Only Yesterday

Only Yesterday おもひでぽろぽろ is a Japanese animated drama written and directed by the late Isao Takahata, based on a manga of the same name by Hotaru Okamoto and Yuko Tone. This story follows 27-year old, Taeko Okajima, an unmarried woman from Tokyo, who goes to visit relatives who live on a farm during her vacation.

Only Yesterday was a dope movie. I really enjoyed the fact that this was centralized around an adult. A carefree one, someone who lived life on their terms and did things how they saw fit, which I found really refreshing. Even though she was a grown-ass woman, there was a childish youth about her, which was something that I also appreciated.

Adult Taeko is really likable, and you can see why people would gravitate towards her and in the moments where there are flashbacks of her during her 5th-grade year. Young Taeko was a brat, and I think most that age might be. The team really captured her youthfulness so well. Takahata and the staff nicely weaved this story together.

Only Yesterday is a story about regular people. I’m all for fantasy, zombies, fictional ninja, and those sorts of times, but there’s something about really nice about a real story. Realism can be an escape too. That’s the beauty of animations, it’s a medium that can deliver a wide range of stories.

Animation wise, Ghibli never disappoints, The music meshed really well, and characters designs were also pretty nice. Though when Taeko smiles from time to time, she looked old as hell. That definitely had to be an inside joke because it was pretty hard to overlook. There was also a focus on Taeko not being a normal girl; maybe it has something to do with that. For a moment, can we talk about the character designs? Taeko had drip. This movie took place in 1982, Japanese Fashion in the 80s and ’90s had a flair all its own.

People often say you shouldn’t live in the past, And even though those things can define you. The past is the past, and life goes on. Even in situations where reflecting on specific memories, hurt, or are awkward. This movie does a fantastic job illustrating this concept. Though Taeko reflections and actions.

The only complain that I have is with the English casting. The voice acting wasn’t a good fit, and I cringed quite a few times. I’d r highly recommend watching the original with English subtitles. But other than that, everything else was pretty solid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0ZrjocXVJ4

What did you think of Only Yesterday?