History Anime / OnlyYesterday

It's 1982 and [[ChristmasCake 27-year-old unmarried]] Taeko Okajima works as an {{office lady}} in Tokyo. She decides to spend her summer holiday at her brother-in-law's farm in the countryside to help out with the safflower harvest, since she liked going there the year before. She sees it as a great way to get a break from the city life for a while.

** This also hits Toshio to an extent, who's voiced by British [[Creator/DevPatel Dev Patel.]] It can be mistaken as AccentAdaptation at first, but for the most part the cast speaks with standard American accents.

** The TV character Machine Gun Dandy bears a distinct resemblance to Daisuke Jigen of ''Manga/LupinIII'' fame.

''Only Yesterday'', Japanese title ''Omoide Poro Poro'', was released in 1991 and not only is it the first Ghibli film to be released after the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, but is also an atypical Creator/StudioGhibli product-- minus the fantastic plot devices that permeate most of the studio's work. It was directed by Creator/IsaoTakahata and produced by Creator/HayaoMiyazaki. The result features [[SceneryPorn lots of lovely scenery]], intriguing, believable characters and wonderful, fluid animation.

* ParentsAsPeople: Taeko's parents generally meant well and were loving, but they didn't always understand her.

* LeftHanging: A lot of storylines in Young Taeko's life just end, without much of a resolution. Justified as they are slices of her life from when she was ten-years old, and in real life such things rarely if ever have a specific beginning, middle and end. Also, the memories are from 17 years ago, of course she would only remember parts that sticked out the most.

** Taeko's older sisters invoke this while marvelling about the lovely baths at Atami to Taeko. They are luxurious baths, but they're praising it just to play along with Taeko when really they have no interest in the bathhouses themselves. Being a kid, Taeko is excited over lovely bathhouses.

* ParentsAsPeople

* OohMeAccentsSlipping: briefly in the English dub, as young Taeko counts out the sections of the apple she's drawn, her voice actress Alison Fernandez, who is of Mexican decent, can be heard rolling the "r" when she counts to "three".

* {{Adorkable}}: Toshio. Clumsy, [[TheIdiotFromOsaka not terribly intelligent]], a little too forward, and generally a bit of a hick, but very friendly and eager to put others at ease. He proudly declares himself a peasant and listens to strange Hungarian folk music.

''Only Yesterday'', Japanese title ''Omohide Poro Poro'', was released in 1991 and not only is it the first Ghibli film to be released after the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, but is also an atypical Creator/StudioGhibli product-- minus the fantastic plot devices that permeate most of the studio's work. It was directed by Creator/IsaoTakahata and produced by Creator/HayaoMiyazaki. The result features [[SceneryPorn lots of lovely scenery]], intriguing, believable characters and wonderful, fluid animation.

* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Taeko can be viewed this way in the eyes of one of her sisters.

* IChooseToStay

* {{Homage}}: To the films of director Creator/YasujiroOzu. This is [[LampshadeHanging emphasized]] by (1) the opening credits shown over a background which looks like the surface of a woven mat, which is how the titles & credits of all of Ozu's film appeared, (2) much of story being SliceOfLife drama, and (3) the elderly man who boards the train in the film's end, who is just like an extra or supporting character who appears in the backgrounds of Ozu's films.

''Only Yesterday'', Japanese title ''Omohide Poro Poro'', was released in 1991 and not only is it the first Ghibli film to be released after the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, but is also a typical Creator/StudioGhibli product-- minus the fantastic plot devices that permeate most of the studio's work. It was directed by Creator/IsaoTakahata and produced by Creator/HayaoMiyazaki. The result features [[SceneryPorn lots of lovely scenery]], intriguing, believable characters and wonderful, fluid animation.

* {{Homage}}: To the films of director Creator/YasujiroOzu. This is [[LampshadeHanging emphasized]] by (1) the opening credits shown over a background which looks like the surface of a woven mat, which is how the titles & credits of all of Ozu's film appeared, and (2) the elderly man who boards the train in the film's end, who is just like an extra or supporting character who appears in the backgrounds of Ozu's films.

* {{Homage}}: To the films of director Creator/YasujiroOzu. Emphasized by (1) the opening credits shown over a background which looks like the surface of a woven mat, which is how the titles & credits of all of Ozu's film appeared, and (2) the elderly man who boards the train in the film's end, as he is like one of extras or supporting characters who appear in the backgrounds of Ozu's films.

** There are some references made to the Theatre/TakarazukaRevue; Yaeko is mentioned to have had a crush on an ''otokoyaku'' actress, and Nanako says that Taeko could join the revue if her acting career takes off.

* Ooh,MeAccent'sSlipping: briefly in the English dub, as young Taeko counts out the sections of the apple she's drawn, her voice actress Alison Fernandez, who is of Mexican decent, can be heard rolling the "r" when she counts to "three".

** In one scene, Taeko watches and sings the theme song from ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMApzGKRPB8 Floating Gourd Island]]'', an actual Japanese children's puppet show from TheSixties.

* MyNewGiftIsLame: Played with. Taeko really wants a specific bag that her sister doesn't use anymore, but said sister doesn't want to give it away. She finally gives in and gives her the bag...but Taeko has lost interest.

* SliceOfLife

* DaddysGirl: Strangely, although the insufferable part of his strictness stands out to viewers, there are small hints that Taeko is this to him. For example, Taeko places her onions on her father's dish with no fear of scolding (her mother does that scolding) and she even pleads for something she wants by repeatedly banging on his back. He refuses her, but even his reprimand is gently stern and rather reasonable, and his older daughters complain he spoils Taeko rotten. The dubbing makes it clearer that despite all his stoicism, his interaction with Taeko gives him an affectionate edge, with him calling her "little bear".

* LeftHanging: A lot of storylines in Young Taeko's life just end, without much of a resolution (The problem she had with fractions as a young girl, for example). Justified as they are slices of her life from when she was ten-years old, and in real life such things rarely if ever have a specific beginning, middle and end. Also, the memories are from 17 years ago, of course she would only remember parts that sticked out the most.

** Taeko's older sisters invoke this while marveling about the lovely baths at Atami to Taeko. They are luxurious bath, but they're praising it just to play along with Taeko when really they have no interest in the bathhouses themselves. Being a kid, Taeko is excited over lovely bathhouses.
** The family, especially little Taeko, makes a big deal out of having a pineapple in their household. Justified in the culture and time period where Japan was used to canned goods and imported fruit was ''very'' expensive.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Implied. Taeko's dad slaps Taeko because she accidentally ran outside with only her socks on [[ValuesDissonance (which was the equivalent of being in your undergarments)]]. Taeko's wails as he watches. Taeko questions why it was the first and only time it happened.

* RealSongThemeTune: The ending theme is a cover of Bette Midler's The Rose,

It's 1982 and [[ChristmasCake 27-year old unmarried]] Taeko Okajima works as an {{office lady}} in Tokyo. She decides to spend her summer holiday at her brother-in-law's farm in the countryside to help out with the safflower harvest, since she liked going there the year before. She sees it as a great way to get a break from the city life for a while.

* CharacterTics: Toshio has the habit to start sentences with a sort of clicking noise (possibly either tongue clicking or him making a "Tsk").

* LoveEpiphany: While on the train back to Tokyo, Taeko starts seeing her ten-year old self and her classmates from back then everywhere, and she realizes her love for the countryside and possibly Toshio too is not just an escape. She decides to return and invokes IChooseToStay because of this.
* MagicRealism: The ending, where Taeko's ten-year old self and classmates seem to interact with real life: they stop the bus and make Toshio stumble.

* RealSongThemeTune: The ending theme is a cover of Bett Midler's The Rose,

It's 1982 and [[ChristmasCake 27-year old unmarried]] Taeko Okajima works as an {{office lady}} in Tokyo. She decides to spend her summer holiday at her sister-in-law's farm in the countryside to help out with the safflower harvest, since she liked going there the year before. She sees it as a great way to get a break from the city life for a while.