A Fanlisting
A fanlisting is a group of people who like something; i.e. a group of people who like wolves. All a fanlisting is is a list of fans to do with that particular person, item, or object; it joins together people with similar interests.

Mimi wo Sumaseba (Whisper of the Heart)
A Studio Ghibli film based on the manga of the same name. Released in 1995, it was the directorial debut of Yoshifumi Kondo, with Hayao Miyazaki as producer. In Japan, the title is known as Mimi Wo Sumaseba, which, literally translated, means "If You Listen Closely".

The film follows the story of fourteen year old Shizuku. Shizuku is a lover of books, and has made it her goal to read twenty books before vacation's end. She ends up meeting Seiji, a guy who is equally as interested in books as she is... and after their rocky start, the two become close friends. Seiji has a dream to be a world class violin maker, which inspires Shizuku to pursue her own dream of being a writer. Of course, following your own path is difficult, especially when there are other things that should take priority, but Shizuku persevers, promising to write a full novel before Seiji's return from Corona.

Why
Whisper of the Heart is my favourite film. Hands down. Period.

That's not even just saying animation, oh no. It is my favourite film ever This film is inspiring, beautifully drawn, and beautifully narrated; I can't really emphasise how much I love it. I love the relationship between Shizuku and Seiji, especially, but I also just love Shizuku. The film tells you it's okay if you don't know what you want to do with your life, that trying new things from the norm is fine, and that following your own path is key. I just... it's a gorgeous feature. I've recommended it to many, many people, as it's often somewhat underappreciated and unknown in Ghibli's catalogue. Do yourself a favour if you haven't: watch it! Trust me. You won't regret it.

Country Roads
Country Roads is a song originally sung by John Dever, but the version sung by Olivia Newton John is included in the movie, playing over the opening sequence. Country Roads comes up multiple times after that; Shizuku translates the lyrics to Japanese, changes the words to fit with her graduation ceremony... one of the best scenes in the film is when she sings the song accompanied by Seiji and his grandfather. There's really no other name I could really call it!

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