Rating summary
| Movie |  | 4.5 |
| Video | | 4.5 |
| Audio |  | 5.0 |
| Extras |  | 4.0 |
| Overall | | 4.5 |
From Up on Poppy Hill Blu-ray Movie Review
An exceptional anime classic from Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle).
Reviewed by Neil Lumbard September 21, 2021
From Up on Poppy Hill is an enchanting anime gem based on an original story by Tetsuro Sayama. Directed by Goro Miyazaki (Tales
from Earthsea, Earwig and the Witch), Hayao Miyazaki's son, audiences won't be able to resist the charming tale. A must-see modern
classic.
Set in 1963, From Up on Poppy Hill follows the journey of high-school girl Umi Matsuzaki (Masami Nagasawa) while she lives in a quiet
boarding
house. When Umi meets Shun Kazuma (Jun'ichi Okada), who works as one of the leaders of the newspaper club, the duo become close friends and
begin to work together to clean up the school clubhouse and make the club a better environment for all. Though a greedy businessman seeks to
demolish the clubhouse and use it for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Umi and Shun will stop at nothing to save it from demolition. Can the clubhouse be
restored to its former glory?
Featuring art direction by Kamon Oba, Yohei Takamatsu, Noboru Yoshida, and Takashi Omori, From Up on Poppy Hill is a beautiful work of
art from Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro). The animation is superb throughout the entire production. The
background art is vivid and detailed throughout. The character designs are unique and full of personality. The art work is as stunning as classic
paintings: every frame looks beautiful to behold (and to marvel in). The cinematography by Atsushi Okui (Spirited Away, Porco
Rosso) helps give the production even more visual splendor.
A quiet gem. A must-see modern classic.
The score composed by Satoshi Takebe (After the Flowers, Over Time) is simply
majestic. The music is a different type of effort compared to the usual works of Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away,
Kiki's Delivery Service) but the score gives unique life to the animation. The score sounds tranquil and mesmerizing.
The screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro)
and Keiko Niwa (When Marnie Was There, Ocean Waves) is one of the greatest assets of
From Up on Poppy Hill. With contributions by Hayao Miyazaki, the storytelling is every-bit as good as a usual Studio Ghibli production.
Characters
are well rounded. The story is full of charm.
Goro Miyazaki capably directed From Up on Poppy Hill. Comparisons to his father, Hayao Miyazaki, are unavoidable. Yet Goro gives the
filmmaking a distinctive style while showing the influence of his father. The end-results are impressive. From Up on Poppy Hill is entertaining,
beautiful, and fun. Studio Ghibli fans won't be able to resist.
From Up on Poppy Hill Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
Arriving on Blu-ray from GKids (in collaboration with Shout Factory), From Up on Poppy Hill is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded
high-definition. The film is presented in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. For additional information on the picture-quality, please refer to the
review by my colleague Jeffrey Kauffman.
From Up on Poppy Hill Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
The release is presented in Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.0. The release does not include a discreet LFE
channel (as intended). For additional information regarding the audio-quality, please refer to the review by my colleague Jeffrey Kauffman.
From Up on Poppy Hill Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
The collectors edition comes in collectible steelbook packaging. The steelbook design is beautiful in its simplistic elegance. The
cover-art showcases an iconic image from the feature-film against a light blue background. The steelbook has a nice minimalism and looks beautiful in
person. The inside-art has a nice image from the film. The release includes a booklet with selections of writing on From Up on Poppy Hill. The
release includes a Blu-ray and DVD.
On-disc supplements remain the same as the standard-edition. For additional information on these extras, please refer to the review by my colleague Jeffrey Kauffman.
From Up on Poppy Hill Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
From Up on Poppy Hill is an enchanting gem which wears its heart on its sleeve: the production is beautiful from start-to-finish. The
animation is stunning and the storytelling is enchanting. With the involvement of Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away), Goro Miyazaki's anime gem is
another must-see from the masters at Studio Ghibli. The Blu-ray release features an impressive video-audio presentation and a nice selection of extras.
The collectors edition includes beautiful steelbook packaging. The release is a must-own for Ghibli enthusiasts. Highly recommended.
