Whisper of The Heart

You know these two teenagers have a healthier relationship than most of you!

And it’s all because they know one thing you don’t—love isn’t enough.

Whisper of the Heart is one of those rare films where the story unfolds through the eyes of a girl. It’s the story of Shizuku, who’s still in school, writes occasional poetry, and devours fiction 24/7. She’s in love with stories, constantly searching for them—even while chasing a cat.

Fair warning: I’m assuming you’ve watched the film. If you haven’t, go watch it on Netflix and come back, or be ready for spoilers ahead.

You know the story already. Shizuku is living her life while being curious about a guy named Seiji Amasawa—someone she only knows from a library card. She eventually ends up meeting him while unknowingly hating him, and a love story begins. But their relationship is more than just love—it’s built on something deeper, which is revealed through their subtle actions.

To Not Be A Burden

Neither Shizuku nor Seiji wants to be a burden on the other. It’s conventional for men, but in this movie, we see it from Shizuku’s side. (a female perspective)

She sees how Seiji is so passionate about his work and is actually doing something to work towards it. And here’s Shizuku, who doesn’t even know if her writing is going to amount to anything.

Now, she could’ve been the kind of person who thinks, “Since I like him, he should love and respect me for who I am,” without putting in the effort to grow. I’m not saying that’s wrong, but it’s not enough.

So, she took a different route (the difficult one) and decided to write her own story to challenge herself. She decided to see if she was a good writer or not. She confronted the question of whether her passion was just a passing whim.

In doing so, she earned Seiji’s respect—and even more importantly, she learned valuable lessons, like how talent alone will only get you so far.

Seiji demonstrates this in subtle ways, like when he says he’ll ride his bike up the hill, or when he tells Shizuku he’ll marry her only after becoming a violinist.

Since we’re talking about love, I can’t help but mention a quote from my favorite love story of all time—the Before trilogy.

Respect For Work

If you notice, neither Seiji nor Shizuku is introduced to each other directly. They are introduced to each other through their work. Seiji accidentally read her lyrics, and Shizuku, while still assuming he is someone else, saw him working on his violin.

Their respect for each other didn’t come from love first—it came from respect for each other’s passion.

One scene perfectly captures this: Seiji is leaving for his apprenticeship the next day, but he comes to see Shizuku while she’s working in the library. He simply says, “I’ll wait,” and lets her work while he just stays there. If that’s not respect for each other’s work, I don’t know what is.

Also, when Seiji chooses to go for his dream, Shizuku never tries to stop him. She respects his ambitions enough not to hold him back for her own sake. She didn’t even confess her feelings so he could leave without any doubts holding him down.

Another subtle connection between them is through the books they read. They share the same taste, showing a mutual respect for each other’s choices.

Think of the scene where Shizuku watches Seiji work on his violin. She’s fascinated by what he’s doing and admires him. But Seiji downplays it, saying it’s not good enough. Shizuku didn’t expect that.

What she doesn’t realize is that she does the same thing with her own work. Remember when her friend said her lyrics were good? She dismissed them as “trite.”

I love the fact that they can’t see their own work with admiration but are quick to admire each other’s. That’s how most creatives are—they often have more respect for someone else’s work than their own.

This Movie Isn’t Just About Love

Just like their relationship, this movie isn’t simply a love story. It’s more that that. It’s about —

• How chasing your dreams isn’t all fun and games. It takes sleepless nights like Shizuku spent writing, and like Seiji will spend making violins and probably in his apprenticeship.

• When you start doing something substantial, you need to step out of your comfort zone—like Shizuku reading about stones when writing her story.

• A relationship that isn’t driven by love but through sheer respect and shared values.

• How good stories are universal—that’s why the old man’s story arrived independently in Shizuku’s story.

• Even if you know you’re not good enough—that doesn’t mean you have to stop.

That’s why I love Whisper of the Heart. It’s not just a love story rooted in the usual romantic clichés. It makes a bigger point—the central story is about Shizuku finding herself. Love here is just a subplot that pushes the main narrative forward. The movie doesn’t throw its message in your face—it subtly tells the story through actions, decisions, and through the young mind of Shizuku, whose desires are very simple. And we just see ourselves in her innocent love story and her ambition.

Thanks for reading, and cut!

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