90
Metascore
19 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyRogerEbert.comGlenn KennyLike “Kaguya,” it functions as a highly sensitive and empathetic consideration of the situation of women in Japanese society—but it’s also a breathtaking work of art on its own.
- 100The Film StageMichael SnydelThe Film StageMichael SnydelOnly Yesterday is unabashedly modest, but in its twin dialogues between the past and the present, and the undying lure of the country and the city, it’s a singularly specific story whose message echoes decades later.
- 91The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayOnly Yesterday is animated, but rarely cartoony, in either its design or its storytelling.
- 90Village VoiceSherilyn ConnellyVillage VoiceSherilyn ConnellyIt's both an important part of Ghibli's history and a gem in its own right.
- 90The New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe New York TimesNicolas RapoldMr. Takahata’s psychologically acute film, which was based on a manga, seems to grow in impact, too, as the adult Takao comes to a richer understanding of what she wants and how she wants to live.
- 88Slant MagazineOleg IvanovSlant MagazineOleg IvanovIt uses the trappings of the family melodrama to reveal the subtle social constraints that inhibit people, particularly women, from attaining full self-realization.
- 88Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanSmall moments take on larger meaning in this exquisite memoir. That’s as true of the plot — in which nothing terribly significant happens, except life — as it is of the visuals.
- 83The PlaylistKevin JagernauthThe PlaylistKevin JagernauthWith Only Yesterday, Takahata not only succeeds in transmitting how years can flash by, but also the way that passage of time makes clearer the moments that define our character, and go on to influence how we choose to live later.
- 78Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovAustin ChronicleMarc SavlovOnly Yesterday is a little-seen gem in the crown of Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli.