is a 1999 Japanese

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

written and directed by

Isao Takahata was a Japanese director, screenwriter and producer. A co-founder of Studio Ghibli, he earned international critical acclaim for his work as a director of Japanese animated feature films. Born in Ujiyamada, Mie Prefecture, Takahata joined Toei ...

, animated by

Studio Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Koganei, Tokyo."Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment". ''Studio Ghibli Collection - Madman Entertainment''. Retrieved 2020-12-14. It is best known for its animated feature films, and ha ...

for

Tokuma Shoten is a publisher in Japan, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The company was established in 1954 by Yasuyoshi Tokuma in Minato, Tokyo. The company’s product portfolio includes music publishing, video game publishing, movies, anime, magazines, ...

Nippon Television Network JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as , is the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned-and-operated by the which is a subsidiary of the certified broadcasting holding company , itself a listed sub ...

Hakuhodo is a Japanese advertising and public relations company. It is headquartered at Akasaka Biz Tower in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo. History Hakuhodo is one of the oldest advertising agencies in Japan and was founded by Hironao Seki at Nihonbashi-Hon ...

and

Buena Vista Home Entertainment Buena ( ) is a borough in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,603,Shochiku () is a Japanese film and kabuki production and distribution company. It also produces and distributes anime films, in particular those produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks (which has a long-time partnership—the company released most, if not ...

.Hôhokekyo Tonari No Yamadâkun
. ''www.bcdb.com'', 13 May 2012 It is based on the

yonkoma , a comic strip format, generally consists of gag comic strips within four panels of equal size ordered from top to bottom. They also sometimes run right-to-left horizontally or use a hybrid 2×2 style, depending on the layout requirements of ...

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

'' Nono-chan'' by

Hisaichi Ishii is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known outside Japan for his manga series '' Nono-chan'', which was adapted into the Studio Ghibli anime film ''My Neighbors the Yamadas''. Topics covered by Ishii's manga include baseball (in his debut work), ...

. A

slice of life Slice of life is a depiction of mundane experiences in art and entertainment. In theater, slice of life refers to naturalism, while in literary parlance it is a narrative technique in which a seemingly arbitrary sequence of events in a character ...

comedy-drama, the film stars Hayato Isobata, Masako Araki, Naomi Uno, Touru Masuoka,

Yukiji Asaoka was a Japanese singer and an actress from Chūō, Tokyo. She was the daughter of a famous Japanese painter of shin hanga style prints, Shinsui Itō, and her second husband was actor Masahiko Tsugawa. Asaoka was in the Takarazuka Revue from 1952 ...

Akiko Yano is a Japanese pop and jazz musician and singer born in Tokyo and raised in Aomori and later began her singing career in the mid-1970s. She has been called "one of the major musical talents of the Japanese popular music world", and her vocals and ...

, and Kosanji Yanagiya. Unlike the other films of Studio Ghibli, the film is presented in a stylized comic strip aesthetic, a departure from the traditional

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

style of the studio's other works.

Plot

The film is a series of

vignettes Vignette may refer to: * Vignette (entertainment), a sketch in a sketch comedy * Vignette (graphic design), decorative designs in books (originally in the form of leaves and vines) to separate sections or chapters * Vignette (literature), short, i ...

following the daily lives of the Yamada family: Takashi and Matsuko (the father and mother), Shige (Matsuko's mother), Noboru (aged approximately 13, the son), Nonoko (aged approximately 7, the daughter), and Pochi (the family dog). Each of the vignettes is preceded by a title such as "Father as Role Model", "A Family Torn Apart" or "Patriarchal Supremacy Restored". These vignettes cover such issues as losing a child in a department store, the relationships between father and son, or husband and wife, the wisdom of age, meeting one's first girlfriend and many more. Each is presented with humour, presenting a very believable picture of family life which crosses cultural boundaries. The relationships between Matsuko, Takashi and Shige are particularly well observed, with Shige giving advice and proverbs to all the family members, and having a great strength of character. Takashi and Matsuko's relationship is often the focus of the episodes, their rivalries, such as arguing about who has control of the television, their frustrations and their difficulties, but the overriding theme is their love for one another despite their flaws, and their desire to be the best parents possible for their children.

Voice cast

Japanese cast

Touru Masuoka Toru is a masculine Japanese given name. Possible writings Toru can be expressed with several kanji. Some examples: *徹, "penetrate" *透, "transparent" *享, "enjoy" *亨, "smoothly" *暢, "freely" The name can also be written in hiragana と ...

as Takashi Yamada *

as Matsuko Yamada *Hayato Isobata as Noboru Yamada *

Naomi Uno Naomi or Naomie may refer to: People and biblical figures * Naomi (given name), a female given name and a list of people with the name * Naomi (biblical figure), Ruth's mother-in-law in the Old Testament Book of Ruth * Naomi (Romanian singer) (bo ...

as Nonoko Yamada *

Masako Araki Masako (written: , , or in hiragana) is a feminine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: * *, (1888–1940), 6th daughter of Emperor Meiji *, Japanese long-distance runner * Masako Ebisu (born 1945), Japanese voice actress * ...

as Shige Yamada *

as Fujihara-Sensei * Kosanji Yanagiya as Haiku Reader

English cast

Jim Belushi James Adam Belushi (; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for the role of Jim on the sitcom ''According to Jim'' (2001–2009). His other television roles include ''Saturday Night Live'' (1983–1985), '' Total Security'' ...

as Takashi Yamada *

Molly Shannon Molly Helen Shannon (born September 16, 1964) is an American actress and comedian who was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1995 to 2001. In 2017, she won the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ...

as Matsuko Yamada *

Daryl Sabara Daryl Christopher Sabara (born June 14, 1992) is an American actor. He is known for portraying Juni Cortez in the ''Spy Kids'' film series and for a variety of television and film appearances, including '' The Polar Express'', '' Wizards of Wa ...

as Noboru Yamada *

Liliana Mumy Liliana Berry Davis Mumy (; born April 16, 1994) is an American actress. Between 2002 and 2006, she appeared as Jessica Baker in the two ''Cheaper by the Dozen'' movies and as Lucy Miller in the second and third films of ''The Santa Clause'' tr ...

as Nonoko Yamada *

Tress MacNeille Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series ''Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrench ...

as Shige Yamada *

David Ogden Stiers David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in '' The Magic Show'', in which he appeared for fou ...

as Narrator

Additional voices English

Jeff Bennett Jeffrey Glenn Bennett (born October 2, 1962) is an American voice actor who voiced Johnny Bravo in the Johnny Bravo, eponymous television series, Dexter's Dad in ''Dexter's Laboratory'', Brooklyn in ''Gargoyles (TV series), Gargoyles'' and List o ...

as Biker #1 *

Corey Burton Corey Gregg Weinberg (born August 3, 1955), known professionally as Corey Burton, is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake, Dale and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on '' The Transforme ...

as Biker #2 *

Dixie Carter Dixie Virginia Carter (May 25, 1939 – April 10, 2010) was an American actress. She starred as Julia Sugarbaker on the sitcom ''Designing Women'' (1986–1993) and as Randi King on the drama series ''Family Law (American TV series), Family La ...

as Lady #1 * Erin Chambers as Girl #1 *

Maree Cheatham Maree Cheatham (also credited as Marie Cheatham, born June 2, 1940) is an American actress, who is known for her performances on the daytime soap operas '' Days of Our Lives'' (1965–68, 1970–71, 1973, 1994, 1996, 2010), ''Search for Tomorrow' ...

as Lady #2 * Melissa Disney as Department store clerk and girl with umbrella *

Amber Hood Amber Hood is an American voice actress in animation and video games. Selected credits Animation * '' Blaze and the Monster Machines'' — Monkey * ''Blood+'' — Kaori Kinjo (English dub) * '' Codename: Kids Next Door'' — Jessica * ''Doc ...

as Girl #2 *

Edie McClurg Edith Marie McClurg (born July 23, 1945) is an American actress and comedian. She has played supporting roles in the films ''Carrie'' (1976), ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986), and ''Elvira: Mistress of the Dark'' (1988), and bit parts in ' ...

as Noboru's teacher *

Jim Meskimen James Ross Meskimen (born September 10, 1959) is an American actor, comedian and impressionist, who is best known for his voice-over work in video games. Early life James Ross Meskimen was born in Santa Monica, California on September 10, 1959 ...

as Lead Biker *

Jon Miller Jon Miller (born October 11, 1951) is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. Since 1997 he has been employed as a play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants. He was also a baseball annou ...

as Baseball announcer *

Jeremy Shada Jeremy Shada () is an American actor, musician and singer. He is best known for his work as the voice of Finn the Human from the American animated television series '' Adventure Time'' and Lance in '' Voltron: Legendary Defender''. He is also kno ...

as Tanaka *

Billy West William Richard Werstine (born April 16, 1952), known professionally as Billy West, is an American voice actor. His voice roles include Bugs Bunny in the 1996 film ''Space Jam'' and several subsequent projects, the title characters of ''Doug'' ...

as Man talking to Takashi

Production

Based on the

'' Nono-chan'' by

, it is the first completely digital Studio Ghibli film. Takahata wanted ''Yamada-kun'' to have the art style of watercolor pictures rather than cel pictures. To achieve that, the traditional paint-on-cel techniques were replaced with digital technology, making ''Yamada-kun'' the first Ghibli film to have animation drawings painted entirely on computers.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by

and it is characterised by very short piano themes, rather than the long orchestral themes composed by

Joe Hisaishi , known professionally as , is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. He is also known for his piano scores. Hisaishi's music has been known to explore ...

, further adding to the film's distinction from the rest of Ghibli's filmography. Classical pieces played by Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra conducted by Mario Klemens. Released by

Tokuma is a publisher in Japan, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The company was established in 1954 by Yasuyoshi Tokuma in Minato, Tokyo. The company’s product portfolio includes music publishing, video game publishing, movies, anime, magazines, ...

on 1 July 1999. ;CD 1 # "Theme I: And So It Begins" 1:45 # "Joyous Music I: Going Forward with Reckless Abandon" 0:26 # "Cuckoo I: Not Like the Main Title" 0:28 # "Extract from Chopin's "Nocturne No. 1 in B Flat Minor", Op. 9" 4:13 # "Extract from Mahler's "Symphony No. 5", 1st Movement, Funeral March" 0:29 # "Extract from Mendelsson's Wedding March" 4:22 # "My Neighbors the Yamadas" Theme (Orchestra Version)" 3:34 # Happy Bridge" 0:21 # "Evening Waltz Theme (Orchestra Version)" 1:43 # "Lively BGM" 3:21 # "The Dog's Policeman" 2:25 # "Troubles (BGM I)" 1:08 # "Troubles (BGM II)" 0:24 # "Sunset Scamper" (1:01) # "Theme II: Thank Goodness" 1:11 # "Shut Up and Bring It Here!" 0:34 # "Joyous Music II: Please, Stop Pushing, Right Now!" 0:52 # "Cuckoo II: Oh, Welcome Home" 0:29 # "Happy Bridge II" 0:15 # "Takashi and Matsuko's Tango" 0:59 # "Pom Poko Tanuki Band" (Wakaya Rakudan) 1:13 # "Joyous Music III: A Happy Mouth" 0:25 # "A Father's Sorrow" 0:39 # "Paradise of Freedom" 0:23 # "Extract from Mahler's "Symphony No. 1", "Giant", 4th Movement 3:32 # "Theme III: Spring Rain" 3:32 # "Cuckoo III" 0:28 # "Cuckoo IV: The Correct Answer" 0:26 # "Cuckoo V" ;CD 2 # "Round of Forgotten Things I: Morning Blessings" 1:16 # "Round of Forgotten Things II: Morning Blessings" 1:19 # "Cherry Cherry" 0:45 # "Extract from Albinoni's Adagio" 2:07 # "Young People" 1:42 # "Cuckoo VI: Summer Dreams" 0:28 # "Joyous Music III: School is Fun" 0:50 # "Exciting BGM" 0:45 # "Telephone Line" (Akiko Yano) 2:56 # "Bach: Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in E Flat Minor" 4:14 # "Cheerful Music III: Going My Way" 1:16 # "Round of Forgotten Things: Bridge" 0:28 # "Round III of Forgotten Things: Good Advice" 0:36 # "The Masked Moonbeam Theme Song, "Who is the Masked Moonbeam?" (Yoshiko Kondou) 3:24 # "Broken Dreams" 0:24 # "Mozart's "Toy's Symphony", Movement No. 2" 2:27 # "

Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" is a song written by the team of Jay Livingston and Ray Evans that was first published in 1955. Doris Day introduced it in the Alfred Hitchcock film '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956), singing it as ...

" 3:20 # "Quit Being Alone" 3:55

Release and reception

The film was released in Japan on July 17, 1999. It was the only film produced by Ghibli to not be released by

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...

or the

Toei Company () (also styled TOEI) is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution and video game developer and publishing company. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan (all but two of them operated by i ...

. It is one of only two films from Miyazaki or Takahata to be distributed by neither company, the other being ''

Gauche the Cellist is a short story by the Japanese author Kenji Miyazawa. It is about Gauche, a struggling small-town cellist who is inspired by his interactions with anthropomorphized animals to gain insight into music. The story has been translated into English, ...

''. The film received positive reviews, with praise to its unique visual style, humor and its observational look at modern Japanese suburban family life. On

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

site

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, ''My Neighbors the Yamadas'' has an approval rating of 78% based on 8 reviews and an average rating of 7.1/10. Ryan Lambie of ''

Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...

'' awarded the film four stars and said, "Anyone expecting the soaring beauty of a typical Studio Ghibli production will probably be a little bemused by the mundanity of the Yamadas’ existence, but there’s a soothing calm to their daily struggles, a haiku-like sense of tranquillity." ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' rated it four stars and described the film as "an episodic piece that swaps narrative through-lines for a string of comedic observations on family dynamics. Witty, playful and gorgeous to look at." Sam Sewell-Peterson of ''The Film Magazine'' praised the film's visuals and called it "a soothing balm, a leisurely and pleasant look at domestic mundanity. Despite the positive reviews, the film did not fare as well at the box office in Japan as other Ghibli films had done.

Home media

The movie was released on VHS and DVD in Japan by Buena Vista Home Entertainment Japan on November 17, 2000. It is the first

movie to be released on DVD. ''My Neighbors the Yamadas'' was released on DVD in America on August 16, 2005, alongside another Takahata film, ''

Pom Poko Pom or POM may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Pom (comics) (1919–2014), a Belgian comic strip writer and artist * Baby Pom, a fictional character in the British television programme ''Fimbles'' * Pom, a character in the video game ''Them's F ...

'' by

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., doing business as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, is the home entertainment distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films, television series, an ...

. A Blu-ray version was released in Japan in 2010, and in the UK the following year. The US never got a Blu-ray release by Disney, but

GKIDS GKIDS is an American film distributor based in New York with, according to the ''Los Angeles Times'', a focus on "sophisticated, indie" animation. GKIDS releases critically acclaimed, mostly hand-drawn, international films—such as the works o ...

released the film on Blu-ray for the first time in the US, as well as re-issuing the DVD under a new deal with Studio Ghibli on January 16, 2018.

Accolades

''My Neighbors the Yamadas'' received an Excellence Award for animation at the 1999

Japan Media Arts Festival The Japan Media Arts Festival is an annual festival held since 1997 by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs. The festival begins with an open competition and culminates with the awarding of several prizes and an exhibition. Based on judging by a ...

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:My Neighbors The Yamadas 1999 anime films 1999 animated films 1999 films 1990s Japanese-language films Animated comedy films Comedy anime and manga Anime films based on manga Films about dysfunctional families Films directed by Isao Takahata Hisaichi Ishii Studio Ghibli animated films Shochiku films Films set in Japan 1990s children's animated films