Whisper of the Heart is a Tender Journey of Introspection and Conquering the Fear of Failure
Studio Ghibli’s 1995 masterpiece, Whisper of the Heart, is a tender, nostalgic, and often bittersweet exploration of navigating life while not knowing what direction you want to take your life in and fearing the possibility of failure when chasing your dreams. // Image: Studio Ghibli, GKIDS
Introspect - the process of examining one’s own thoughts and feelings. Such is something we all experience in our lives, particularly at times where we find ourselves at a crossroads in life. A commonality shared between everyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, nationality, age, or walk of life, we’ve all come to a point where we needed to decide something about ourselves. We’ve thought about what we want to do for a living. We’ve thought about the kind of person we want to be and how we want to treat others. We’ve thought about what kind of person we would like to spend our lives with, and so on. This topic is one that’s often explored in the coming-of-age genre - a type of story that typically focuses on children or young adults navigating a pivotal and challenging period of their lives. While introspection is a theme heavily featured in these types of films, none discuss the topic so boldly and masterfully as Studio Ghibli’s 1995 masterpiece, Whisper of the Heart.
Studio Ghibli has always stood out from the crowd of animation studios - both among western animation studios and among the studio’s Japanese contemporaries - by embracing something most storytellers forego: quiet moments. Some of the best sequences in Studio Ghibli’s vast catalog of films aren’t action set pieces nor mind bending plot reveals, but rather, moments where the film gives itself permission to give characters’ space to take in the scenery, let the audience think, and not have any music or dialogue get in the way of the emotion the film is conveying. Despite the more fantastic settings and elements of some of Studio Ghibli’s more popular films such as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s Moving Castle, these films often remain tightly grounded thanks to their insistence on being willing to let the movie breath in moments where characters are simply wandering, exploring a location, or waiting for something to happen.
It’s this dedication to quietude and letting the visuals and audio (or lack thereof) speak for themselves that sets Studio Ghibli apart from the rest of the animation industry - really, the rest of the entire film industry. While quietude can amplify the mysticism of fantastic moments, such as when Sheeta and Pazu finally reach and explore Laputa in the titular Castle in the Sky, it can also help further ground the more down-to-earth, smaller-scale films within Studio Ghibli’s portfolio.
Studio Ghibli is most famous for its films that utilize more fantasy elements as previously mentioned, but their quieter and more quaint films have just as, if not more to say about the complex emotions we navigate in day-to-day life. These films of smaller scope, such as Grave of the Fireflies and Only Yesterday may not be talked about as much as their Oscar-nominated and higher box-office-return peers, but they are no less of staggering quality that leave a profound impact on their viewers.
After watching Whisper of the Heart as part of GKIDS’ ongoing Ghibli Fest 2024, I was immediately reminded of why I’ve thought this film is the studio’s most underrated classic. Whisper of the Heart stands as a proud, unabashed love letter to the pursuit of chasing your dreams and creative ambitions. It tells a tale of the nebulous process of discovering yourself, recognizing your own faults and strengths, and leading life with bravery, vulnerability, and the courage to withstand the possibility of failure.
Whisper of the Heart is a reminder of how hard it is to navigate the world we share. Finding your own path isn’t something that comes easily, quickly, or, in many cases, naturally. The process of meeting people and experiencing the trials and joys along that path we walk towards finding ourselves, though, is what ultimately shapes us into who we are. Whisper of the Heart not only manages to depict this journey in a genuine, heartful way, but it also gives a warm hug and a bold reminder to any creative or ambitious hearts in its audience that they aren’t alone.
Whisper of the Heart starts as a slice-of-life story about a girl navigating her summer and last few months of junior high. The film morphs into an exploration of curiosity, ambition, and purpose after Shizuku chases after a cat she meets on a train. // Image: Studio Ghibli, GKIDS
The film begins in the late summer of 1994 as we’re introduced to Shizuku Tsukishima - a studious and curious girl as evidenced by the various books she surrounds herself with. She even visits her school’s library to check out books throughout the summer. Between reading books and talking with her parents, Shizuku spends much of her summer perplexed by the fact that most of her books have been previously checked out by Seiji Amasawa. She spends her summer days innocently conversing with her friend, Yuko, as they talk about boys, the mysterious Seiji Amasawa that’s been checking out Shizuku’s books, and projects that they’re working on for their graduation - including a song written by Shizuku based on “Take Me Home, Country Roads”.
Not long after, Shizuku returns to the bench she meets Yuko at to pick up a book she forgot, only to find a boy that we later learn is, in fact, the very same Seiji Amasawa that has previously checked out most of Shizuku’s books. Shizuku is quickly teased about the corniness of her song lyrics by the boy, to which she gets infuriated. Shizuku curses him as a “stupid jerk” throughout the remainder of the day as she returns home.
Thus far in Whisper of the Heart, we’ve seen a fairly typical coming-of-age story play out. We follow our protagonist, Shizuku, navigate her life alongside her childhood friend, a family she appears to be on good terms with, and a mysterious name in her checkout-out books that leaves her wondering what kind of person Seiji Amasawa is. But what begins turning the wheels of Whisper of the Heart’s excellent narrative about introspection actually begins with the lyrics Shizuku shares with Yuko.
Yuko begins reading through and singing Shizuku’s lyrics that she hands her and says all that a supportive childhood friend can: “hey, it’s not bad!”.
“Yes, it is,” Shizuku responds. “It’s boring.”
This exchange, brief as it is, sets the stage for the primary internal conflict that Whisper of the Heart focuses on: that of the struggle to be confident and proud of one’s own work. This is the first instance in the film where we see any creative work done by Shizuku, and we immediately see that her natural instinct is to be hard on herself and claim that her own creative work is bad. Whisper of the Heart cleverly derails from this thought quickly as Shizuku gives Yuko a different, more silly set of lyrics that the two girls laugh over. In this exchange, we learn that Shizuku is a girl that quietly looks down on herself, but does what she can to uplift the spirits of those around her. She’s cheerful on the surface, but harbors an insecurity about what she’s capable of that she tries to bury as much as possible in front of others.
If you’re a creative mind, it’s impossible to watch Whisper of the Heart and not immediately empathize with where Shizuku is in her creative journey. Whether you’re a writer, artist, musician, or create any kind of self-expression that gets put out into the world, you’ve certainly gone through a time where you felt like you were incapable of being successful. Creating something from nothing takes bravery. Given that works of self-expression are often built on personal thoughts, opinions, and lived experiences, being a creator involves a level of vulnerability that’s difficult to come to terms with. This is a journey that every creative spirit has to go through in some capacity, and perhaps the hardest time to navigate this journey is near its beginning when we are fleshing out our craft and just beginning to develop our skills.
As Whisper of the Heart weaves its first act, we see Shizuku still being in the phase where she clearly has an interest in writing and expressing herself, but doesn’t know how to be confident or even comfortable with her own writing. We understand the starting point of Shizuku’s creative journey - it’s a starting point that any viewer of the film that has ever pursued creative arts can remember being at at some point in their life. At this point in Whisper of the Heart, we have a surface-level understanding of Shizuku’s creative mindset - the rest of the first act and much of the film’s second act pivots to focusing on Shizuku’s quest for growth and improvement.
A large puzzle piece of creativity is that of curiosity. I remember that a lot of my youth was spent on being curious about two distinct things: exploring nature by taking walks around forests, plains, and parks near me, as well as exploring the digital worlds in the many JRPGs that I played as a child. Doing both of these things gave me opportunities to simply think about the world in unique ways. I could imagine characters running through the settings I looked at, and construct stories connecting why the characters I imagined were in the forests I was walking through or why they were walking around in the world map of Final Fantasy IX. I would then go home (or move a few feet over to my computer in the case of playing video games) and write out these stories, one chapter at a time. My curiosity from exploring the physical world and roaming digital ones made itself manifest through the stories I would write down afterward. This is how I started walking down the road of creative writing, which led me to where I am today.
All this is to say that curiosity is a pivotal aspect of creativity, especially during our youth when our imaginations are naturally inclined to run more wild at all times. In Whisper of the Heart, Shizuku’s curiosity is piqued when she encounters a cat on a train that appears to be by itself. She speaks with the cat a bit before telling it that she has to get off the train for her stop. The cat runs out of the train when the doors open, and Shizuku, who was previously on her way to bring food to her father, now finds herself running after the cat that runs throughout the city.
This trip makes Shizuku trek through city streets, alleyways, and residential areas. When she finally reaches the cat, she finds herself in an antique store run by an old man named Nishi. Shizuku looks around the antique store and is enamored by the many artifacts she finds in the building. From a grandfather clock that she watches Nishi fix to an illustrious figure of a cat wearing a suit that we later learn is known as “the Baron”, Shizuku’s curiosity has naturally led her down a path towards trinkets that only further fuel her imagination and wonder about the world. We see just how much Shizuku is in awe of everything around her before she’s reminded that she needs to deliver her father’s food.
This wonder and inspiration is immediately cut short by urgency, fluster, and frustration as she runs into Seiji again, who echoes his previous tease of Shizuku for her lyrics. From curiosity to inspiration to urgency to frustration, Whisper of the Heart shows us that the journey towards embracing our creativity is seldom a straightforward one, especially during our childhood when it feels like so many emotions can hit us so quickly.
Whisper of the Heart's most striking symbol is that of geodes - stones that, on the surface, appear to be regular rocks, but carry beryl within them - emeralds that are incredibly valuable when cut and polished. Geodes teach Shizuku that reaching your potential and refining yourself takes time and practice, but results in beauty, value, and purpose. // Image: Studio Ghibli, GKIDS
What’s more, inspiration and creativity is something that comes and goes - we’re never in full control of when we’re able to partake in our creative endeavors. Oftentimes, life gets in the way. While Whisper of the Heart focuses a lot on Shizuku’s creative pursuits, a lot of the movie also focuses on other aspects of her life as a 14-year-old girl. There are times where Shizuku can’t think about writing or putting herself out into the world because she needs to stand up for her friend Yuko after she gets disappointed and embarrassed by a boy she likes. In spite of the ebbs and flows of life that take Shizuku away from the world of creativity, her curiosity keeps her coming back to the antique store that she was drawn to earlier in the film. When she goes to embrace her curiosity once again, Shizuku arrives at the antique store only to find it closed, dampening but not vanquishing her curious spirit.
Another time she comes to the antique store, she reunites with Seiji, who lets her into the store to let her bask in the many antiques in the store. Once she finishes looking around, she finds Seiji carving a violin, something that fascinates Shizuku. She asks to hear him play, causing her to eventually sing along with him before Nishi and his friends join and give the teenagers accompaniment in one of the sweetest scenes in the film. Afterward, Shizuku and Seiji walk home together and share a conversation that vastly accelerates the film’s exploration of introspection.
“My ultimate goal in life is to be a world-class violin maker,” Seiji says. He goes on to say that he plans to go to Cremona, Italy after he graduates junior high in order to further refine his skills. Seiji knows who he is, who he wants to be, and has a clear plan for what he can do to get to where he wants his life to go.
“That’s great that you know what you want to do with your life,” Shizuku says. “I don’t have a clue what I want to do with mine. I just waste time writing corny lyrics.”
“I know what I want to do, but I don’t know if I’ll get to do it,” Seiji responds. “Even if I get to go, it doesn’t mean I’ll be any good at it. I’ll just have to do my best and find out.”
It’s a simple interaction that’s commonplace in coming-of-age narratives and real-life conversations between kids at this age - and yet it captures the very soul of Whisper of the Heart’s mission. Shizuku is a curious, erudite, and creative spirit that doesn’t know what direction she wants to take her life and, as a result, remains stagnant. While we learn that she has an interest in writing, Shizuku consistently drags herself down, consistently referring to her own lyrics as “corny” and “boring”. Seiji, on the other hand, is already at a point where he’s looking at his life as being ripe with opportunities. As he mentions, he knows that violin-making is a vocation that he wants to go down, but he doesn’t completely know if it’s one that will work out. But in spite of that insecurity, in spite of not knowing whether he’ll succeed in becoming skilled at violin-making, Seiji is still willing to take a leap of faith and try pursuing his dream.
As we see in the prior scene, Seiji is already at a point where he is refining his skill, practicing on making violins, showing a complete violin he made to Shizuku, which she tells him is very good. Despite this, Seiji remains steadfast in claiming that he still has a lot to learn. Wanting to be good at what you do is something that takes time and practice - this is something that Seiji already understands and it’s something that Shizuku is early in the process of learning.
And that’s okay.
No matter your craft, the journey of understanding what you want to do with your life and taking the steps towards getting looks different for everyone. It may be a process that’s longer or shorter depending on what your goals are. It may have more obstacles depending on what profession you’re focusing on and it may bring feelings of incompetence , especially if you start this process later than other people - but that’s okay. This process looks different for every single person - which is exactly what makes the idea of knowing what to do with your life and working towards your ambitions such a tantalizing thing for so many people.
Such a process is clearly tantalizing for Shizuku at this stage in her life, but the tides begin to shift as Seiji says something to her before they part ways on their walk home. “I just wanted to say that I actually liked your lyrics. You’re a very talented writer. You should keep pursuing it - it’s not a waste of time.”
In the following scene, Shizuku has a conversation with her sister Shiho, in which Shizuku asks when she knew what to do with her life. While Shizuku doesn’t get a clear answer from her sister, it’s evident to us that Shizuku is starting to think more critically about herself. She’s taking a closer look at her own thoughts and her own goals for her life. The carefree girl obsessed with books that aimlessly navigated her life from earlier in the film is now becoming more introspective, more curious about her place in the world. This transition is one that isn’t complete - understanding yourself isn’t a process that happens overnight - it certainly doesn’t happen instantly for Shizuku. But it’s these conversations that make Shizuku want to understand herself more. These simple conversations are all it takes for one to think more broadly about themselves and what they want their life to be.
Later in the film, Shizuku returns to Nishi’s antique shop, asking for permission to write a story about the Baron. While Nishi agrees to Shizuku’s request, he asks if he can be the first person to read her story. This flusters Shizuku, “Do I really have to show it to you? I’ve never written anything before. I’m afraid it’s gonna stink.”
“You sound just like all the other artists that I’ve met. No one should expect perfection when they’re first starting out,” Nishi responds. Shortly after, Nishi hands Shizuku a geode - a rock that appears normal on the surface, but contains precious beryl within. Nishi continues, “When you first become an artist, you’re like that rock: you’re in a raw, natural state with hidden gems inside. You have to dig down deep to find the emeralds tucked away inside you.”
As Shizuku looks at the geode, we see a masterful use of Studio Ghibli’s signature quietude. This scene features a reticent moment as Shizuku looks into the geode and sees the beryl hidden within. We’re alongside Shizuku as she discovers the beauty hidden in an unlikely source. Just like her earlier conversation with Seiji, we see that Shizuku is gradually giving herself more and more permission to turn her curiosity inward and explore what she wants to do. “What if I look inside myself and I don’t find any gems? What if I’m just a rock?” Shizuku asks. “I’m going to try anyway. I’m going to write that story and I’ll let you be the first to read it.”
Like Seiji before her, Shizuku doesn’t know if she’ll succeed in her writing endeavor. She clearly still has a lot of insecurities and a lack of confidence towards her writing. But like Seiji, who was willing to travel to Italy to try to pursue his ambitions, Shizuku is now willing to try expressing herself through writing and see where it goes. It may be rough, it may be unrefined, but it’s a first step. To borrow from an overused adage regarding journeys of a thousand miles, Shizuku has boldly taken the first step towards towards something that she wants to pursue. She may stumble and writing may ultimately not be the thing she wants to spend her life doing, but she’s given herself the permission and the power to try.
Whisper of the Heart sees Shizuku gradually learn to look within herself and understand what she can do now to become the person she strives to be. Beginning your journey towards any vocation is a difficult and unclean process, but the bravery to do so, even in the face of possible failure, is what truly shapes us into who we are. // Image: Studio Ghibli, GKIDS
The bulk of Whisper of the Heart’s third act revolves around Shizuku’s determination and dedication towards writing her story about the Baron. What gives Whisper of the Heart such an authentic representation of both pursuing your dreams and growing up is that it’s willing to show the positives and negatives of working towards ambitions. A lesser film may simply have a character become willing to try to pursue their creative goals and that would be that, but Whisper of the Heart axiomatically confirms to its audience that simply deciding to work on your goals doesn’t suddenly make things easy or straightforward.
There are days where Shizuku doesn’t go to school, she doesn’t sleep, she hardly eats, and she frequently pushes away family members that are trying to reach out to her. Moreover, Shizuku is likely also using writing as a means of coping with the fact that Seiji, who she has clearly developed feelings for, has moved away to Italy to pursue his own goals. While Shizuku says that she’s happy for Shizuku (which she likely actually is), she also feels a very selfish, yet human melancholia about his absence. She misses him, but she sees writing as a means of becoming as goal-oriented as the boy that she admires so. Writing this story fulfills Shizuku in multiple ways. Not only is it the first step towards trying to understand herself and what she want to do with her life, but it also brings her up to the same level of Seiji in her mind. Having the strength to pursue her dreams just like Seiji makes Shizuku more empowered - becoming more like the very person that inspires her.
There are positives and negatives to any pursuit towards what we want to do. Whether it’s a college or job application, working on a novel or painting or making a 3D model or performing for an audition - putting yourself out there requires bravery, resilience, and vulnerability. These are traits that are hard to develop. They’re challenging and feel scary, especially so when you’re trying to develop them during your youth. But choosing to be brave, resilient, and vulnerable, even in the face of possible failure, is what truly makes us who we are.
When I was a teenager, I looked back on those initial stories that I made when I was a child exploring forests and JRPG worlds. I wanted to become someone that could not only create meaningful stories with the locations I was fascinated by since I was a child, but I also wanted to help make RPGs and stories that would help inspire other people to pursue self-expression. Whether it’s through writing, art, or other forms of expression, I learned that my goal in life was to help craft stories and games that could inspire the imagination in others that could then spark their willingness to craft stories or expressions that are meaningful to them.
I had this realization when I was a teenager, and ever since, I have been aggressively pursuing this goal. It’s been over ten years since I made this decision. In the years since deciding that I wanted to combine my love of writing and games, I’ve gotten a degree in Creative Writing, worked in game QA and localization, involved myself in game industry events such as PAX, networked with game writers and editors that I admire, and have refined my creative writing skills through working on novels, blog posts, and game projects. When I write all of that down, it feels like a lot and a little at the same time. I still feel like I have a far way to go, but I also feel like I’ve come a long way.
Much like Shizuku, I’m still in the process of digging deep in my metaphorical geode to find the hidden gems within me. It’s taken years, and it will doubtlessly take many more, but I’m proud that I’ve decided to walk down this path as far as I have. It’s involved some incredibly rewarding milestones and credits. It’s also involved heartbreak, imposter syndrome, and a near-constant need to second-guess my skills as a writer. But I’m still here and I’m still moving forward, because that’s all I can do. Even when failure’s a possibility, I need to be brave and move forward anyway - if I succeed, I will grow, and if I fail, I will learn and improve.
This very pursuit, I feel, has defined who I am as a writer, as a professional, and as a human being speaking to you on this very blog post. Looking within myself and discovering what I value, what I want to do with my life, and understanding how I can get there has been an integral, constant facet of my life. It’s a process that I’ve been navigating for most of my life. But that introspection and navigation needed to start somewhere - it needed to start with a curiosity about the world. It needed to start with a desire to tell stories and make something to express myself. Whether it’s walking around forests, playing JRPGs, or following a cat that runs out of a train, following your own curiosity goes a long way towards starting your journey towards finding your vocation.
Whisper of the Heart’s narrative encapsulates this process beautifully. Shizuku’s pursuit of her curiosity led her down the path of meeting Seiji and becoming more critical about who she wants to be. This path inevitably had her try out writing, and become more akin to the person that inspires her. While the process of writing a story comes with its own challenges, she still pushes forward and continues trying anyway. By the latter half of the film’s final act, Shizuku succeeds in her pursuit. She finishes her story and anxiously hands it over to Nishi, who excitedly begins reading it.
As Nishi reads her story, Shizuku sits on the antique shop’s patio, nervously covering her head as if trying to block herself from the world after doing something so vulnerable. Nishi finishes the story and comes out to give it back to Shizuku, saying that the story is wonderful. Shizuku stands up in an outburst, as she says, “No it’s not! It’s a mess! The storyline goes all over the place. All the characters’ dialogue sounds corny. You have to tell me the truth - I know it’s a complete disaster.”
A lot of artists (especially those that are neurodivergent) experience rejection sensitive dysphoria, where you take rejection more acutely and viscerally. This often goes hand-in-hand with imposter syndrome - the idea that you aren’t as good or talented as what other people or your own accomplishments say. When you spend so much time working on something, it practically becomes second-nature to notice flaws and imperfections. It’s easy to self-critique and stun-lock yourself into not feeling like what you do is good enough - such is what Shizuku does throughout much of Whisper of the Heart’s third act. But being kind to yourself and trusting the never-ending process of growth and refinement is what moving towards your own ambitions is all about.
“What I read was raw and heartfelt,” Nishi says. “You should be very proud for all your hard work. You’ve dug inside your soul and found some real gems. Next, you’ll need to polish it, which will also take a lot of work.”
Shizuku bursts out in tears, as she compares herself to Seiji and still doesn’t feel that she’s lived up to how talented she’s “supposed to be” at this point. “I wanted so badly to do a good job, but there’s so much I don’t know about writing,” Shizuku says. “And Seiji…he’s so much more accomplished than I am. I can never catch up. I can never be good enough.”
Whisper of the Heart’s emotional climax is as heart-wrenching to see from Shizuku as it is relatable to any creative soul watching the film. Every single person navigates life in a situation completely unique to them. We are raised in different contexts, are inspired by different things, survive different difficulties and traumas, and develop our own, unique identity. Yet in spite of that, it’s awfully easy to compare ourselves to others. We often convince ourselves that we should have our lives together because we perceive other people around us as having their lives together (however such a concept can actually exist). Shizuku is so hard on herself in this scene because she perceives Seiji as being someone that is farther along on his path towards his dream than she. Whether that’s true or untrue is irrelevant, though - Shizuku’s path is all her own and can’t be compared to anyone else’s.
Comparing yourself to others is a pitfall that many people, especially artists and young people, fall into. When you’re an artist and a young person…the misery of comparing yourself to others can be overwhelming. In this emotional moment, Shizuku succumbs to the pain of that. For a moment, she’s allowed to feel sad and cry, but in time, she gets reminded that everyone comes across difficulties during their process. Nishi confirms that Seiji himself struggled to gain confidence in his ability to make violins - where he is now in his journey is evident of the progress that he’s made since then. While it’s easy to compare herself to others around her, Shizuku learns that the best way to conquer her fear of failure and not being good enough is to continue polishing herself and improving what she’s capable of.
Nishi gives Shizuku a geode, claiming that it fits her more than himself. “Promise me you’ll polish your story well,” Nishi says.
“I will,” Shizuku confirms.
And so, the journey towards introspection and improvement continues. Not long after, Shizuku and Seiji reunite with each other as they share a tender, quiet morning together as they confess their feelings toward one another. Shizuku and Seiji’s relationship is as tender and sweet as it is admirable. These two teenagers have creative ambitions that are different in terms of the sheer skillset required, but they share the fact that they both require work, time, and discipline. Through a mutual understanding of that, Shizuku and Seiji support each other as they work towards where they want their lives to go. The journey towards fulfilling your goals is often an overwhelming and scary one that’s wrought with the ever-looming possibility of failure, rejection, and heartbreak. But getting to navigate that together with a person that you care about and love is the very thing that inspires anyone to keep moving forward. It’s through love, empathy, and understanding that we can conquer our fear of failure and keep moving towards becoming the people we strive to be.
Whisper of the Heart is such a beautiful representation of the introspective process. The film posits the character of Shizuku, who doesn’t know what direction she wants to take her life in. Through pursuing her curiosity and seeing the progress that other people around her making towards their goals, Shizuku becomes inspired to become like the very person that motivates her. The process of introspection and growth isn’t a clean one - Shizuku comes across various obstacles throughout Whisper of the Heart. Even by the film’s end, we clearly see that both Shizuku and Seiji have a long way to go before they can truly get to where they want to be.
Whisper of the Heart revels in the meaning and impact of progress and how deeply complicated but ultimately rewarding that process can be. We’re given only one life to craft our story, and figuring what story that is can take time. It can take years or even decades before we truly know what we want to do with our lives. And that’s okay - navigating that process in our own way is precisely what makes us human. My journey towards becoming a game writer and localization editor all started with embracing my curiosity in my own way, and my own path, so too, has brought along its own challenges and triumphs. And that’s my human journey - one that’s still ongoing and has many chapters left to be written. Whisper of the Heart is a gorgeous reminder that this process begins and develops at different points in time for each of us.
Whether you’re like Seiji and you already know what you want to do, or you’re like Shizuku and you’re still figuring it out, Whisper of the Heart confirms that the true hidden gem within us is perhaps the determination to keep pushing ourselves toward our dreams. The beryl hidden within the geodes of our soul shines best when we hold on to the bravery and courage we need to have in the face of possible failure. Despite the comparisons to others and the roadblocks we’ll stumble across on our path, those emeralds will eventually be uncovered. We’ll polish those gems as we continue learning, growing, improving our craft, and broadening our understanding of the world around us.
And when they’re ready, we’ll make them shine.
Thank you very much for reading! What are your thoughts on Whisper of the Heart and its depiction of introspection? As always, join the conversation and let me know what you think in the comments or on Twitter/X @DerekExMachina.
