Back to trending
Only Yesterday

Only Yesterday

Animation · Drama · Romance · 1991

In lyrical switches between the present and the past, Taeko contemplates the arc of her life, and wonders if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self.

Movie details

Only Yesterday

“I'm going on a trip with me.”

1991 Animation · Drama · Romance 1h 59m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.4 / 10

Community rating

In lyrical switches between the present and the past, Taeko contemplates the arc of her life, and wonders if she has been true to the dreams of her childhood self.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Only Yesterday?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop

Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop

Animation · 2021

After meeting one day, a shy boy who expresses himself through haiku and a bubbly but self-conscious girl share a brief, magical summer.

5 Centimeters per Second

5 Centimeters per Second

Animation · 2007

Three moments in Takaki's life: his relationship with Akari and their forced separation; his friendship with Kanae, who is secretly in love with him; the demands and disappointments of adulthood, an unhappy life in a cold city.

The Garden of Words

The Garden of Words

Animation · 2013

Takao, who is training to become a shoemaker, skipped school and is sketching shoes in a Japanese-style garden. He meets a mysterious woman, Yukino, who is older than him. Then, without arranging the times, the two start to see each other again and again, but only on rainy days. They deepen their relationship and open up to each other. But the end of the rainy season soon approaches.

Clannad: The Motion Picture

Clannad: The Motion Picture

Animation · 2007

Plagued by a seemingly endless stream of haunting dreams, Tomoya drifts through life with an almost overwhelming sense of anger and emptiness. Then, one fateful day, he meets the mysterious and beautiful Nagisa, and his world begins to change. While helping Nagisa revive the defunct Drama Club at their high school, Tomoya discovers that she has the same dreams. Their story starts beneath the cherry blossoms, but where will fate lead them?

The Anthem of the Heart

The Anthem of the Heart

Animation · 2015

A young girl had her voice magically taken away so that she would never hurt people with it, but her outlook changes when she encounters music and friendship. Will Naruse be able to convey the anthem of her heart?

April Story

April Story

Romance · 1998

In spring, a girl leaves the island of Hokkaido to attend university in Tokyo. Once there, she is asked to reveal why she wanted to go there in the first place.

A Whisker Away

A Whisker Away

Animation · 2020

A peculiar girl transforms into a cat to catch her crush's attention. But before she realizes it, the line between human and animal starts to blur.

The Colors Within

The Colors Within

Animation · 2024

Totsuko is a high school student with the ability to see the 'colors' of others. Colors of bliss, excitement, and serenity, plus a color she treasures as her favorite. Kimi, a classmate at her school, gives off the most beautiful color of all. Although she doesn't play an instrument, Totsuko forms a band with Kimi and Rui, a quiet music enthusiast they meet at a used bookstore in a far corner of town. As they practice at an old church on a remote island, music brings them together, forming friendships and stirring affections.

We Made a Beautiful Bouquet

We Made a Beautiful Bouquet

Romance · 2021

Two people meet each other after missing the last train home, leading to a beautiful relationship over five years.

A Silent Voice: The Movie

A Silent Voice: The Movie

Animation · 2016

Shouya Ishida starts bullying the new girl in class, Shouko Nishimiya, because she is deaf. But as the teasing continues, the rest of the class starts to turn on Shouya for his lack of compassion. When they leave elementary school, Shouko and Shouya do not speak to each other again... until an older, wiser Shouya, tormented by his past behaviour, decides he must see Shouko once more. He wants to atone for his sins, but is it already too late...?

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Isao Takahata

Written by

Isao Takahata

Miki Imai

Miki Imai

Taeko Okajima (voice)

Yoko Honna

Yoko Honna

Taeko Okajima as a 5-Year-Old (voice)

Toshiro Yanagiba

Toshiro Yanagiba

Toshio (voice)

Yorie Yamashita

Yorie Yamashita

Nanako Okajima (voice)

Y

Yuki Minowa

Yaeko Okajima (voice)

M

Masahiro Ito

Taeko's Father (voice)

M

Michie Terada

Taeko's Mother (voice)

Court is in session

Put Only Yesterday on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.