
From Up on Poppy Hill
2011, Drama/Anime, 1h 31m
88 Reviews 10,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Gentle and nostalgic, From Up on Poppy Hill is one of Studio Ghibli's sweeter efforts -- and if it doesn't push the boundaries of the genre, it remains as engagingly lovely as Ghibli fans have come to expect. Read critic reviews
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Where to watch
From Up on Poppy Hill Photos
Movie Info
Yokohama teens try to save their school's clubhouse from being demolished.
Cast & Crew
Masami Nagasawa
Umi Matsuzaki
Voice
Umi Matsuzaki
Voice
Jun'ichi Okada
Shun Kazama
Voice
Shun Kazama
Voice
Keiko Takeshita
Hana Matsuzaki
Voice
Hana Matsuzaki
Voice
Yuriko Ishida
Miki Hokuto
Voice
Miki Hokuto
Voice
Rumi Hîragi
Sachiko Hirokôji
Voice
Sachiko Hirokôji
Voice
Jun Fubuki
Yoshiko Matsuzaki
Voice
Yoshiko Matsuzaki
Voice
Critic Reviews for From Up on Poppy Hill
Audience Reviews for From Up on Poppy Hill
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Aug 24, 2015In "From Up on Poppy Hill," Umi Matsuzaki, a 16-year old student, hangs nautical flags every day from the porch of her home in memory of her father, a tugboat pilot, who went missing during the Korean War. This does not go without notice by boat captains in the area. What has also not gone without notice are the protests to keep the campus clubhouse, in danger of demolition for the upcoming 1964 Olympics, open which are led by Shun Kazama in occasionally spectacular fashion. "From Up on Poppy Hill" may not be one of the best animated movies Studio Ghibli has ever released.(It is so melodramatic in spots that a character actually comments on it.) But then considering how sweet and sentimental it is, it really does not have to be. Of all the lavish details, I am most fond of the clubhouse which is spectacularly rendered. Through that symbol, the movie explores not only Japan's connection to its past but also its future. All of which is done at a nicely personal level.Walter M Super Reviewer
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Feb 14, 2014From a screenplay of his father's creating, Goro Miyazaki son of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, directs this sympathetic and well-grounded film from Studio Ghibli. From Up on Poppy Hill is a very unique film in the Ghibli cannon, and is firmly grounded in reality, unlike most of Studio Ghibli's previous films which involve fantasy elements and worlds. This film is set in 1963 in Yokohama and the Japanese people are at a crossroads between the devastation of World War II and the upcoming 1964 Olympic Games to be held in Japan. The film primarily focuses on a young boy and girl named Yumi and Shun who are caught up within the changing times between holding true to the past and the change the future brings. The film is about preserving the past so that it stays firmly rooted within the future and the two children along with their schoolmates work together to preserve a dilapidated Meiji era clubhouse from demolition. As the two work together along with their friends an innocent romance emerges but it could be destroyed before it truly begins when truths arise neither knew of. The film is heartwarming and brimming with emotional resonance and touches on family, loss of a loved one(s), and hope. Yes the film is sad throughout it's messages of the past and present sufferings resulting from this but is ultimately a hopeful story and one that is touching and thoughtfully constructed.Chris B Super Reviewer
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Jan 21, 2014Only Miyazaki could make a family friendly, sweet and charming film with an incestuous twist. A true legend of animation and storytelling.Marcus W Super Reviewer
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Sep 15, 2013Goro Miyazaki's <i>From Up on Poppy Hill</i> takes it slow and steady.<p>Concluding at an hour and a half, the consistent sense of not knowing there the story is going is what keeps this film afloat. Backed by a calm atmosphere and a slower pace, the buildup of characters comes first and foremost, while the setting of the picture is a delight.</p><p>As with any good anime, the design of the characters are great and the attention to background detail work wonders at making the story that much more engrossing.</p><p>Voice work goes a long way in animations and there is no problem here. Masami Nagasawa and Junichi Okada highlight the cast.</p><p><i>From Up on Poppy Hill</i> doesn't pull any sharp turns with its storytelling, but when all is said and done, the story comes to a close nice and easy.</p>JY S Super Reviewer
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