My Neighbors the Yamadas

Year: 1999
Country: Japan
Director: Isao Takahata
Watched through: Netflix
Also known as: Hohokekyo Tonari No Yamada-kun

The scenario: A series of vignettes about a suburban family in modern Japan, based on a popular comic strip.

First impressions: Having neither the expected anime drawing style nor traditional cel-based animation, this is one of Studio Ghibli’s most commonly overlooked films. In addition, it doesn’t have a central story, or even a single theme to unite the vignettes (unless you count “the foibles of living in suburban Japan” as a theme). It’s still a perfectly coherent and very charming film, however, and the settings, characters, and situations are appealingly relatable. Overall, I’d say this film deserves more attention from anime fans.

Plot and story: There really isn’t any, as mentioned above. n/a

Characters: Interesting characters are an important part of any film, but they have double the importance when they must carry a film with no story. Fortunately, the mother, father, brother, sister, and grandmother who comprise the Yamada family are well-rounded, funny, and very realistic; each tries their best, but no one is perfect. My favorite character is the proud, opinionated grandmother who is never afraid to be rude; she isn’t scared to cover other peoples’ posters with her own, insult the neighbor’s flower garden, or confront the motorcycle-riding hooligans that tear through the neighborhood. My next favorite is the caring but sometimes lazy mother who cuts corners in her housework so she can watch more romance movies on TV. The frustrated father, harried teenage son, and indomitable young daughter complete the family, and they constantly bounce off each other in unexpected and humorous ways. To say more would spoil some of the vignettes, but suffice to say that most of them are both touching and funny because the characters are so real. 19/20

Voices: I didn’t have time to watch the English dub of this film, which has some famous voice actors, but the original Japanese has wonderful voices. They’re just great parts of already great characters, and there isn’t a bad performance to be heard. 18/20

Music: Because of the “slice of life” nature of this film, non-diegetic music is de-emphasized. The sparing use of music works well with the realism of the film, and most of what we hear is existing classical pieces. There is also a charming karaoke number sung by the mother and father, and swells of music highlight the poems that accompany some scenes. 16/20

Visuals: This film stands out in the Studio Ghibli repertoire because of its unique style. Rather than using the hyper-realistic style that most Ghibli films (and, indeed, most anime films) have, this film seeks to imitate the style of the comic it’s based on. The figures and backgrounds are very simply drawn, and only the most important areas of the screen have color. Everything is rounded and friendly, with a lovely pastel color palette. Though the scenes look like watercolor paintings, the film was actually drawn digitally, which was a first for the studio. The visuals are cute while being quirky, and overall they help make the film memorable. 18/20

Overall grade: 71/80 = about 89/100 (A)