From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)

Yokohama, 1963. Japan is picking itself up from the devastation of World War II and preparing to host the 1964 Olympics—and the mood is one of both optimism and conflict as the young generation struggles to throw off the shackles of a troubled past. Against this backdrop of hope and change, a friendship begins to blossom between high school students Umi and Shun—but a buried secret from their past emerges to cast a shadow on the future and pull them apart.

Genres: Animation, Drama

What to watch after From Up on Poppy Hill

• The Boy and the Heron (2023) — Same feel: emotional, reflective
• When Marnie Was There (2014) — Keiko Niwa wrote for both
• Only Yesterday (1991) — Same subject: school
• Pom Poko (1994) — Yuriko Ishida appears in both
• Whisper of the Heart (1995) — Same feel: emotional, optimistic
• The Wind Rises (2013) — Hayao Miyazaki wrote for both