It's no secret that Ghibli films often invoke that wondrous sense of childhood nostalgia that can't be replaced by anyone. From the gorgeous backgrounds to the expressive animation, to the incredible fantasy worlds or the down to earth slice of life stories they tell, it's hardly a surprise that they are still a beloved animation studio after all these years. However, this film takes a different approach. This film explores that kind of childhood wonder that so many of these other Ghibli films give by focusing on the perspective of a young girl who feels like she isn't doing enough. A girl who has a deeply relatable inferiority complex wants to be an author and desires to feel like she's good enough to both herself and for the boy she likes. This is the tale of Shizuku Tsukishima, a girl who's struggling to grow up.

Shizuku Tsukishima is a middle school student who loves reading fantasy books and getting lost in the stories that she reads. She often doesn't focus on what she's supposed to do because she's so wrapped up in her fantasies. She's known to often frequent the library and her older sister worries that she isn't focusing on her schoolwork because of her antics. What's interesting about Shizuku is that she starts as this cheerful but hot headed kid who butts heads with a boy her age who also reads fantasy novels named Seiji Amasawa and gets herself into awkward situations with other people, to a young girl who's revealed to has self-esteem issues and after seeing how incredibly talented Seiji as a violin carpenter. She feels like she is aimless with her life and she isn't doing enough with her life. As a middle schooler and still going through adolescence, she's not sure what she wants to do with her life and decides that she wastes too much of her time slacking off via reading books. It's hard not to see myself in Shizuku, as I feel somewhat lost as to what I should do going forward and end up comparing myself to those who are far more accomplished. Without going into detail, I love how the romance between these two has made her try to become more accomplished and write her fantasy novel. The ending, in particular, is tearjerk inducing because it's like she finally proved to herself that she is good enough. It's such an inspiring moment that it instantly got me teary eyed. Shizuku is such a well realized protagonist who grows and learns from her experiences that she feels like a genuine kid struggling to figure out what to do with herself.

Seiji Amasawa is the love interest and deuteragonist of the film. The very same man who checked out all the different fantasy novels she would end up reading. At first, he comes off as somewhat rude as he loves messing with Shizuku, but the film reveals he is a passionate young man who will stop at nothing to achieve his ambitions. As mentioned, he's a violin carpenter and plans to move abroad in order to improve his skills. I love the romance between Seiji and Shizuku because Seiji inspires her to work harder and try to improve herself. He helps her realize that writing is her talent and she should prioritize polishing her talent until it's able to shine brightly. I also just love the dialogue between the two, with their banter coming off as both charming and snarky. Shizuku can't stand him at first, but she realizes they're on the same boat. They're both struggling artists who want to be better at their craft, and while she may believe that he's just way ahead of her since he has an end goal in mind and she doesn't, he was the one to help her discover her own path in life and present her a motivation to write to prove herself and to the boy that she grew to love.

Then there's Nishi Shiro, Seiji's grandfather who owns an antique shop in Shizuku's town. A kind and talented elder figure who loves collecting unique items, such as a grandfather clock with a fairy tale story. One of the antiques that he owns is Baron, the anthropomorphic cat gentleman doll who got separated from his beloved Louise, another anthropomorphic cat doll. Nishi named the female doll Louise after his beloved since he left Germany before WW2. When he returned, he never saw her or her cat doll again. When Shizuku decides to use the Baron for her story and she's scared the story isn't going to be any good, he tells her that she can't expect perfection, especially when she's a novice writer. He has the best quote in the film: "When you become an artist, you are like that rock. You are in a raw, natural state with hidden gems inside. You have to dig down deep and find the emerald studs way inside you." He helps her see her true potential as a writer and inspires her to take action. When growing up, you need a parental figure like Nishi to guide you and make you see the potential that's deep inside you. Something you might not realize yourself because you might be drowning in self pity like Shizuku.

There are other characters like Shiho, Shizuku's older sister who's worried about her little sister and is wondering if she's actually doing the work she's supposed to. There's Asako, Shizuku's mother who is going to college and her father Seiya who works as a librarian. These three don't get too much focus, but they do try to make sure Shizuku is focusing on her work, especially her older sister Shiho. Last but not least, there's Shizuku's best friend Yuko, and she mainly has a crush on one of the boys at the beginning of the movie and grows concerns for Shizuku once she starts to focus on writing her book rather than her studies. They're more in the background, but they do bring a grounded sense of reality to Shizuku's delusions.

Finally, there's the audiovisual department, which is about as outstanding as you'd expect from Studio Ghibli. The vibrant and detailed setting, the expressive character animation, and the whole movie is beautifully hand drawn. Directed by the late Yoshifumi Kondou who sadly passed away at age 47 due to an aneurysm in 1998 caused by overwork. Hayao Miyazaki wanted him to be his replacement and his death is why he took a temporary retirement in the same year Kondou died. The movie's stellar presentation certainly helps explain why he was favored by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, as everything about it screams classic Ghibli. The opening song is probably my favorite opening song in the entire Ghibli line up. It invokes this countryside feeling while also being incredibly catchy. I also love how it's used in the actual plot to help Shizuku gain confidence through her writing as she's making her own versions of the song and even sings it a few times throughout the film. The voice acting for the dub is also great, as they fully bring out the emotions for the cast and bring their struggles to life.

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All and all, this is one of Ghibli's best films by a country mile. It's such a heartfelt tale of self discovery, love, and hard work. Everything about it is so sincere and awe inspiring that I wish more people would talk about this film when talking about Ghibli's body of work. It's a charming and beautifully animated film that I would recommend to anyone.