I just watched Only Yesterday, the 1991 film by Studio Ghibli. Only Yesterday is the only theatrical release by Ghibli that is still unavailable in the US. Disney owns the rights to release the film on home video but has no plans to. So I had to buy a copy from the UK and read the subtitles. And I can understand why they haven't. Only Yesterday is not a children's film.
There is no reason Only Yesterday had to be an animated feature. I would describe it as a drama and more specifically, a chic flick. The film follows the life of Taeko in both 1982 and her ten year old self in 1966. The flashbacks take place in Tokyo where the the animation is minimalistic to impressionistic while the 1982 sections are more realistic and detailed.
In 1966 we follow Taeko's awkward childhood at school and in her home. Taeko fails at everything her sisters and friends succeed at. But more importantly, no one understands her. In 1982 Taeko has a career in Tokyo that isn't fulfilling. So she takes her vacations in the countryside to farm. Taeko is much more at home in the fields then she's felt in Tokyo.
As the plot progresses you watch Taeko develop into a typical hippie. The movie itself projects a mild rejection of urbanization and technology through the use of cliches. The pace is slow at times and the art, while pretty, isn't overwhelming. The characterization is decent and the story moving enough. A swing and a miss. 2.5/4
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