When you think of classic stories for teenagers, you probably think of classics like Anne of Green Gables, Catcher in the Rye.
However, there are many other works that are classified as “adolescent”, even Anime.
Over the years, anime-loving audiences have maintained their support for Studio Ghibli because of its unique art style and the way many of their works have family-centric themes for storytelling.
With Anime of such genre, it is not difficult for viewers to find coming-of-age stories in the studio’s library.
Delivery service of the witch Kiki
The Kiki Witch Delivery Service is one of Studio Ghibli’s most popular Anime series to date, right behind the classic fantasy works Howl’s Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke.
Kiki has so much to offer, she almost perfectly fits the mold of a coming-of-age story.
The story of the Kiki Witch Delivery Service follows a young witch named Kiki as she explores the world around her and discovers her own magic.
Traditionally, thirteen-year-old witches had to leave home for a year to find themselves.
Like every young witch his age, Kiki does it with his trusted companion Jiji. After facing some hardships and trials, Kiki finds temporary shelter in the seaside town of Koriko.
Kiki befriends a couple who own a bakery, Osono, and her husband, Fukuo. Kiki offers to help around the bakery if Osono allows her to stay in their empty room.
While working at Osono’s bakery, Kiki decided to open his own delivery service, delivering ordered items to customers with brooms. Unfortunately, Kiki’s first delivery didn’t go well, she dropped the gift that was supposed to be delivered.
While searching for the item, she meets Ursula, a young reclusive painter who has a house in the woods. While living in Koriko, Kiki became bored and began to feel lonely.
One day, she meets a local guy named Tombo, who invites Kiki to a party. For various reasons, Kiki misses the party but doesn’t lose sight of his growing friendship with Tombo.
The Kiki Witch Delivery Service explores Kiki’s struggles in making new friends, asserting himself, and reconnecting with his own magical abilities.
Overall, Kiki’s Witch Delivery Service offers a great coming-of-age story that will stick with viewers into adulthood.
The whispers of the heart
Often lurking in Kiki’s shadow, Whisper of the Heart is one of the best coming-of-age stories Studio Ghibli has produced, films that both feature two stellar female leads.
Whisper of the Heart follows Shizuku Tsukishima, a fourteen-year-old girl who is in her final year of middle school. Shizuku doesn’t know what she wants to do with her future, or even if she wants to go to high school.
To make matters more complicated, her family lives a dull life in the suburbs of Tokyo. Shizuku finds an escape from life in books, falling into a fairy tale in a split second.
One summer evening, Shizuku was looking through the return cards of the books in the library. She came across a familiar name she noticed written on some of the cards, Seiji Amasawa.
Later, Shizuku meets her best friend Yuko, presenting her with the graduation song she wrote for their class.
The name of the song is Concrete Roads, an imitation of the song Take Me Home, Country Roads. The song was written by Shizuku to criticize deforestation in Tama New Town.
As the series progresses, Shizuku befriends an elderly man named Shiro Nishi, who owns an antique shop. She also meets his grandson, Seiji Amasawa.
At first, Shizuku doesn’t like Seiji very much, but the two gradually develop a close and close bond, vowing to support each other as they work to achieve their goals.
Seiji wanted to become a violinist, and Shizuku began writing her first novel. The anime series showcases the struggles of young adulthood and figuring out who you want to be.
Many audiences can easily empathize with Shizuku, especially if you are an introvert who likes to be immersed in a good book.
Ocean Waves
There is some debate as to whether Ocean Waves should be considered a Studio Ghibli film. While much of the film’s production was directed by Studio Ghibli, much of its animation was outsourced to other studios, including Anime studio Madhouse Inc.
Ocean Waves is the first Ghibli film not directed by Hayao Miyazaki or Isao Takahata. It was the studio’s attempt to give young animators time to shine, but the film was over budget and over-scheduled.
Ocean Waves focuses on Taku Morisaki, his best friend Yutaka Matsuno and the girl they love, Rikako Muto. Taku and Yutaka became love rivals shortly after meeting Rikako and developing feelings for her.
Ocean Waves begins when Rikako arrives at Taku’s school as a transfer student. The rest of the film introduces the class’ trip to Hawaii and Taku’s future adventures with the arrogant and impulsive Rikako.
Throughout the story, viewers learn that Rikako has a complicated relationship with her parents, specifically her father. Taku must help her mend the broken relationship between Rikako and her father.
Ocean Waves has received mixed reviews from Ghibli fans, with some viewers describing it as a “pointless love story” with “too much teenage anxiety”, while others love the interesting characters and aesthetically pleasing graphics.
Only Yesterday
Set in 1982, Taeko Okajima is an unmarried twenty-seven-year-old woman who has lived in Tokyo her whole life.
One day, Taeko decides to go on a trip to the countryside to visit her extended family and help harvest the Rum tree.
During her trip, Taeko recounted a specific year in her life as 1966, when she was 10 years old. In her recollection, Taeko said that she always wanted to travel with her classmates, who all had families living outside of Tokyo.
While in Yamagata, Taeko’s childhood yearning for simplicity grows stronger, but she cannot ignore her adult responsibilities.
Only Yesterday depicts childhood romance, the embarrassing experiences of puberty, and many other struggles. Despite the film’s slow tempo, audiences can still appreciate Ghibli’s signature use of “show, don’t tell”.
Many viewers may find Taeko’s nostalgia and experience related, especially if you were born and raised in a big city and have never traveled far from that city.
Not every Studio Ghibli film is a masterpiece, but the majority of audiences can agree that there is always something worthy for everyone to enjoy.
If you’re a child, teen, or parent, the teen movies produced by Studio Ghibli are sure to leave an unforgettable feeling of nostalgia.
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