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{{short description|1995 Japanese animated film directed by Yoshifumi Kondō}}
{{For|the 2022 live-action sequel|Whisper of the Heart (2022 film){{!}}''Whisper of the Heart'' (2022 film)}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox film {{Infobox film
| name = Whisper of the Heart | name = Whisper of the Heart
| image = Whisper of the Heart (Movie Poster).jpg | image = Whisper of the Heart (Movie Poster).jpg
| alt = A girl in a pink dress accompanied by a cat wearing a suit flies in the sky above Tokyo. To the right is the film's title in red, and the production credits.
| caption = Japanese film poster
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| native_name = {{Infobox Japanese|child=yes|hide=no|header=none|kanji=耳をすませば|revhep=Mimi o Sumaseba}}
| director = ] | director = ]
| producer = ] | producer = ]
| screenplay = ] | screenplay = ]
| based on = {{based on|'']''|]}} | based_on = {{based on|''Mimi o Sumaseba''|]}}
| starring = ]<br />Issei Takahashi<br />]<br />Takashi Tachibana<br />Keiju Kobayashi | starring = <!-- STARRING CREDITS PER FILM POSTER -->{{Plainlist|
* ]
| music = ]
* ]
| cinematography = ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}
| music = ]
| cinematography = Atsushi Okui
| editing = ] | editing = ]
| studio = ] | studio = ]
| distributor = {{small|'''Japan:'''}}<br />]<br />{{small|'''North America:'''}}<br />] | distributor = ]
| released = {{Filmdate|1995|7|15}} | released = {{Film date|1995|07|15}}
| runtime = 111 minutes | runtime = 111 minutes
| country = {{Film Japan}} | country = Japan
| language = Japanese | language = Japanese
| budget = | budget =
| gross = | gross = {{¥|3.15 billion}} (Japan)<ref name="ghibli"/>
}} }}


{{nihongo|'''''Whisper of the Heart'''''|耳をすませば|Mimi o Sumaseba|lit. "If you listen closely"}} is a ] ] and was the number one film in Japan in 1995. {{nihongo|'''''Whisper of the Heart'''''|耳をすませば|Mimi o Sumaseba|{{lit|If You Listen Carefully|lk=yes}}|lead=yes}} is a 1995 Japanese ] ] directed by ] and written by ] based on the ] by ]. It was animated by ] for ], ] and ]. The film stars ], Issei Takahashi, Takashi Tachibana, ], ] and ].


''Whisper of the Heart'' was Kondō's only film as director before his death in 1998. Studio Ghibli had hoped that Kondō would become the successor to Miyazaki and ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Yoshifumi Kondou Kondou Yoshifumi|url=http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kondo/#passing|website=Nausicaa.net|publisher=Nausicaa|access-date=November 14, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141128201133/http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kondo/#passing|archive-date=November 28, 2014}}</ref>
It is based on the manga ] by ]. It was directed by ] and written by ].


A spin-off film, '']'', was released in 2002, which focused on a minor character of the film, the Baron.
It was the first theatrical ] feature to be directed by someone other than Miyazaki or Takahata, and the only film to be directed by ], who died in 1998 of a ruptured ] at the age of 47. ] had hoped that Kondō would become the successor to ] and ].


==Plot== ==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films should be between 400 to 700 words. Please check the word count before making any additions. Please discuss any major changes on the talk page. -->
One summer evening in 1994, Shizuku Tsukishima, a middle school girl living in ], a ] suburb, looks through the checkout cards in her library books and notices a pattern: each book had previously been checked out by someone named "Seiji Amasawa". The next day at school, Shizuku shows her friend Yuko a draft of the song she has been writing for graduation. Walking home, Shizuku realizes she left her book at the school. She rushes back, only to find a boy her age reading it. He hands it back to her and comments on her lyrics, calling them "corny" &mdash; which leaves her feeling irritable for the rest of the evening.
Shizuku Tsukishima is a 14-year-old student at Mukaihara Junior High School, where she is best friends with Yūko Harada. She lives in Tokyo with her parents Asako and Seiya and older sister Shiho, and is keen on creative writing. One evening, she looks through the checkout cards in her library books and discovers they were all checked out previously by someone named Seiji Amasawa.


Over the next few days, she encounters a boy who annoys her by teasing her about "Concrete Roads", a set of original lyrics describing ] that Shizuku based on the song "]". Finding a cat riding a train, Shizuku follows it to discover an ] run by Shirō Nishi. In the shop is a cat statuette nicknamed The Baron. Shizuku is ecstatic about finding "a place where stories begin".
The next morning on the train, Shizuku sees a large cat apparently traveling by itself. When it gets off, she follows it to an antique shop, where she sees a statue of a cat in formal clothing. The owner of the shop, Mr. Nishi, tells her the statue's name is Baron Humbert von Jikkingen. He also shows her a recently restored ], that tells a tale of the King of the Dwarves and a Fairy Queen. Shizuku is in awe, considering the shop a place where stories begin. Shizuku notices that it is noon and rushes off to take lunch to her father, but forgets the lunchbox in the shop. Outside the library, the same annoying boy she had met the previous day returns the lunchbox. He comments on how much food is in the box and rides away, singing her song, leaving Shizuku in another foul mood.
At school, there is a tense subplot involving Yuko's romantic problems. After a dramatic resolution to this subplot, Shizuku goes to visit the antique shop again and finds it closed. The boy shows up: their third chance encounter. He lets her in to see The Baron. Downstairs, she sees his workshop, where he is making a violin. She asks him to play, but he insists she must sing along. Midway through the song, Mr. Nishi and his musical friends arrive and play accompaniment, forming the musical centrepiece of the film.


After the musical number Shizuku learns that the boy is in fact Seiji Amasawa, the same person who had checked out all the library books. She is furious, but the yelling-match ends in laughter for all. On the way home, he explains that his dream is to become a master ]. He is fighting with his parents for the chance to go to ], Italy to study with a master. He compliments her on her lyrics and tells her she is talented. Shizuku later encounters the boy again at the antique shop. He shows her the workshop, where she discovers that he is learning to make violins to pursue his dream of becoming a master ]. She begs him to play the violin for her, and he agrees, but on the condition that she sings along. The pair perform "Take Me Home, Country Roads". The boy is revealed to be Seiji, Nishi's grandson, and Shizuku and Seiji finally befriend each other.


Seiji admits that he admires Shizuku's talents and that he had been checking out a large number of books in the hopes that she would eventually notice him. Days after, Seiji leaves for ], Italy for a two-month study with a master violin-maker. Inspired by him pursuing his dream, Shizuku decides to pursue her writing seriously during the two months. She asks Nishi if she can write a story featuring the Baron, to which Nishi grants his consent in exchange for being the first to read her story.
The next morning at school Seiji causes a comic uproar amongst the kids when he appears at Shizuku's class asking to talk with her. He tells Shizuku the news: his parents will allow him to go to ] for two months to study with a master to see if he shows potential. On the school rooftop the two confess their feelings for each other. Seiji admits that he checked out all those library books hoping to get her attention. That evening, Shizuku tells Yuko she worries she is not good enough for Seiji, since he seems to know what he wants to do in life. She decides to test her talent, too; she will write a book to see if her skills are good enough.


Shizuku concocts a fantasy story featuring herself as the protagonist, the Baron as the male hero looking for his lost love, Louise, and the cat from the train (a neighborhood stray who is, among other names, known as "Moon" and "Muta") as the antagonist. Devoting her time to her writing, Shizuku stays up until early in the morning, and her school grades drop. She argues with her family over her grades and future. As she continues to push herself, her anxiety mounts.
She asks Mr. Nishi's permission to write about The Baron. He agrees, provided he is allowed to be the first to read the story. Shizuku now devotes all her time to working on her book, and her grades start to slip. Her parents are concerned but, in a surprising twist, decide to trust her.


When her story is complete, Nishi reads it and gives his honest assessment. Shizuku bursts into tears as the stress of the last two months turns into relief. Nishi consoles her and tells her the real-life story of the Baron. When he studied in Germany in his youth, he found his first love, a woman named Louise. Nishi discovered the twin statuettes of the Baron and his female companion in a cafe, but as the female one was away for repairs, the shopkeeper would only allow Nishi to buy the Baron if Louise agreed to hold onto its companion so they could be reunited. However, the two lovers and their cat statues were separated during ].
With the third part of the film emphasising the difficulties of finishing a creative work, and featuring spectacular fantasy sequences based on the work of painter Naohisa Inoue, Shizuku finally completes the book. Mr. Nishi reads it and tells her it is good but not yet polished. Shizuku breaks down in tears and ultimately decides that attending high school is the best way forward. Back home, she apologises to her parents for her behaviour during the past two months, and then falls fast asleep, completely exhausted, setting the scene for the denouement:


Deciding she needs to learn more about writing, and that she wants to attend high school, Shizuku announces to her mother that she will resume studying for her high school entrance exams. The next morning, she wakes up and sees Seiji outside on his bicycle, having returned a day earlier. Seiji tells Shizuku he will return to Cremona after attending high school in Tokyo.
Very early the next morning, Shizuku awakes for some reason, looks out her window, and sees Seiji below. He tells her to get on the back of his bike, and they ride to a steep hill, which he says he wants to ride up carrying her. But she hops off to push, saying she wants to help, not be a burden. They make it to the top and look out at the incredible view, waiting for the sunrise. They discuss his future plans to study in Cremona. Shizuku thanks him for pushing her to do her best and learn more about herself.


At this point, rather surprisingly, and providing the fundamental twist in a coming of age story, the two young people in fact decide that: they should get married in the future. The two ride Seiji's bike to a lookout and watch the sunrise, where Seiji professes his love for Shizuku and proposes that they marry in the future; she happily accepts.


==Production==
This delicate issue is handled somewhat differently in the Japanese and English versions of the film:
])]]
])]]
''Whisper of the Heart'' was based on the manga ''Mimi o Sumaseba'' which was originally created by ]. The manga was serialized in Shueisha's shōjo manga magazine '']'' between August and November 1989, and a single '']'' volume was released on February 20, 1990. The volume was reprinted on July 15, 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-618338-2&mode=1|title=耳をすませば|publisher=]|access-date=November 20, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051129114118/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-618338-2&mode=1|archive-date=November 29, 2005}}</ref> A second manga by the same author titled ''Mimi o Sumaseba: Shiawase na Jikan'' was serialized in Shueisha's '']'' in August 1995 and released in a single volume on February 20, 1996. A spin-off of ''Mimi o Sumaseba'', titled ''Baron: Neko no Danshaku'', was published in March 2002, and an animated film based on that story was released in July 2002 under the name '']''.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://www.tokuma.jp/book/b503716.html|script-title=ja:アニメージュコミックス バロン猫の男爵|access-date= September 6, 2024|title= www.tokuma.jp|language= ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.ghibli.jp/shuppan/old/books/data/baronneko.html|script-title=ja:バロン猫の男爵|access-date= September 6, 2024|work= www.ghibli.jp|language= ja}}</ref>


During production, the backgrounds in the fantasy sequences of the film were drawn by ] and the ] of the imprisoned violin-maker was created by Miyazaki's son ], a professional engraver.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/11/18/ghibli-background-artist-naohisa-inoues-painting-technique-is-out-of-this-world/|title=Ghibli background artist Naohisa Inoue's painting technique is out of this world|publisher=RocketNews24|last=Lund|first=Evie|date=November 18, 2014|access-date=February 12, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150131080405/http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/11/18/ghibli-background-artist-naohisa-inoues-painting-technique-is-out-of-this-world/|archive-date=January 31, 2015}}</ref>
In the Japanese version, Seiji fairly directly and sincerely proposes future marriage. In the English version, the sense is more that he declares he wants them to marry in the future. Nevertheless in the English version, the shocking and unusual conclusion that the young people decide to actually get married, rather than the more expected declaration of love, is clear.


]'' {{in lang|ja}}<br />A musical clip with the film's Shizuku singing the song with Seiji.<br />Composer: ]<br />Author: ]<br />Singer: ]]]
To quote from the English version, voice actor David Gallagher says in English to Shizuku at 1:42:05 "It's that .. I know this might sound really weird to you, but could you see us getting married some day?"
The film score of ''Whisper of the Heart'' was composed by ]. At times during the film, Shizuku translates ]'s song "]" to Japanese for her school's chorus club.<ref>{{cite web|title="Take Me Home, Country Roads" (Kyarypamyupamyu)|url=http://traxionary.com/review/take-me-home-country-roads-kyarypamyupamyu|website=traxionary.com|publisher=traxionary|access-date=November 14, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141124230951/http://traxionary.com/review/take-me-home-country-roads-kyarypamyupamyu|archive-date=November 24, 2014}}</ref> She writes her own humorous Japanese version of the song, called "Concrete Road," about her hometown in ]. The songs were actually translated by producer ]'s daughter Mamiko with ] writing supplemental lyrics. These songs play a role at points in the story.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nausicaa.net/miyazaki/mimi/faq.html |title=FAQ // Whisper of the Heart // |publisher=Nausicaa.net |access-date=March 3, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110101151221/http://nausicaa.net/miyazaki/mimi/faq.html |archive-date=January 1, 2011 }}</ref> A recording of "Take Me Home, Country Roads," performed by ], plays during the film's opening sequence. The song was also performed by Shizuku's voice actress ].


==Release==
(Another difference in the conclusion is that in the English version, Seiji is apparently returning to Japan for some time before going to Italy; in the Japanese version the sense is that he is immediately proceeding to Italy. Furthermore, the English version mentions more clearly that Shizuku will go on to become a writer.)
''Whisper of the Heart'' was released in Japan on July 15, 1995, as the first film in the country to use the ] sound format.<ref>{{cite web|title=Whisper of the Heart (1995)|url=http://canadiancinephile.com/2009/09/08/whisper-of-the-heart/|website=canadiancinephile|publisher=Canadian Cinephile|access-date=November 14, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120406181906/http://canadiancinephile.com/2009/09/08/whisper-of-the-heart/|archive-date=April 6, 2012}}</ref> It was shown alongside the music video '']'' for ] by ]. The film was released on VHS and Laserdisc by ] in January 1996, and the VHS was later reissued by ] on July 25, 1997, as part of the "Ghibli ga Ippai" series. The movie later saw a DVD release on May 21, 2002, and was soon reissued again with a new HD master by Disney on April 20, 2022.


On July 20, 2011, ] released the movie on Blu-Ray.
In the final moment, Seiji then hugs Shizuku (somewhat to her surprise) and loudly proclaims that he loves her. The closing titles of the film feature a street scene suggesting a generally happy conclusion for Yuko and the other protagonists.


===English dub release===
==The Conclusion==
An English dub of this film was produced by ] in 2003, but it would not be released until March 7, 2006, when it came out on DVD.<ref>{{cite web|title=Whisper Of The Heart|url=http://movies.disney.com/whisper-of-the-heart|website=Disney Movies|publisher=Disney|access-date=November 14, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129030245/http://movies.disney.com/whisper-of-the-heart|archive-date=November 29, 2014}}</ref> ] televised both the dubbed and subbed versions on January 19, 2006<ref>{{cite web|title=Nausicaa|url=http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/newspro/latestnews_headlines-archive-1-2006.html|website=nausicaa.net|access-date=July 5, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194709/http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/newspro/latestnews_headlines-archive-1-2006.html|archive-date=March 4, 2016}}</ref> as part of their month-long celebration of Miyazaki in honor of his birthday, January 5.<ref>{{cite web|title=Whisper of the Heart|url=http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/114169%7c0/Whisper-of-the-Heart.html|website=tcm|publisher=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=November 14, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217171701/http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/114169%7c0/Whisper-of-the-Heart.html|archive-date=December 17, 2014}}</ref> The reason for the long delay was due to rights issues surrounding "Take Me Home, Country Roads", as it is a major plot point in the movie.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}


The English title, ''Whisper of the Heart'', was created by Studio Ghibli and used on several officially licensed "character goods" released around the same time as the film was released in theaters in Japan.
The surprise ending where the duo decide on marriage, rather than merely declaring love, is entirely due to Miyazaki and does not happen in the original manga. In the original novel the two young people simply declare their love for each other at the decisive moment, as one would expect in such a story with two characters of their age.


The North American Blu-ray was released by ] on May 22, 2012, alongside ''Castle in the Sky'' and ''The Secret World of Arrietty''.<ref name=DisneyDVD>{{cite web|title=Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray|url=http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/whisper-of-the-heart.html|access-date=April 21, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418232849/http://disneydvd.disney.go.com/whisper-of-the-heart.html|archive-date=April 18, 2012}}</ref> ] & ] re-issued the film on Blu-ray and DVD on January 16, 2018, under a new deal with Studio Ghibli.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/gkids-studio-ghibli-ink-home-entertainment-deal-1021746|title=Gkids, Studio Ghibli Ink Home Entertainment Deal|author=Carolyn Giardina|work=]|date=July 17, 2017|access-date=July 17, 2017}}</ref>
In the book _The Anime Art of Hayao Miyazaki_ (ISBN 978-0786423699), author Dani Cavallaro quotes Miyazaki's thoughts on the matter:


==Reception==
"I wanted to make a conclusion, a definite sense of ending. Too many young people now are afraid of commitment, and stay on moratorium forever. I wanted these two to just commit to something, not just 'well, we'll see what will happen'." (Page 119.)
''Whisper of the Heart'' was the highest-grossing Japanese film on the domestic market in 1995, earning {{¥|1.85 billion}} in distribution income,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eiren.org/toukei/1995.html|title=Kako haikyū shūnyū jōi sakuhin 1995-nen|publisher=Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan|language=ja|access-date=February 8, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726023615/http://www.eiren.org/toukei/1995.html|archive-date=July 26, 2011}}</ref> and grossing {{¥|3.15 billion}} in total box office revenue.<ref name="ghibli">{{cite news |script-title=ja:超意外な結果!?ジブリ映画の興行収入ランキング |url=https://cinema.ne.jp/recommend/ghibli2016062517/ |access-date=February 15, 2019 |work=シネマズ PLUS (Cinemas PLUS) |date=June 25, 2016 |language=ja}}</ref> It grossed $34.9 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=]|date=February 19, 1996|page=1|last=Klady|first=Leonard|title=B.O. with a vengeance: $9.1 billion worldwide}}</ref>


The ] ] reported that 95% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 19 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/whisper_of_the_heart |title=Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba) (If You Listen Closely) (2006) |work=] |publisher=] |access-date=2024-11-23}}</ref> On ], the film has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 4 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/whisper-of-the-heart |title=Whisper of the Heart Reviews |work=] |publisher=] |access-date=May 7, 2020}}</ref> Time Out London included ''Whisper of the Heart'' in their Top 50 Animated Film list.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/8838/ |title=Time Out's 50 Greatest Animated Films&nbsp;– Part 3 with Time Out Film&nbsp;— Time Out London |publisher=Timeout.com |access-date=November 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008102752/http://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/8838/ |archive-date=October 8, 2009 }}</ref> It was also included in ]'s Top 25 Animated Film list.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.listchallenges.com/film4s-top-25-animated-movies |title=Film4's Top 25 Animated Film list |access-date=April 8, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229075717/http://www.listchallenges.com/film4s-top-25-animated-movies |archive-date=December 29, 2016 }}</ref> On ], Michael Toole gave it an overall grade of A−, calling it "beautiful and evocative; a fine tale of adolescent yearning and aspiration."<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/whisper-of-the-heart/blu-ray-dvd/.81175|title= Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray + DVD|author= Michael Toole|date= November 19, 2014|access-date= November 20, 2014|work= ]|url-status= live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141122041809/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/whisper-of-the-heart/blu-ray-dvd/.81175|archive-date= November 22, 2014}}</ref>
==Cast==
* {{nihongo|'''Shizuku Tsukishima'''|月島 雫|''Tsukishima Shizuku''}} – {{anime voices|]|]}}
* '''Seiji Amasawa''' – {{anime voices|]|]}}
* '''Yūko Harada''' – {{anime voices|]|]}}
* '''Sugimura''' – {{anime voices|]|]}}
* '''Baron Humbert von Jikkingen''' – {{anime voices|]|]}}
* '''Seiya Tsukishima''' – {{anime voices|]|]}}
* '''Asako Tsukishima''' – {{anime voices|]|]}}
* '''Shiro Nishi''' – {{anime voices|]|]}}
* '''Shiho Tsukishima''' – {{anime voices|]|]}}
* '''Kōsaka-sensei''' – {{anime voices|]}}
* '''Kinuyo''' – {{anime voices|]|]}}
* '''Nao''' – {{anime voices|]|]}}


==Production== ==Adaptations==
{{Further|Whisper of the Heart (2022 film)}}
The fantastical backgrounds in the fantasy sequences of the film were created by Japanese ] painter ] and were directed by Miyazaki. The wood engraving of the imprisoned musician was created by Miyazaki's son ], a professional wood artist. Japanese musical duo ]'s short ], titled "]", by Studio Ghibli was released along with this film. Miyazaki wrote the screenplay and drew up the storyboards used in the film, along with acting as the general producer. The film's art direction was headed by Satoshi Kuroda.
Over the course of the film, Shizuku is working on a fantasy novel that revolves around a cat figurine, named The Baron, which she discovers in Mr. Nishi's antique store. In 2002, ] produced a ] film ''],'' directed by ] and again featuring The Baron, and the stray cat, Muta, in the film. Later on, Muta and the crow (Toto, who is friends with him and the Baron) seem to appear in '']'' as two skirmishing animals.


In January 2020, ] announced that there would be a live-action film sequel. The film stars ] as Shizuku and ] as Seiji. ] directed the film.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Whisper of the Heart Manga Gets Live-Action Film Sequel After Inspiring Ghibli Anime|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2020-01-13/whisper-of-the-heart-manga-gets-live-action-film-sequel-after-inspiring-ghibli-anime/.155323|last=Pineda|first=Rafael Antonio|date=2020-01-13|website=Anime News Network|language=en|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ghibli anime 'Whisper of the Heart' is getting a live-action sequel film|url=https://japantoday.com/category/entertainment/ghibli-anime-%27whisper-of-the-heart%27-is-getting-a-live-action-sequel-film|last=Baseel|first=Casey|date=2020-01-17|website=Japan Today|language=en|access-date=2020-05-30}}</ref> It was released on October 14, 2022, after being postponed from its original release date of September 2020 due to the ].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.cbr.com/studio-ghibli-live-action-whisper-of-the-heart-sequel/ | title=Studio Ghibli's Live-Action Whisper of the Heart Sequel Releases Trailer | date=April 24, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://epicstream.com/article/whisper-of-the-heart-live-action-sequel-delayed-new-release-date-announced-in-teaser-trailer | title=Whisper of the Heart Live-Action Sequel Delayed, New Release Date Announced in Teaser Trailer | date=April 15, 2022 }}</ref>
During the closing credits, Shizuku and Seiji can be seen at the top of the screen, riding over the bridge on Seiji's bicycle. Later in the credits, Yuko meets Sugimura on the bridge and they walk off together. On the American (Disney) version of the DVD, these closing scenes are fully visible in the English-language version of the film. However, in the Japanese-language version on the same DVD, the top of the screen is cropped during the closing credits, cutting off the heads of the people passing over the bridge.


==Music== ==Voice cast==
{| class="wikitable"
In the film, Shizuku writes new versions of the song "]" (originally co-written and recorded by ]) for her school's chorus club. She also writes a sarcastic version, "Concrete Roads", about her hometown in ]. In the Japanese version of the film, the songs (in Japanese) were actually translated by producer ]'s daughter, Mamiko, with ] writing supplemental lyrics. These songs play a role at various points in the story. The well-known 1973 version of "Take Me Home, Country Roads" by ], plays during the film's opening sequence, whereas Yoko Honna's Japanese version plays out the final credits.
|-
! Character!! !! Original cast!! English dub cast
|-
! {{nihongo|Shizuku Tsukishima|月島 雫|Tsukishima Shizuku}}
| A 14-year-old junior high school student who loves books. || ] || ]
|-
! {{nihongo|Seiji Amasawa|天沢 聖司|Amasawa Seiji}}
| An aspiring violin maker who attends the same school as Shizuku. || ] || ]
|-
! {{nihongo|Asako Tsukishima|月島 朝子|Tsukishima Asako}}
| Graduate student. Shizuku and Shiho's mother and Seiya's wife. || ] || ]
|-
! {{nihongo|Seiya Tsukishima|月島 靖也|Tsukishima Seiya}}
| Librarian. Shizuku and Shiho's father and Asako's husband. || ] || ]
|-
! {{nihongo|Baron Humbert von Gikkingen|フンベルト・フォン・ジッキンゲン男爵|Funberuto fon Jikkingen danshaku}}
| An anthropomorphic cat statue from ] belonging to Shirō Nishi. || ] || ]
|-
! {{nihongo|Shirō Nishi|西 司朗|Nishi Shirō}}
| Owner of a local antique shop. Seiji's grandfather. || ] || ]
|-
! {{nihongo|Yūko Harada|原田 夕子|Harada Yūko}}
| Shizuku's friend at her school. || Maiko Kayama || ]
|-
! {{nihongo|Ms. Kōsaka|高坂先生|Kōsaka-sensei}}
| The ''yōgo'' (health room teacher) at Shizuku's school whom she and her classmates sometimes hang out with. || ] || Vicki Davis
|-
! {{nihongo|Kinuyo and Nao|絹代, ナオ}}
| Shizuku's other school friends. || ]<br />Mai Chiba || ]<br />]
|-
! {{nihongo|Sugimura|杉村}}
| Yūko's crush and Shizuku's friend. || Yoshimi Nakajima || ]
|-
! {{nihongo|Shiho Tsukishima|月島 汐|Tsukishima Shiho}}
| Shizuku's older sister and a college student. || Yorie Yamashita || ]
|-
! {{nihongo|Kita and Minami|北, 南}}
| Nishi's musician friends. || ] and ] || (Kita) ]
(Minami) ]
|}


{{clear}}
==Release==
This was the first Japanese film to use the ] sound format. An English dub of this film was released by ] on March 7, 2006. ] televised both the dubbed and subbed versions on January 18, 2006 as part of their month-long celebration of Miyazaki (in honor of his birthday, January 5). The English title, ''Whisper of the Heart'', was created by Studio Ghibli and used on several officially licensed "character goods" released around the same time as the film was released in theaters in Japan.

==Reception==
''Whisper of the Heart'' was the number one Japanese film on the domestic market in 1995, earning ¥1.85 billion in distribution income.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eiren.org/toukei/1995.html|title=Kako haikyū shūnyū jōi sakuhin 1995-nen|publisher=Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan|language=Japanese|accessdate=8 February 2011}}</ref> It received a number of awards such as Gold Award for Best 13th Annual Golden Gross, Best Director, Japanese Movie Award Best Adaptation, and National award for first-time director. It is on ]'s Top 50 Animated Film list.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/8838/ |title=Time Out's 50 Greatest Animated Films – Part 3 with Time Out Film - Time Out London |publisher=Timeout.com |date= |accessdate=2010-11-01}}</ref>

==A spin-off film==
Over the course of the film, Shizuku is working on a fantasy novel that revolves around a cat figurine, named The Baron, which she discovers in Mr. Nishi's antique store. "The Baron" was so popular with fans in Japan that in 2002 Studio Ghibli released a film (the story is completely unrelated to Whisper of the Heart) featuring the adventures of The Baron, titled '']''.


==References== ==References==
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==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{imdb title|0113824|Whisper of the Heart}}
* {{Official website|http://movies.disney.com/whisper-of-the-heart}}
* {{ann|film|847|Whisper of the Heart}}
* {{Netflix title}}
*
* {{IMDb title|0113824|Whisper of the Heart}}
* {{anime News Network|film|847|Whisper of the Heart}}


]&nbsp;]
{{Hayao Miyazaki films}}

{{Hayao Miyazaki}}
{{Studio Ghibli Films}} {{Studio Ghibli Films}}
{{Ribon}}


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Latest revision as of 21:15, 2 December 2024

1995 Japanese animated film directed by Yoshifumi Kondō For the 2022 live-action sequel, see Whisper of the Heart (2022 film).
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Whisper of the Heart
A girl in a pink dress accompanied by a cat wearing a suit flies in the sky above Tokyo. To the right is the film's title in red, and the production credits.Theatrical release poster
Kanji耳をすませば
Revised HepburnMimi o Sumaseba
Directed byYoshifumi Kondō
Screenplay byHayao Miyazaki
Based onMimi o Sumaseba
by Aoi Hiiragi
Produced byToshio Suzuki
Starring
CinematographyAtsushi Okui
Edited byTakeshi Seyama
Music byYuji Nomi
Production
company		Studio Ghibli
Distributed byToho
Release date
  • July 15, 1995 (1995-07-15)
Running time111 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese
Box office¥3.15 billion (Japan)

Whisper of the Heart (Japanese: 耳をすませば, Hepburn: Mimi o Sumaseba, lit. 'If You Listen Carefully') is a 1995 Japanese animated romantic drama film directed by Yoshifumi Kondō and written by Hayao Miyazaki based on the 1989 manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi. It was animated by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten, Nippon Television Network and Hakuhodo. The film stars Yoko Honna, Issei Takahashi, Takashi Tachibana, Shigeru Muroi, Shigeru Tsuyuguchi and Keiju Kobayashi.

Whisper of the Heart was Kondō's only film as director before his death in 1998. Studio Ghibli had hoped that Kondō would become the successor to Miyazaki and Isao Takahata.

A spin-off film, The Cat Returns, was released in 2002, which focused on a minor character of the film, the Baron.

Plot

Shizuku Tsukishima is a 14-year-old student at Mukaihara Junior High School, where she is best friends with Yūko Harada. She lives in Tokyo with her parents Asako and Seiya and older sister Shiho, and is keen on creative writing. One evening, she looks through the checkout cards in her library books and discovers they were all checked out previously by someone named Seiji Amasawa.

Over the next few days, she encounters a boy who annoys her by teasing her about "Concrete Roads", a set of original lyrics describing Tama New Town that Shizuku based on the song "Take Me Home, Country Roads". Finding a cat riding a train, Shizuku follows it to discover an antique shop run by Shirō Nishi. In the shop is a cat statuette nicknamed The Baron. Shizuku is ecstatic about finding "a place where stories begin".

Shizuku later encounters the boy again at the antique shop. He shows her the workshop, where she discovers that he is learning to make violins to pursue his dream of becoming a master luthier. She begs him to play the violin for her, and he agrees, but on the condition that she sings along. The pair perform "Take Me Home, Country Roads". The boy is revealed to be Seiji, Nishi's grandson, and Shizuku and Seiji finally befriend each other.

Seiji admits that he admires Shizuku's talents and that he had been checking out a large number of books in the hopes that she would eventually notice him. Days after, Seiji leaves for Cremona, Italy for a two-month study with a master violin-maker. Inspired by him pursuing his dream, Shizuku decides to pursue her writing seriously during the two months. She asks Nishi if she can write a story featuring the Baron, to which Nishi grants his consent in exchange for being the first to read her story.

Shizuku concocts a fantasy story featuring herself as the protagonist, the Baron as the male hero looking for his lost love, Louise, and the cat from the train (a neighborhood stray who is, among other names, known as "Moon" and "Muta") as the antagonist. Devoting her time to her writing, Shizuku stays up until early in the morning, and her school grades drop. She argues with her family over her grades and future. As she continues to push herself, her anxiety mounts.

When her story is complete, Nishi reads it and gives his honest assessment. Shizuku bursts into tears as the stress of the last two months turns into relief. Nishi consoles her and tells her the real-life story of the Baron. When he studied in Germany in his youth, he found his first love, a woman named Louise. Nishi discovered the twin statuettes of the Baron and his female companion in a cafe, but as the female one was away for repairs, the shopkeeper would only allow Nishi to buy the Baron if Louise agreed to hold onto its companion so they could be reunited. However, the two lovers and their cat statues were separated during World War II.

Deciding she needs to learn more about writing, and that she wants to attend high school, Shizuku announces to her mother that she will resume studying for her high school entrance exams. The next morning, she wakes up and sees Seiji outside on his bicycle, having returned a day earlier. Seiji tells Shizuku he will return to Cremona after attending high school in Tokyo.

The two ride Seiji's bike to a lookout and watch the sunrise, where Seiji professes his love for Shizuku and proposes that they marry in the future; she happily accepts.

Production

Sakuragaoka Park (Tama, Tokyo)
Konpira in SakuraOka (Tama, Tokyo)

Whisper of the Heart was based on the manga Mimi o Sumaseba which was originally created by Aoi Hiiragi. The manga was serialized in Shueisha's shōjo manga magazine Ribon between August and November 1989, and a single tankōbon volume was released on February 20, 1990. The volume was reprinted on July 15, 2005. A second manga by the same author titled Mimi o Sumaseba: Shiawase na Jikan was serialized in Shueisha's Ribon Original in August 1995 and released in a single volume on February 20, 1996. A spin-off of Mimi o Sumaseba, titled Baron: Neko no Danshaku, was published in March 2002, and an animated film based on that story was released in July 2002 under the name The Cat Returns.

During production, the backgrounds in the fantasy sequences of the film were drawn by Naohisa Inoue and the woodcut of the imprisoned violin-maker was created by Miyazaki's son Keisuke Miyazaki, a professional engraver.

Take Me Home, Country Roads (in Japanese)
A musical clip with the film's Shizuku singing the song with Seiji.
Composer: Yuji Nomi
Author: Hayao Miyazaki
Singer: Yōko Honna

The film score of Whisper of the Heart was composed by Yuji Nomi. At times during the film, Shizuku translates John Denver's song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" to Japanese for her school's chorus club. She writes her own humorous Japanese version of the song, called "Concrete Road," about her hometown in western Tokyo. The songs were actually translated by producer Toshio Suzuki's daughter Mamiko with Hayao Miyazaki writing supplemental lyrics. These songs play a role at points in the story. A recording of "Take Me Home, Country Roads," performed by Olivia Newton-John, plays during the film's opening sequence. The song was also performed by Shizuku's voice actress Yoko Honna.

Release

Whisper of the Heart was released in Japan on July 15, 1995, as the first film in the country to use the Dolby Digital sound format. It was shown alongside the music video On Your Mark for the song by Chage and Aska. The film was released on VHS and Laserdisc by Tokuma Shoten in January 1996, and the VHS was later reissued by Buena Vista Home Entertainment Japan on July 25, 1997, as part of the "Ghibli ga Ippai" series. The movie later saw a DVD release on May 21, 2002, and was soon reissued again with a new HD master by Disney on April 20, 2022.

On July 20, 2011, Walt Disney Studios Japan released the movie on Blu-Ray.

English dub release

An English dub of this film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures in 2003, but it would not be released until March 7, 2006, when it came out on DVD. Turner Classic Movies televised both the dubbed and subbed versions on January 19, 2006 as part of their month-long celebration of Miyazaki in honor of his birthday, January 5. The reason for the long delay was due to rights issues surrounding "Take Me Home, Country Roads", as it is a major plot point in the movie.

The English title, Whisper of the Heart, was created by Studio Ghibli and used on several officially licensed "character goods" released around the same time as the film was released in theaters in Japan.

The North American Blu-ray was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on May 22, 2012, alongside Castle in the Sky and The Secret World of Arrietty. GKIDS & Shout! Factory re-issued the film on Blu-ray and DVD on January 16, 2018, under a new deal with Studio Ghibli.

Reception

Whisper of the Heart was the highest-grossing Japanese film on the domestic market in 1995, earning ¥1.85 billion in distribution income, and grossing ¥3.15 billion in total box office revenue. It grossed $34.9 million worldwide.

The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 95% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 19 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 4 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Time Out London included Whisper of the Heart in their Top 50 Animated Film list. It was also included in Film4's Top 25 Animated Film list. On Anime News Network, Michael Toole gave it an overall grade of A−, calling it "beautiful and evocative; a fine tale of adolescent yearning and aspiration."

Adaptations

Further information: Whisper of the Heart (2022 film)

Over the course of the film, Shizuku is working on a fantasy novel that revolves around a cat figurine, named The Baron, which she discovers in Mr. Nishi's antique store. In 2002, Studio Ghibli produced a spin-off film The Cat Returns, directed by Hiroyuki Morita and again featuring The Baron, and the stray cat, Muta, in the film. Later on, Muta and the crow (Toto, who is friends with him and the Baron) seem to appear in The Secret World of Arrietty as two skirmishing animals.

In January 2020, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that there would be a live-action film sequel. The film stars Nana Seino as Shizuku and Tori Matsuzaka as Seiji. Yūichirō Hirakawa directed the film. It was released on October 14, 2022, after being postponed from its original release date of September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Voice cast

Character Original cast English dub cast
Shizuku Tsukishima (月島 雫, Tsukishima Shizuku) A 14-year-old junior high school student who loves books. Yōko Honna Brittany Snow
Seiji Amasawa (天沢 聖司, Amasawa Seiji) An aspiring violin maker who attends the same school as Shizuku. Issei Takahashi David Gallagher
Asako Tsukishima (月島 朝子, Tsukishima Asako) Graduate student. Shizuku and Shiho's mother and Seiya's wife. Shigeru Muroi Jean Smart
Seiya Tsukishima (月島 靖也, Tsukishima Seiya) Librarian. Shizuku and Shiho's father and Asako's husband. Takashi Tachibana James Sikking
Baron Humbert von Gikkingen (フンベルト・フォン・ジッキンゲン男爵, Funberuto fon Jikkingen danshaku) An anthropomorphic cat statue from Germany belonging to Shirō Nishi. Shigeru Tsuyuguchi Cary Elwes
Shirō Nishi (西 司朗, Nishi Shirō) Owner of a local antique shop. Seiji's grandfather. Keiju Kobayashi Harold Gould
Yūko Harada (原田 夕子, Harada Yūko) Shizuku's friend at her school. Maiko Kayama Ashley Tisdale
Ms. Kōsaka (高坂先生, Kōsaka-sensei) The yōgo (health room teacher) at Shizuku's school whom she and her classmates sometimes hang out with. Minami Takayama Vicki Davis
Kinuyo and Nao (絹代, ナオ) Shizuku's other school friends. Mayumi Iizuka
Mai Chiba		 Mika Boorem
Abigail Mavity
Sugimura (杉村) Yūko's crush and Shizuku's friend. Yoshimi Nakajima Martin Spanjers
Shiho Tsukishima (月島 汐, Tsukishima Shiho) Shizuku's older sister and a college student. Yorie Yamashita Courtney Thorne-Smith
Kita and Minami (北, 南) Nishi's musician friends. Toshio Suzuki and Naohisa Inoue (Kita) Walker Edmiston

(Minami) Corey Burton

References

  1. ^ 超意外な結果!?ジブリ映画の興行収入ランキング. シネマズ PLUS (Cinemas PLUS) (in Japanese). June 25, 2016. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  2. "Yoshifumi Kondou Kondou Yoshifumi". Nausicaa.net. Nausicaa. Archived from the original on November 28, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  3. "耳をすませば". Shueisha. Archived from the original on November 29, 2005. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  4. www.tokuma.jp アニメージュコミックス バロン猫の男爵 (in Japanese). Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  5. バロン猫の男爵. www.ghibli.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  6. Lund, Evie (November 18, 2014). "Ghibli background artist Naohisa Inoue's painting technique is out of this world". RocketNews24. Archived from the original on January 31, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  7. ""Take Me Home, Country Roads" (Kyarypamyupamyu)". traxionary.com. traxionary. Archived from the original on November 24, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  8. "FAQ // Whisper of the Heart //". Nausicaa.net. Archived from the original on January 1, 2011. Retrieved March 3, 2011.
  9. "Whisper of the Heart (1995)". canadiancinephile. Canadian Cinephile. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  10. "Whisper Of The Heart". Disney Movies. Disney. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  11. "Nausicaa". nausicaa.net. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  12. "Whisper of the Heart". tcm. Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2014.
  13. "Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray". Archived from the original on April 18, 2012. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
  14. Carolyn Giardina (July 17, 2017). "Gkids, Studio Ghibli Ink Home Entertainment Deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  15. "Kako haikyū shūnyū jōi sakuhin 1995-nen" (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2011.
  16. Klady, Leonard (February 19, 1996). "B.O. with a vengeance: $9.1 billion worldwide". Variety. p. 1.
  17. "Whisper of the Heart (Mimi wo sumaseba) (If You Listen Closely) (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  18. "Whisper of the Heart Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  19. "Time Out's 50 Greatest Animated Films – Part 3 with Time Out Film — Time Out London". Timeout.com. Archived from the original on October 8, 2009. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
  20. "Film4's Top 25 Animated Film list". Archived from the original on December 29, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  21. Michael Toole (November 19, 2014). "Whisper of the Heart Blu-Ray + DVD". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 22, 2014. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
  22. Pineda, Rafael Antonio (January 13, 2020). "Whisper of the Heart Manga Gets Live-Action Film Sequel After Inspiring Ghibli Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  23. Baseel, Casey (January 17, 2020). "Ghibli anime 'Whisper of the Heart' is getting a live-action sequel film". Japan Today. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  24. "Studio Ghibli's Live-Action Whisper of the Heart Sequel Releases Trailer". April 24, 2022.
  25. "Whisper of the Heart Live-Action Sequel Delayed, New Release Date Announced in Teaser Trailer". April 15, 2022.

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