Only Yesterday

Week #4: First new Ghibli I watched in a really long time; I was not prepared to cry again. Only Yesterday aligns with my personal values so perfectly, even though I am nothing like Taeko. But, I was a kid as well. Looking back on my child self is something that makes me weep. Back when I was a kid I always wanted to meet my older self that finally turned adult. Now, at the end of high school, last year before I move out of the country, I'm also in a very reminiscing mood. I want to meet my younger self, see what he thinks of me now. I can always look back and see what made me what I am, see what my younger self is like, but I will never be able to do it the other way around. Only Yesterday came at a perfect time for me. The movie itself is breathtaking. Love that the flashbacks are always in a pastel color pallette and some parts of the background are just blank white nothingness as she can't remember every detail of a memory. Only Yesterday is one of, if not the most mature movies I've seen. Ghibli really understands how each age group acts and thinks, making this inarguably mundane movie even more realistic, which is so rare to see. The choice to tackle periods is also a really respectable choice. It made me reflect on when I was a middle-schooler, I and other boys never noticed anything out of the ordinary. If we knew about it, we'd just think "cooties" were real. But it is really dumb, how Disney was not willing to distribute this movie for that reason. Even though I don't think many kids would enjoy this movie, some girls would feel seen by it, and can learn how there is nothing to be ashamed or scared of. Besides that, the only thing I'll have to mention is that there is a hungarian folk song in this movie... WHY DO I FEEL SO TARGETED? I'm not a girl! I don't wanna move out to the country side! I am great at math! Yet, I feel... nostalgic.