Whisper of the Heart

"For better or worse, the legacy of acclaimed Studio Ghibli was set by the great works of its founders, Hayao Miyazaki ('My Neighbor Totoro', 'Spirited Away') and Isao Takahata ('Grave of the Fireflies', 'The Tale of Princess Kaguya'). However, this wasn't always the case, as, with the exception of 'I Can Hear the Ocean' (which premiered on television), 'Mimi wo sumaseba' had the distinction of being the studio's first feature-length film directed by someone else: animator Yoshifumi Kondō, whom Miyazaki hoped to give the reins as director (it was the only film he directed before his untimely death in 1998). With a screenplay by Miyazaki inspired by Aoi Hiiragi's homonymous manga, this is one of Ghibli's underrated gems, a everyday story of young love that, with elements of beautifully animated surreal fantasy, conveys the power to pursue our creative dreams. The film eventually had a spin-off, also from Studio Ghibli, titled 'The Cat Returns', directed by Hiroyuki Morita."