From Up on Poppy Hill

From Up on Poppy Hill (Japanese コクリコ坂から, Hepburn Kokuriko-zaka kara) is a 2011 Studio Ghibli film by director Goro Miyazaki, son of the acclaimed Hayao Miyazaki based on a 1980s manga of the same name by Tetsuo Sayama and Chizuru Takahashi. It is Goro Miyazaki's second film for Studio Ghibli. In contrast to his first work, Tales From Earthsea, his second effort was rather well received.

The heroine, Umi Matsuzaki, is a high school girl in Yokohama of 1963. From her home overlooking the bay, she raises flag signals every morning meaning "I pray for safe voyages". One day, she receives an answer, as it turns out, from Shun Kazama, one class above her.

In preparation for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and generally with the developing economic miracle, Japan is quickly modernizing, often razing the old to make way for the modern. At Umi's school, the old building of the Culture Club, nicknamed Quartier Latin by the students, is decided to be torn down. The film follows the students' efforts to reverse this decision, and, being a Slice of Life film, the students' day to day activities.


 * Bilingual Bonus:
 * When Umi's mum visits her, after staying in America, she brings back beef jerky. The phrase "ORIGINAL BEEF JERKY" is visible on the package.
 * The name of the boarding house, Coquelicot Manor, with Coquelicot meaning corn poppy in French. Also the Quartier Latin written above the entrance of the titular location reflecting the spelling in French, although it is worth noting that the English subtitles use Quarter instead.
 * Blush Sticker: Umi gets them in a brief scene just before hopping on Shun's bike.
 * Brother-Sister Incest:
 * Color-Coded for Your Convenience: The Sailor Fukus of female students in Umi's School. They have different colours (green, red, blue) depending on which of the three year levels they are in.
 * Creative Closing Credits: The credits sequence involves Umi and Shun sailing back to shore from a boat, Umi putting up flags and looking at the sunrise, and a pan over a painting.
 * Cue the Rain: The Second Act Breakup is backdropped with rain. Shun walks ahead of Umi, even though he doesn't have an umbrella, moving on from Umi's Together Umbrella.
 * Disappeared Dad: Shun's father.
 * Establishing Character Moment: Umi is established to be independent and a care taker of the house when, in the opening sequence, she dresses herself, turns on a stove, and raises flags.
 * Everyone Can See It: Between Umi and Shun, even though there's a Surprise Incest invoked (and later subverted).
 * Family Theme Naming: The characters Umi, Sora, and Riku, who all live at the boarding house, have names which mean sea, sky, and land, respectively.
 * Gilligan Cut: Near the end of the film, Umi and Shun are rushing to a ship. The ship's captain is on the photo that they both share, and can provide some answers. Unfortunately for them, the ship is departing soon and they must rush to it. They catch a ride, and the driver remarks that he'll "get you there with time to spare"... then they're stuck in a traffic jam.
 * Gratuitous French: Especially Quartier Latin and "Kokuriko" (from "coquelicot" - corn poppy).
 * Girlish Pigtails: Umi has them.
 * High School: Where the Quartier Latin — which serves as housing for after school clubs — is located. It is worth noting that many of the tropes associated with a high school, such an Alpha Bitch and Sadist Teacher, are averted, as the film only uses the school as a backdrop to its events.
 * Land, Sea, Sky: Riku, Umi, and Sora means "land", "sea", and "sky", respectively. The trope is In Name Only, and the characters don't behave the way expected for their name. They don't possess superpowers as this is a Slice of Life work.
 * Large Ham: The philosophy club guy. Quite literally too, he's at least a head taller than everyone else.
 * Mad Scientist: Some of the students at the Quartier Latin is this, with accompany shots of Stuff Blowing Up.
 * Meaningful Name: Umi means sea in Japanese, reflecting the crucial role the ocean and boats play in this film.
 * Men Can't Keep House: The Quartier Latin (occupied by only men) is utterly squalid. One of the plot points is regarding women helping clean out the Quartier Latin to make it more appealing.
 * Morning Routine: The film opens with Umi's morning routine placed over the opening credits.
 * Nice Girl: The protagonist Umi Matsuzaki, who is supportive for residents in the boarding house and Quartier Latin, playing a huge part in the students' efforts to stop it being demolished.
 * No Antagonist: As is usual with Ghibli productions. The conflict revolves around trying to save the Quartier Latin and romance. It contains a mixture of internal and external conflicts, but none of them are caused by an antagonist.
 * Opening Narration: In the English dub, Umi does this to introduce audiences to the setting and time period.
 * Parental Abandonment: Neither Umi's nor Shun's birth parents are around, most are dead. Umi lives with her grandmother, Shun with his foster father.
 * Real Song Theme Tune: "Summer of Farewells", concluding the film, is released in 1976, although the track has become largely associated with the film.
 * Sailor Fuku: The uniform worn by the female students at the Umi's school.
 * Scenery Gorn: The Quartier Latin is absolutely filthy before it is cleaned, because Men Can't Keep House. This is drilled in with many shots of the mess and dust left there. Because this is a Studio Ghibli production, the trope is much more effective due to additional details the studio painstakingly painted.
 * Second Act Breakup: Umi and Shun goes through one of these once they realise they might be related.
 * Slice of Life: The film is set in 1964 Japan starring Ordinary High School Students, and unlike most other Ghibli productions, features no supernatural elements.
 * Surprise Incest: When Umi and Shun discover that they share the same photo, they believe that they share the same parents and thus cannot pursue their relationship..
 * Team Chef: Not in a five man band, but Umi is the chef at the boarding house.
 * The Song Remains the Same: All three Japanese songs (the ending "Sayonara no Natsu", the inserted "Ue o Muite Arukô", and "Dawn ~ Breakfast Song") remain in Japanese in the English dub.
 * Stuff Blowing Up: The chemistry club causes an explosion as an Establishing Character Moment.
 * Shipper on Deck: When Umi and Shun are rushing and leaving the Quartier Latin near the end of the film, one of the students remark that they are "the perfect couple".
 * Together Umbrella: Umi and Shun stand under one of those. This trope is partially inverted, as it is used while