Overview
A young girl's quest for self-discovery leads her to unexpected friendships and dreams.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- wistful
- gentle
- hopeful
- quiet afternoon
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film as a beautiful, evocative, and emotionally sincere portrait of adolescent yearning, creativity, and aspiration.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Shizuku develops her writing while confronting whether her imagination can become disciplined artistic work.
Shizuku's writing and Seiji's dream of becoming a violin maker bring the young couple together while challenging them to pursue their talents.
Libraries, trains, schools, homes, and the grandfather's violin shop are rendered with close observation and gentle enchantment.
Shizuku's library habits, writing project, school life, and developing relationship with Seiji make books and education central to her emotional growth.
Films like Whisper of the Heart, and why
Kiki's Delivery Service
Both are gentle animated coming of age stories centered on adolescent self-discovery, creativity, and heartfelt first love.
Only Yesterday
Both combine everyday Japanese youth culture with artistic aspiration, warm slice of life storytelling, and a tender romantic thread.
The Secret World of Arrietty
Both are intimate animated dramas about young people finding confidence through creative work and personal relationships.
Movie Details
- Director
- Yoshifumi Kondo
- Release Date
- 1995-07-15
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (2364)
Cast
- Yoko Honna
- Issey Takahashi
- Takashi Tachibana
- Shigeru Muroi
- Minami Takayama
- Mayumi Izuka
- Yorie Yamashita
- Keiju Kobayashi
- Naohisa Inoue
- Shigeru Tsuyuguchi
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Whisper of the Heart about?
- A book-loving Japanese schoolgirl discovers first love and tests her artistic dreams while a gifted boy pursues violin making.
- What is Whisper of the Heart like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Whisper of the Heart as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Whisper of the Heart violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Whisper of the Heart.
- What did critics think of Whisper of the Heart?
- Critics broadly praise the film as a beautiful, evocative, and emotionally sincere portrait of adolescent yearning, creativity, and aspiration.
- Which films are like Whisper of the Heart?
- Films with a similar feel include Kiki's Delivery Service, Only Yesterday, and The Secret World of Arrietty.
- How long is Whisper of the Heart?
- Whisper of the Heart runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch Whisper of the Heart?
- In United States, Whisper of the Heart streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
