Just when I thought that my favorite Studio Ghibli film is My Neighbor Totoro, I found another favorite — From Up On Poppy Hill. How do I explain the feeling that this film evoked in me? Was it the youthfulness of the clubhouse that made me nostalgic? It’s either that or I’m simply a hopeless romantic. The straightforwardness despite the twists and turns in Umi and Shun’s story still captivated me even after watching this film for the nth time.

This is what amazes me in Miyazaki’s storytelling. Everything is natural no matter how fictituous the characters and worlds are. His stories, like what I saw in From Up On Poppy Hill, are not forceful but rather purposeful — calmly guiding people through the story in every scene. Stories like this do not need an extravagant plot to make an impact. It tells what it needs to tell, and it cuts straight to the heart. Studio Ghibli’s films make me appreciate the mundane things and savor the tiny details in life that are usually ignored because I get used to seeing it all the time — like slicing vegetables and home-cooked meals. And in spite of all the bad things, there’s hope.

This is the kind of visual storytelling I want to strive for — not to impose anything, but to tell a story so beautifully that it stirs up something good in the viewer’s heart.