Review by rcs8

I saw this for the first time this evening on the TCM network and was completely swept away. This happens nearly every time I see a new Studio Gibli film, but this was exceptional. The story of a young Japanese woman's 10 day vacation to the old safflower farm; a trip by train during which she recalls memories of her school days and how her earlier experiences shape who she is today. If you've ever seen the Japanese TV show Chibi Maruko Chan, you might think, "This is Maruko all grown up!" There are many moving scenes, one of the most interesting involving the woman's memory of her struggle with 5th grade math. She can't solve the logic of dividing fractions, and her discussion with her rather rude older sister on this topic reveals tremendous insight on the part of the filmmaker. It's simply a very touching story of a young girl's growth. It would make a great double feature with another Gibli film, "Kiki's Delivery Service."