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Parents' Guide to

Whisper of the Heart

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Sweet, romantic coming-of-age anime with strong role models.

Movie G 2006 111 minutes
Whisper of the Heart Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 9+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Heather M.
Heather M. Parent
July 27, 2019
age 7+

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Jeff75
Jeff75 Parent of 8-year-old
January 19, 2015
age 8+

Lovely movie with classic Ghibli themes and little fantasy scenes

Even if this movie is not as famous as other Studio Ghibli productions, it is well worth watching. The story and characters follow several classic Ghibli themes: how you grow up, the first love, the first doubts about yourself, how you relate to your parents and grand-parents, and special cats too! The movie has much less fantastic elements than better known Ghibli films, but the few fantasy sequences are excellent. There are several memorable scenes with true moments of grace, such as the improvised concert and the "walk" with the quite remarkable Baron Humbert von Gikkigen. There is a fine balance between humor and serious feelings during the whole story. Overall a lovely and consistent movie that charmed my 8-year old girl and me. Last remark about the very short smoking moment: it is there to underline the short moment of dismay that parents may have when the kid is going in the wrong direction but telling him/her may make things worse. It is clearly disapproved and acknowledged as bad by the smoker himself.

This title has:

Great messages
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Shizuku Tsukishima is an avid reader, a daydreaming tween beginning to discover an interest in both writing and boys. She notices that a boy named Seiji Amasawa has checked out the exact same books from the library, before she has. She is determined to discover who this boy is, and her explorations take her to a curios shop, where she meets Seiji's grandfather, who inspires her to become a writer and tell her stories, as she learns and gets to know Seiji.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (10 ):

WHISPER OF THE HEART is another beautiful work of art from Studio Ghibli with a screenplay from legendary Hayao Miyazaki. The lush, detailed scenery is enchanting, as is the storyline, in spite of a slow pace and seemingly unfocused beginning. Coming-of-age themes -- hobbies becoming passions, the daily dramas of school life and family life, and the awkwardness of first love -- are given realistic presentations that transcend the Tokyo setting.

Be warned, though -- it is a romance, and not the action-packed film some kids might be more partial to. For kids who find the "mushy-mushy, kissy-kissy" stuff boring or worthy of outright mockery, Whisper of the Heart is not for them. But for older kids going through similar experiences to what Shizuku and Seiji are going through -- as well as anyone who can enjoy the beauty revealed through the settings, Whisper of the Heart is a sweet, universal film.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about life in Tokyo for Shizuku, the similarities and differences between where and how she lives and where and how your family live. How is her school life, home life, and social life the same? How is it different?

  • How is this movie similar to and different from American films about growing up, school, dating?

  • Kids: How do you balance your passions with your responsibilities?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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