Omohide Poro Poro (1991)

I've been in a some kind of Ghibli spree lately – watching and rewatching – all that jazz. I've, embarassingly, haven't watched all of their films, honestly, so when I looked at the masterpost and saw Omohide Poro Poro, I kind of hesitated a little, since I haven't heard of this film at all; but I have high hopes since it's Ghibli after all, and I loved all the Ghibli films I've watched! ^_^ And I, unsurprisingly, wasn't disappointed.

I can't believe this film is  underrated - I take it as one of the lesser known films of Ghibli. It's beautiful, wonderful and enchanting, although it has none of the fantasy elements most of the Ghibli films has. Yes, it has a weaker story than the other films, but Omohide Poro Poro is highly likable, and very relatable. One of my favorite thing from Ghibli is that they always nailed the children traits of the characters really well, and the same goes in this movie. The little love story, the friendship, the relationship between Taeko and her family, it's familiar and real, and almost everyone had experienced it before.

I think the weakpoints is in the adult storyline – I actually don't mind, but it's really predictable. From when Taeko meet Toshio at the station I just know that they're going to be together. There's no remarkable scene from them together, though, so the whole relationship just seemed really cheesy to me. It's also slow and boring in some parts, but the (honestly cheesy, predictable but beautiful) ending just tied it all up in a very good manner. I also have some problems with the characters too – although they're very alive, there's just nothing memorable about them.

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 - it's good, but not at the same level as the more well-known Ghiblis, but it's still very beautifully made. I loved it!