Overview
A heartfelt tale of young love and resilience amidst the backdrop of change.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- nostalgic
- gentle
- wistful
- quiet afternoon
- nostalgic movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film gentle, nostalgic, engaging, and visually lovely, while noting that its conventional story does not push the genre’s boundaries.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The clubhouse, Yokohama streets, school life, and preparations for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics create a richly remembered postwar milieu.
Umi and Shun organize fellow students to save the school clubhouse from demolition.
The relationship between Umi and Shun faces a sudden trial connected to their family backgrounds and absent fathers.
The film emphasizes domestic routines, school interiors, neighborhood life, and historically grounded Yokohama settings.
Films like From Up on Poppy Hill, and why
Whisper of the Heart
Both are Studio Ghibli coming-of-age romances centered on adolescent connection, everyday Japanese life, and gentle nostalgia.
Only Yesterday
Both are nostalgic Japanese animated dramas about young people, family legacies, and changing postwar social environments.
Ocean Waves
Both combine tender teenage romance, grounded period detail, and emotionally sincere coming-of-age storytelling.
The Wind Rises
Both are warm animated dramas shaped by Japanese cultural memory, youthful idealism, and bittersweet social change.
Movie Details
- Director
- Goro Miyazaki
- Release Date
- 2011-07-16
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (2002)
Cast
- Masami Nagasawa
- Junichi Okada
- Keiko Takeshita
- Yuriko Ishida
- Rumi Hiiragi
- Jun Fubuki
- Takashi Naito
- Shunsuke Kazama
- Nao Omori
- Teruyuki Kagawa
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 From Up on Poppy Hill about?
- Two Yokohama students find love and collective purpose while defending their cherished clubhouse amid Japan’s rapidly modernizing 1960s.
- What is From Up on Poppy Hill like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of From Up on Poppy Hill as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is From Up on Poppy Hill violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in From Up on Poppy Hill.
- What did critics think of From Up on Poppy Hill?
- Critics broadly found the film gentle, nostalgic, engaging, and visually lovely, while noting that its conventional story does not push the genre’s boundaries.
- Which films are like From Up on Poppy Hill?
- Films with a similar feel include Whisper of the Heart, Only Yesterday, Ocean Waves, and The Wind Rises.
- How long is From Up on Poppy Hill?
- From Up on Poppy Hill runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch From Up on Poppy Hill?
- In United States, From Up on Poppy Hill streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
