Whisper of the Heart

Been watching the movie productions of Studio Ghibli ("Spirted Away", "Howl's Moving Castle" etc.), one of which really tugs at the heart strings - "Whisper of the Heart". The plot, the animation etc. really good. "Take me home, country road" was the theme song for this movie.

The main character of Whisper of the Heart is a girl named Shizuku Tsukishima who is in junior high school. Shizuku Tsukishima is a 14-year-old student living each day of her city life as if she was just going through the motions. Not knowing what she wants to do with the rest of her life, she often escapes reality by planting her nose deep into fantasy novels. Sifting through the library checkout cards in her books one day, she notices that they have all been previously read by a guy - Seiji Amasawa. Seiji and Shizuku's first encounter was brief and uncomfortable, but eventually they grow close to one another.

Shizuku learns that Seiji is working to become a violin-maker. Ashamed that she has no similar aspirations, Shizuku dedicates herself to writing, but abandons her studies and falls further behind at school.

In the film, Shizuku translates the song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" into Japanese for her school's chorus club. She also writes her own Japanese version of the song, called "Concrete Road," about her hometown in western Tokyo.

When Seiji leaves for Italy to begin a trial apprenticeship with an instrument-maker, Seiji's grandfather helps encourage Shizuku to complete her ambitious writing project. The movie's resolution comes as Shizuku finishes her story and decides to resume her schoolwork.

The ending part we see Seiji returns from his first stay in Italy; Seiji and Shizuku ride up to the top of the hill. Below them, the city is blanketed in mist as the horizon starts to lighten, and Shizuku remarks it looks just like the ocean. It was then that Seiji shyly asks Shizuku, when he returns from Italy as a violinmaker, would Shizuku consent to marry him. Sweet.

Incidentally, "Take me home, Country roads" brings me back to when I was P4, our class had to perform a dance to this song in front of the whole school during assembly time. My 1st performance on stage then.