Only Yesterday (1991)

Stars	User	Rating
14	Magb	90 _85th
I think one of the reasons why so many people don't like anime is because so much anime often resorts to silly extremes, in terms of both style and content. Only Yesterday, on the other hand, could scarcely be less extreme. It perfectly balances all of its components without ever stumbling. It's sweet, but not saccharine; tender, but not frail; sentimental, but not mawkish. The acting is very naturalistic and understated, as is the animation. The story is simple but effective.
10	goremeat	90 _95th
Reflection and introspection - and a look at our movements through age identities. Only Yesterday has a real sense of warmth and genuineness that makes it one of my favourite Ghibli features. Very balanced, subtle and careful with each of its characters and themes. Beautiful.
6	MartinTeller	86 _87th
Another triumph from Studio Ghibli. Part coming-of-age story, part bittersweet nostalgia, part gentle romance. It seemed heavily influenced by Ozu's quiet sensitivity, in fact I think there was a passing reference to Early Summer. Very sweet and touching. Ghibli has a gift for tear-jerking, and at the end my eyes were watering up once again.
4	sensei	90 _93rd
Worth watching for the spectacular imagery alone, but it's much more than that. Anyone can relate to this movie, filled with nostalgia, regret, uncertainty for the future, etc. Make sure to endure the first 20 minutes because Only Yesterday becomes more and more rewarding.
4	paulofilmo	80 _98th
A script of gentle wisdom. A subtle epic.
3	psim	90 _98th
What a great film about how our adult lives are shaped by the small moments along the way. Everything rang so true, and the film is full of delightful and touching moments.
3	SirRobbie	100 _99th
One of the most beautiful film experiences I ever had.
3	matGuy3	9 _92nd
Sure, it's nostalgic and romantic, even dangerously close to sentimental--the ending in particular--but the emotions and the satisfaction portrayed through the beautiful music and animation... it's a genuine tear-jerker that doesn't feel forced at all; I had fallen in love with these people and I wanted them, I wanted HER, to be happy and go forward to a better future. That final meeting of past and present was emotional perfection.
2	Ytadel	5 _57th
This one didn't exactly light my world on fire. I DID really like the 5th grade flashback sequences, which were moving and subtle - and Ghibli, as always, writes remarkably accurate children - but the age 27 scenes had me restless.
2	Nathan S	5 _93rd
Well if this isn't the sweetest thing I've ever seen. Gentle, lyrical. Lovely and leisurely. An utterly charming sense of humor. Nostalgic of formative experiences, both the warm and the troubling, and the fulfillment of self-reflection and realization. Sympathetic of a woman's place in the world, from puberty to adulthood, and containing beautiful renderings of the Japanese countryside, but ultimately it feels universal.
2	nandorizzi	85 _88th
I confess that Anime has never interested me much. But if I, or anyone who want to know and begin to like, this is the right movie. A story of a lovely simplicity.
2	Okkervil	90 _96th
Profoundly beautiful. Takahata's standard themes run thick through "Only Yesterday", but they do not dominate the characters or the narrative as they do in one or two of his lesser works. It's beautifully animated and deeply subtle, but at the same time hugely expressive and emotional. The touching nostalgia is never sickly or overdone, but it's all perfectly judged and paced.
2	JLFM	86 _91st
Takahata has a gift for weaving non-literal imagery and fantastical moments into otherwise grounded films, and that hallmark is more present in his utterly gorgeous masterwork, Only Yesterday, than in any of his other films. Flashbacks with Taeko's 10 year-old self intertwine with the present-day and occasionally collide with Takahata's gracefully deft touch. The culmination of this occurs in the film's transcendent final scene - one of my all-time favorite finales from any movie.
2	VengefulKBM	75 _63rd
About halfway between boring and beautiful, this somewhat plaintive Ghibli outing starts pretty slow, but ends up packing a bit of a wallop by the end. At least for me - as the nostalgic childhood themes really hit home for me. Also, there's something to be said for a movie like this that's willing to take an extended break for a wacky, lengthy deconstruction of the way schoolchildren are taught about female puberty, featuring a banjo arrangement of "Turkey in the Straw."
1	chow25	90 _90th
Touching tell of adulthood.
1	turin	74 _78th
Like everything out of Ghibli, it's pure magic, although quite different then other proudctions - instead of fantasy, we get something much more tangible and real. Although the minimalistic animation is noticeable from the very start, and seems somewhat too simplistic, it matches the story well. The same can be said about the plot itself: first reserved feelings towards reminescents of a 10 year-old Japanese girl turn out to be only the prelude to more serious subject.
1	Bown	86 _80th
Very slight, yet incredibly beautiful and real. My 1000th rating on this site.
1	CAMcleod	100 _95th
My favourite Studio Ghibli film, and it is not by Miyazaki! Controversial, perhaps, but this nostalgia-soaked drama hit all the right notes for me, and remains among my favourite films of all time! Watch it, if you haven't already.
1	hotsake	92 _99th
Another great human drama from the Man who directed Graveyard of the Fireflies.
1	Groovy_Souls	70 _56th
Perhaps on a second watch this score could improve, but I really wasn't impressed with this film as I usually am with Ghibli. It has the right feel and invokes the right emotions, but it's almost dull in its setting. However, the Japanese voice acting is delightful, as is the nostalgic feel and animation. It's not bad, but one of my least favorite Ghibli films.
1	Corbad	90 _96th
A stunning pastoral and a beautiful reflection on childhood and maturity voiced by a superb Japanese cast. Moving and immersive vignettes washed in watercolours flow into scenes of naturalistic dialogue and silence that breathes deeply and fresha sunrise is a moment of holy pause, conversations in the car wander through profundity as the vehicle winds through the fields. Authentic and utterly singular, patient and lovely. Beautiful.
1	Jimmy Suede	90 _93rd
Gorgeous film. A subtle and sweet romance about a woman coming to terms with her present through a time in the country and reminiscences of a formative time in her childhood. And such a great ending (those kids!!).
1	nobamba	50 _45th
A refreshing change of pace from other Studio Ghibli films on a more poignant subject and a historical piece. Fav scene: train at the end with the kids.

Average Percentile 68.6% from 879 Ratings