For those of you who have been patiently waiting to see the latest Studio Ghibli film From Up on Poppy Hill, your patience has nearly paid off. The film, the second from Goro Miyazaki (son of legendary animator and Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki) will debut stateside next month and for this English dub these charming new Ghibli characters will be voiced by the likes of Aubrey Plaza, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christina Hendricks and Ron Howard to name a few. As we’ve waited long enough (nearly 2 years), I’ll cut right to the trailer…
As a purist it pains me to sit through or even champion a dub of any film, let alone a Studio Ghibli feature. Yet the caliber of voice talent attached to the dubs of Ghibli films usually ends up working out OK so it shouldn’t cause any problem with the message of this uniquely inspired coming-of-age story. Set in Yokohama, From Up On Poppy Hill is a high school love story that take place in the year before the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. As the country begins to pick itself up from the devastation of the Second World War, the new generation struggles to move towards a prosperous future whilst trying not to lose the essence of their past. The film’s rich and vibrant animation captures the entrancing beauty of Yokohama’s harbour and lush surrounding hillsides and, with a soundtrack that draws inspiration from the finest music of the time, perfectly captures the thrills of young romance and the hope of a new dawn.
GKIDS has slated From Up On Poppy Hill for release on March 15th, 2013. What do you think? Anyone excited to finally see this film after 2 years of waiting??