understand who Taeko is: a woman content with the 9 to 5 grind, but deep down she’s dissatisfied, longing for escape and truly happy when she finds it. A bittersweet life and one more than a few people can probably relate to. The film meditates on how Taeko’s childhood made her the person she is in the present. We see her discovering childhood romance, puberty, having a disappointing meal of some pineapple, improvising lines for her school play, struggling with her math homework and fighting with her siblings. These moments are deeply relatable and genuine, encouraging the audience to recall their own memories of the events that shaped them.
We watch films for the emotional reactions they give us, and this film stirs up intoxicating nostalgia, wistfulness, happiness, and sorrow. It’s in no rush; as a purely meditative experience, it’s an almost-perfect antithesis to most blockbusters. It’s clear that the film wants you to ask the same questions that Taeko asks herself, and the impression it leaves is indelible. In a quiet moment, you’ll suddenly find yourself in almost the same position as Taeko was at the very beginning of the film: questioning what your childhood self would think of the person you’ve become, and whether or not you live in their shadow. It’s nothing short of magic.
It helps that the film looks just as beautiful as its story. You’d never guess that it was made twenty five years ago. The art style is purposeful and deliberate, with the vibrant colours and rich detail of Taeko’s present day in stark contrast to the more minimalist, washed-out look of her childhood memories. Art complements the story, and it delineates the boundary between present and past. Ghibli is renowned for their high-quality animation and Only Yesterday is no exception. Its pastel watercolour backdrops feel like real places, and its characters are wonderfully expressive: thinking, breathing people with motivations and dreams. That an animated film captures the feeling of real life so well is a testament to the studio’s commitment to quality. The whole film is set to a simple enough soundtrack that’s careful not to overbear on the film itself. The use of Hungarian folk music lends the film a beautifully rustic feel that complements its depiction of life in the countryside, though the film never glosses over its hardships.
Despite the occasional awkwardness of the translation between Japanese and English, the voice acting is spot on in either language. For the English dub, we get star power; both Daisy Ridley and Dev Patel, who voices Toshio, a character Taeko meets in the countryside, breathe life into their respective characters with warmth and clarity. Ridley puts on an American accent, but Patel keeps his English accent it’s a little jarring at first, given that his co-star has changed hers, you soon become accustomed to it. Patel makes Toshio a constantly welcome companion for Taeko.
Only Yesterday’s delayed release outside Japan feels like a long time coming. It’s understated and modest, and deserves further recognition. Watching it play on a screen invokes the magic of digging out your old photo albums of your childhood days, leafing through them and smiling. Films that bring out such powerful feelings of longing for the past and hope for the future are few and far between. We get to see Taeko guided to a greater understanding of who she is, and the experience of watching this film may just do the same for you. Memories come tumbling down indeed.
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