This is a slower, more tranquil movie than most Studio Ghibli films, but that pairs well with the hyper accurate day-to-day nuance captured in the animation. It’s directed by Yoshifumi Kondo, not Hayao Miyazaki, so it’s less fantastical than My Neighbor Totoro and more of a realistic coming-of-age tale like From Up On Poppy Hill. It’s just a lot of fun to see a few slices of everyday life in ‘90s Japan with enough of a trickle of a plot to keep everything moving.

Closest comparison: It’s more From Up On Poppy Hill than The Cat Returns

Setting: Coming of Age
Plot: Coming of Age
Tone: Tranquil