From Up on Poppy Hill
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From Up on Poppy Hill Image
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Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 29 Ratings

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  • Starring: ,
  • Summary: Set in Yokohama in 1963, this lovingly hand-drawn film centers on Umi and Shun and the budding romance that develops as they join forces to save their high school’s ramshackle clubhouse from demolition. [GKIDS]

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    Mar 28, 2013
    100
    Your kids may will fall in love with it, if you help them find it.
  2. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    Mar 29, 2013
    83
    Although simpler and less mysterious than the great Hayao Miyazaki movies, the gently melancholic From Up on Poppy Hill is still a must see at a time when family entertainment is too often synonymous with blandness.
  3. The Telegraph
    Reviewed by: Robbie Collin
    Aug 3, 2013
    80
    Goro Miyazaki’s film is about the point at which we decide not what we want to be when we grow up, but who, and the way the tiniest moments in our lives often have the most far-reaching effect.
  4. NPR
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    Mar 14, 2013
    65
    It's the warm tenor of the film that ultimately rescues it.
  5. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    Mar 27, 2013
    63
    The artistry is peaceful and comforting to the eyes but not especially stirring. Given the pictorial extremes that Studio Ghibli has gone to in the past, "Up on Poppy Hill" is weak tea.
  6. The Guardian
    Reviewed by: Mike McCahill
    Aug 2, 2013
    60
    It's a light, breezy 1960s-set coming-of-age tale that strives to convey something of how Japan rebuilt itself after the traumas of the second world war.
  7. Slant Magazine
    Reviewed by: Caroline McKenzie
    Mar 11, 2013
    50
    The story arc is somewhat facile, and its lesson about preserving history instead of demolishing it to make way for new, shiny things is too obvious.

See all 20 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. AlanTeew
    May 4, 2013
    10
    One of Ghibli's best, very much akin to Whispers of the Heart but without the magic cats, and with characters a bit more down to earth, with a greater sense of community.… Expand
  2. mapizarro
    Mar 18, 2013
    10
    From Up on Poppy Hill is a beautiful film. It has charm, harmony and hopefull for new generations. Like "Only Yesterday" and "Ocean Waves", "From Up on Poppy Hill" is an another traditional and folklore Studio Ghibli film.… Expand
  3. jeff_reviews
    Jul 5, 2013
    9
    With all of the emotions there with wonderful animation, "From Up on Poppy Hill" is delightful. While it's not as deeply plotted as it could have been, Umi's story is courageous and beautiful, leaving adults more than children to be appealed. It's simply pure Ghibli magic.… Expand
  4. RyanJae
    Mar 23, 2013
    9
    The film was visually stunning and emotionally captivating. Studio Ghibli always manages to pull the audience out of reality and lets them become part of a whole new dimension.… Expand
  5. Xanifur
    Sep 27, 2013
    9
    Another Ghibli masterpiece. Great story, top-tier animation, and a great story make this an all around winner. The plot may be difficult for young children to follow, this is a more mature story.… Expand
  6. SebastianHL
    Mar 27, 2013
    9
    Very beautiful movie. The movie really captures an old yet youthful atmosphere in a Japan in change. Where old meets young. DON'T watch the trailer before you see the movie and if possible, watch the movie in Japanese.… Expand
  7. Tokyochuchu
    Mar 18, 2013
    8
    From Up on Poppy Hill is a delightful Gibili anime. Ditching the fantasy motifs completely, the movie tells an understated story of young love and it's obstacles. The film is sweet, subtle and delivers a superbly animated vision of a newly post war Japan. Excellent stuff, as usual!… Expand

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