Whisper of the Heart: A Young Writer's Heroine's Journey

The illusion of the perfect world: Living in a small Tokyo apartment with her parents, 14-year-old Shizuku Tsukishima spends her summer break ignoring high school entrance exams and burying herself in books... even when she should be sleeping. She spends much of her time engaging in side quests and feels lost in her future. She eventually befriends a classmate (who she realized checked out a lot of the same books as her) named Seiji Amasawa.

 Betrayal/disillusionment: Shizuku learns that Seiji (who by now is more of a love interest than a friend) is leaving for Italy to pursue his dream as a violin maker. She feels aimless compared to his clear passion and sense of purpose. Overall, she realizes she has no direction. 

The awakening: Shizuku turns her depression surrounding Seiji’s departure and drivenness into a challenge as she promises herself she will write a novel within the two months he is in Italy. This marks a shift within her to become her more authentic self, producing writing rather than simply consuming books. 

The descent—passing through the gates of judgment: Finding the pressure from her parents to perform well in school and study for high school entrance exams and going through the grueling creative process of producing a novel difficult to balance, she begins to doubt herself. She asks herself if she can truly craft a good story. Does she have what it takes to follow through with her dream? Is she a truly adequate writer?  

Eye of the storm: Seiji’s grandfather and creative mentor to Shizuku, Nishi, encourages her to continue with her work and accept failure as part of her growth. He tells her in a metaphor for her work, “The rough stone is inside you. You have to find it and then polish it.” She comes away from this conversation with newfound confidence, *cue beautiful fantasy montage meant to represent her story.* 

All is lost/dead: She finishes her novel. Having worked herself to the point of physical and mental exhaustion, Shizuku feels her work may have been in vain as she does not know if it is good enough. She gives the first draft to Nishi. 

Support: Nishi reads her story, praising her talent and passion despite its flaws. 

Rebirth/moment of truth: She understands that her journey is one not for the purpose of producing a book, but for learning that growth is a process and there is value in simply trying. She now knows what she wants, to go to high school and then become a writer. 

Return to a new world: She begins her normal life again, changed from her writing journey. In the final scene, Shizuku wakes early to find Seiji outside her window, finally returning from Italy. The two bike up a large hill (a metaphor for the challenges they have both overcome) and watch the sunrise over the city. They agree to get married in the future. 

When thinking of protagonists that fit into Victoria Lynn Schmidt’s Heroine's Journey, a 14-year-old girl from a semi-niche 1990s anime movie may not be the first to come to most minds. Yet, as I have outlined the plot above, there is simply no denying how the movie fits perfectly into this narrative structure because the film, at its core, is about coming of age. Though Schmidt’s version of the Heroine’s Journey arguably allows for a broader interpretation of media, as the Wikipedia page says, it is about the heroine proving “herself to herself.” This is the exact reason why I believe Whisper of the Heart should be the first thing that comes to everyone’s mind when someone, as they commonly do, mentions Victoria Lynn Schmidt’s Heroine's Journey. 

When googling “What is Whisper of the Heart about?” I was shocked, and frankly upset, to see IMBd’s answer: “A love story between a girl who loves reading books, and a boy who has previously checked out all of the library books she chooses.” 

No, nope, definitely not. Whisper of the Heart is about Shizuku finding herself, her place in the world, and, centrally, allowing herself to explore her passion for prose. When the movie begins, she already is somewhat of a writer, composing lyrics for her class assembly, but clearly feels insecure and does not take herself seriously, opting for joke lyrics. Her parents and mostly her sister nag her about school, wanting her to show a little more effort but she does not take interest in such things. Shizuku’s meeting with Seiji marks awakening and he motivates her to pursue her dream of writing. For her, he is not simply a love interest but an inspiration in her life as he unapologetically follows his heart.

 

Much of the film then touches on Shizuku’s self-doubt and comparison to Seiji and his clear goals. This plot point can be analyzed twofold in terms of the Heroine’s Journey as it both exemplifies her internal conflict but also external struggles with comparing herself to a far more successful and notable masculine influence within her life. I am not necessarily trying to argue that the 1995 children’s film Whisper of the Heart should be viewed as a post-feminist film about a young woman as Shizuku does not face constraints surrounding systematic sexism but the themes are there. Shizuku is a young woman who is in control of her destiny (like Elle Woods) and the story focuses on her self-fulfillment as an individual. Her relationship with Seiji is one of mutual respect and understanding (like Elle Woods and Emmett) and she has the ability to follow her personal ambitions along with her love for him. She feels a need to keep up with him and later realizes that, in fact, she can support Seiji in place of comparing herself to him. In a way, she views herself and her male counterpart on the same ground in terms of worth and both active participants in their respective creative processes. 

So yes, in a sense Whisper of the Heart is a coming-of-age romance, but, with the help of writer Victoria Lynn Schmidt, viewers see how the film is a more nuanced exploration of inner transformation, identity, and the creative process. 

Let me know your thoughts down below! Thank you for reading and make sure to support women ignoring their homework for their hobbies.