Bikes in Film: From Up On Poppy Hill...

From Up On Poppy Hill is a 2011 (released in the US, March 2013) animated film from the Ghibli Studio. Set in Yokohama in the early 1960s, the story revolves around the efforts of a large group of students to save their school's clubhouse from demolition. A concurrent storyline examines the budding relationship between Umi and Shun, two of the students, who share an unexpected past.

Without doubt the most symbolic scene is the downhill bike ride shared between Umi and Shun. Well, in my clearly biased opinion it is. Much of the film revolves around a theme of transition; the bike ride is in a way the same, serving as a sort of confirmation of the feelings between the two. Japanese anime can go over the top sometimes, but this does not. A cute story, nostalgic setting, a few twists, and everything works out in the end. Oh, and it is in English, or at least the version I watched was.