My Neighbors the Yamadas

Cast

Toru Masuoka

Yukiji Asaoka

Masako Araki

Naomi Uno

Akiko Yano

Chocho Miyako

Daryl Sabara

David Ogden Stiers

Jim Belushi

Liliana Mumy

Molly Shannon

Tamao Nakamura

Tress MacNeille

Yasuko Tomita

Dixie Carter

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Critic Reviews for My Neighbors the Yamadas

Audience Reviews for My Neighbors the Yamadas

• Jul 19, 2013

  If the world-renowned Hayao Miyazaki could be seen as the Walt Disney of the Studio Ghibli cannon, then the equally talented Isao Takahata can be viewed as the mad scientist. As much as I love Miyazaki's wonderful fantasy-adventures, I always appreciated Takahata bravery in experimenting with the capabilities of the animated medium. Although not all of his films are great ('Grave of the Fireflies' is a powerful anti-war film, 'Only Yesterday' is a very underrated slice-of-life flick, and 'Pom Poko' was an admirable but very flawed effort), Takahata's films always make themselves immediately distinguishable from other films in the Studio Ghibli cannon. Based on the popular Japanese comic strip, 'My Neighbor the Yamadas' is an anime family comedy that has a very unusual look from the usual Ghibli entries. Instead of the traditional anime style, the animation is a watercolor comic strip style drawn completely from digital technology (making this the first Ghibli film to be painted completely from computers). Not only does the animation give this a different feel, but the film also does not adhere to a traditional plot structure. Instead, it is a series of vignettes that account the daily lives of the Yamada family. Such sketches cover issues such as losing a child in a mall, the relationship between father and son, the wisdom of age, and getting one's first girlfriend. The film's biggest strength is in painting a very believable picture of family life that crosses cultural borders and is accompanied by a suitable amount of charming humor. The overarching theme of the film is that despite their flaws, the family still loves each other and the parent's only posses a desire for what is best for their children. The lack of overarching plot will certainly make this an acquired taste for even the most devoted Studio Ghibli fanatics (certainly not recommended for newcomers to the Ghibli catalogue), but 'My Neighbor the Yamadas' is a unique and touchingly honest picture of family life.
  Christopher H Super Reviewer
• Dec 31, 2012

  Here's an experiment that I had never seen before in my life. Takahata is definitely the #2 guy in Ghibli's animation empire. We go from one incredible anecdote to the next while this peculiar middle-class family from Tokyo is not hesitant to show us its varied and unusual personality traits. Animated sequences display simplicity and creativity at the same time, something I had never previously wondered whether if it would be possible. See it. There is no way you can know what you're missing, because it's something refreshing. 75/100
  Edgar C Super Reviewer
• Sep 28, 2011

  A chronicle of the Yamada Japanese family, My Neighbors The Yamadas is a coarse, but creative animation output from Studio Ghibli that fragmentary narrates the comical encounters of the members of the Yamada family. A satire of the relevant in marriage, family, and contemporary domestic affairs, My Neighbors The Yamadas remarks a contemplation on the quality of relationships within a family. Raucously lively.
  

  Jan Marc M Super Reviewer
• Jun 24, 2010

  This reminds me of the "funny pages" from the newspaper, 3 comic panels which are suppose to elicit laughter, but in fact leaves you thinking, 'who the fuck thinks this is funny?'. That is exactly what this film was like a much of short panels that I assume were suppose to elicit some laughter, I don't know if it was a cultural or if it just wasn't interesting enough, but I only had twenty minutes left until the end of the film and I just turned it off. I just didn't care. Plus in the beginning it felt really preachy and "quote-y". blah.....
  Marion R Super Reviewer

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