This is an original B2 Japanese poster, printed in 1995, for the release of “Whisper of the Heart” (耳をすませば).

“Whisper of the Heart” tells the story of Shizuku, a junior-high school student who is struggling to find out who she is. The movie takes you on a journey through her imagination and daily life as she makes decisions that will ultimately decide her future. Whisper was shown as a double-feature with On Your Mark, a music video by Chage & Aska.

The film is based on the 1989 manga of the same name by Aoi Hiiragi and published by Shueisha.

This is the first theatrical Studio Ghibli feature to be directed by someone other than Miyazaki or Takahata, and the only film to be directed by Yoshifumi Kondō, who died in 1998 of a ruptured aneurysm at age of 47.

This poster has an appealing sense of flight, typical of Hayao Miyazaki, who was the producer, scriptwriter and storyboard artist. It features an image of Shizuku and Baron soaring through he sky of another world, taken from the story that Shizuku writes in the course of the film.

The poster’s slogan is “I have a favorite person” (好きなひとが、できました), coined by Shigesato Itoi.