Setting expectations: This review is being written under a subjective lens and mainly enjoyment. The amount of spoilers will be as minimal as possible to none. I dont talk more about the plot points except in spoiler text. If you come to expect opinions from a very critical sense sorry but Im not your guy as we may have different tastes. Ill try my best to explain what are the things that worked for me and what doesnt in this review. Then youll hopefully be able to understand my point of view and maybe come to your own conclusion about what this movie will be like for you. I preface because a lot of people online come to expect reviews to fit a mold of what they want which isnt always realistic. For me I just like to talk about anime I enjoy. And so this review is about such things. Sorry if this aint what youre looking for. Verdict Omohide Poro Poro or Only Yesterday is a film released in Summer 1991 and produced by Studio Ghibli. Its directed by Isao Takahata Grave of the Fireflies Akage no Anne The Tale of Princess Kaguya. The story is adapted from Manga of the same name and the script was written by Isao Takahata. The translation of the title is in reference to the phrase it seems like only yesterday which means used to say that something seems like it just happened. In essence this movie is a lot about reflection and reminiscing of the past. And this movie definitely does play on that nostalgia factor. This movie is rooted in nostalgia from the getgo. Its portrayal of the past and present is rooted in realism which helps exemplify said nostalgia. Welldone on their part for adapting these to the bigscreen. The animators for Only Yesterday have done a great job of showcasing character expressions and realistic movement theyve met the bar they set for themselves in terms of the standard of animation for Studio Ghibli. Nothing ever falters here and for a 90s film it sure looks beautiful at some points. Movies audio is also secondtonone and the voice acting feels very realistic. Your enjoyment will depend on how much the film resonates with you in terms of its character and stories. For me this film is a 7/10. It was entertaining and a nice ride. Personally nothing too remarkable but it wasnt bad. Explaining my Rating Scale I think the common mistake with ratings is that we all tend to judge and associate each rating on our own personal scale. When people see an average anime they see that as a 5 some do 6 and others do 7. As you all know we all have different tastes hence different rating scales. Hence why Ill post my scale below. My Personal Ratings Scale Anime: 4 and below = I wouldve dropped this show already but made myself suffer through it for some reason. Regardless this is the drop zone generally. 5 = This was really meh and I wouldnt take the time to rewatch. 6 = This was meh and I wouldnt watch it again unless I was forced to. 7 = It was okay and acceptable it was good entertainment and you enjoyed the ride. 8 = This was a great story and you enjoyed the show/movie but it wasnt considered one of the best experiences. Just a great time overall 9 = If you watched this show/movie for the first time youll love this a lot. It aint lifechanging but god damn youll have one of the best experiences. 10 = This show resonated with me so hard chills and intense emotional catharsis. Background Ive actually picked up a bluray copy of this film a few years ago. Never had the time to watch it and never even seen it before but it was from Studio Ghibli plus I heard good praise for it. All I knew it was from the director of The Grave of Fireflies and it was like Studio Ghiblis slice of life. From their studio catalog Ive seen a good amount of Studio Ghibli films and Grave of the Fireflies. My expectations were quite leveled when watching I liked Slice of Life a lot and so I was ready to have a nice chill time with the film. Before making this review I saw the bluray version and Ive only watched the movie in Japanese Audio English subtitles. The Review Now the review. Ill be talking about the anime in the following categories: 1 Story / Plot / Characters The story and characters are really grounded in reality. This can easily be adapted to liveaction if they wanted to. It tries to talk a lot about rural vs. urban life but its more focused on the rural life and the childhood past. I think its portrayal of certain subjects is quite welldone especially their childhood scenes. It felt like I was watching real children and real adults go about in the story. A lot of it is rooted in nostalgia and so if youre wondering why so much focus on the past well thats what happens to adults. There have been instances where I was laughing and enjoying the nostalgic story moments because of how relatable it was. Then I would end up getting tired during the presentday stuff. In the end I found myself feeling like Im listening to an older parent speak about their childhood and listening to some peers at a bonfire talking about their childhood stories or what theyre doing today. This movie feels like a visually adapted podcast of a set of stories. For those who havent been familiar with some technologies and references in the past certain scenes may seem odd and considered dated to you. Regardless its a nice look at how things were during that setting. Other reviews noted how much propaganda it feels like I was never bothered by its story/themes because well its the characters opinion on how they want to live their life. I dont necessarily agree with what theyre saying but I also understand that this is how some people are in the real world with being pushy about a certain viewpoint which adds to how real their characters are. Overall expect a slice of life story where most of the meat is focused on the characters instead of the plot. I think each scene brings out more aspects of each character and really brings them more to life. Theres really no big plot and thats not what it really aims to do so dont expect that. 2 Visuals / Animation The movie was made in the early 90s and used 2D animation. Youll see some beautiful painted backgrounds and the animators have really mastered their work in just about every way in the visual department. Animation is what you can expect from Studio Ghibli where theres a lot of focus on how characters realistically move and how it expresses their personalities/characters. 3 Audio / Soundtrack / Voice Acting The audio design was remarkable. Every single thing can be heard in each scene and felt realistic. Soundtrack felt average but it fit the tone of a very relaxed/nostalgic feel for the scenes. It was serviceable with some unique tracks here and there. Voice acting was really good in bringing the characters to life. Theres no exaggerated voices or the like youre hearing some real people expressed from the characters. 4 Overall In terms of audience engagement itll be up to you how much investment you have in the characters and how much you can relate. I believe this movie would be more appropriate as a set of OVAs or shorts. If you end up not being super engaged throughout the movie I would take breaks inbetween and come back later when you want a more laidback feel. Sometimes you may not have the urge to watch a laidback movie or slowpaced film if so come back when you do. For those wanting a change of place from typical anime tropes and want an animated film that is grounded in reality this is your type of film. In the end I found myself being entertained but also yawning at some points. I think Ill revisit this film in the future again in a few years maybe with more life experience Ill probably appreciate what its trying to say more as I can probably relate better. And if not well it was a nice ride. Thanks for reading my review. :