Only Yesterday

A Studio Ghibli film

Produced by Hayao Miyazaki

JCC at Festival Theatre (Tampines)

27 year old Taeko rehashed her 10 year old self as a kid in Tokyo where she still lives and works. She's still unmarried, a taboo in Asian civilisation, and just turned down a suitor's proposal. She goes to pick safflower in the countryside of Yamagata where her second cousin's family friend lives, Toshio. It's her second time to the city, this time for 10 days vacation. This safflower is used to make rouge and sold in cities, with the by product used to dye clothes.

As a 10 year old, we see her first crush with a baseball expert, how badly she did fractions (D grade), how she threw tantrums and got slapped by her dad, the pumpkin show she watched and could recite with Toshio, how they had menses chat with the school nurse, how the boys found out and made fun of them, how she refused to skip PE because she would be seen as having her period, how she went into so many onsens she fainted and had her vacation shortened. Her 2 elder sisters, one was an artist, another studies economic, and grew up in the age of the Beatles, while she was only good in essays and reciting her lines with enthusiasm, even though it was a minor role, Child Villager A. How she hated someone in class so much he refused to shake her hands. 

The grandma and mother encouraged her to stay in the village and marry Toshio and this made her embarrassed and hypocrite because it's not like she has thoughts of being a farmer's wife. 

On the day she left for Tokyo, her 10 year old self and all her 10 year old classmates encouraged her to stay. Listening to her heart, she finally stopped and took the train back. Toshio had to hide his happiness many times and this was one of it. He wanted to hug her but restrained. When it was raining outside with them driving around, he wanted to console her by holding her hands. It is strange but I think that was a sign of those times, where people were unable to be expressive.

He reads her thoughts and she opens up to him well. Upon reflection, she took that as a sign of her affection for him. For E.g. He asked why is she not married? She says most women who live in the city work so they're still single, like most of her friends. Presumably too busy to get married. Then does she love the work so much? She doesn't love it or hate it; it's just a job.

I think I try to find a job that I love so that it's worth my efforts. But what's the point? If it doesn't bring happiness or fulfillment? How can it replace more everlasting things like relationships?

The moving pictures were all beautiful, with each frame like a watercolour painting.

The film ends with the Japanese version of the song "The Rose" by Bette Midler which was very moving.

Taeko is much like a dreamer like me and I identify with her a lot. In the end she decided to follow her heart.