From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)

I love the fantastic, magical worlds brought to life in Ghibli movies, but there's a very special place in my heart for the films that are a little closer to reality. Still, I wasn't sure about this one. It was directed by Goro Miyazaki, who gave us the lackluster Tales from Earthsea. I felt a little uneasy when I pressed play, but my fears soon faded.

This isn't on par with Ghibli's best but it's still a very good film. It's a sweet, simple love story that caught me a little by surprise - I wasn't expecting it to be so moving. The animation is excellent, and the backgrounds are stunning. I loved the town and its characters, and the music was wistful and lovely. I wish this had a little more whimsy, but it's still charming.

4 fights with a cat out of 5.