Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Ghibli is known for transporting viewers to dazzling worlds filled with incredible scenery and amazing exploits. But Whisper of the Heart isn't about fantastic adventures or chimerical lands. It's about the adventures we create ourselves. It's a sweet, quiet little coming of age film that beautifully shows what it's like to discover your passion.

Whisper of the Heart may be short of fantasy, but it's still full of wonderfully detailed backgrounds you could stare at all day. The animation isn't quite on par with some of Ghibli's later films, but it's still solid, and the movie as a whole is very well made. There's a romance subplot that feels almost unnecessary, but I like it anyway. It's the sort of movie that doesn't weave a story as much as capture a snapshot in time, and when it comes to tales like that, I enjoy the little extras.

4 almost magical antique stores out of 5