My review is spoiler-free! Only Yesterday shows the necessity of nurturing passions, whether it is in others or within ourselves. Taeko Okajima (the protagonist) worked in a 9:00 to 5:00 office job that paid her well, but her soul withered because her work there didn't match her interests. However, she thrived when she participated in countryside labor. As I learned in my graduate leadership courses, being in an occupation that doesn't align with one's passions will inevitably harm one's mental well-being, and that business will lack productivity when someone's personality and interests aren't being served by the type of job; it's a mutually unhealthy relationship for customers, the employee, and the organization at large. As exemplified in Only Yesterday's multiple heartbreaking scenes, it's especially important for elders to support childrens' dreams. When kids are taught (whether explicitly or implicitly) to suppress their passions and to not stray from the career paths that their parents believe to be the best for their children, then it erodes their self-esteem. Furthermore, not nourishing kids' dreams prevents others from being provided the best fruits of their endeavors before they even reach adulthood, no less so than when that passion is for the arts because experiencing creative literature, performances, paintings, music, etc. is just as vital to all of our well-being as other types of work are. On a related note, one doesn't know whether they will truly enjoy something unless they try it according to Only Yesterday. We should never steal an individual's agency on pursing their dreams by presuming to know better. Similarly, when someone has a unique way of solving a problem, then it should be celebrated. No one should be forced into one way of arriving at a solution because that harms one's ability to strategize, and maybe even empathize since it can impair the adoption of other perspectives. This is emphasized in how a character perceives math problems, as well as Taeko's regret over one of her classmates. One's unique way of processing information doesn't mean that someone has a low IQ (besides, emotional intelligence is at least just as important), and being referred to as stupid certainly doesn't help matters. My other thoughts on Only Yesterday: ★I love how a few of Taeko's childhood memories were framed within the 27 year old Taeko's present. ★ Theme: Cruel words that are aimed at you diminish in power when you recognize your worth as a human being. ★ Theme: Romantic feelings for someone can unfold gradually. Either way, no one should enter a romantic relationship just because it is what others want. ★ Theme: Relaxing and socializing in-person is no less important than working. ~ ~ ~ ★ Film Details ★ Directed by: Isao Takahata Screenplay by: Isao Takahata Based on: Only Yesterday by Hotaru Okamoto & Yuko Tone Genre: Slice-of-Life Release Year: 1991 ~ ~ ~ My other Studio Ghibli film reviews:
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
December 2022
Categories
All
|