Lucas Versantvoort It's easy to see why My Neighbors the Yamadas wasn't a success at the box office. It lacks the vivid colors of Miyazaki's films, there are no fantastical elements like magic, dragons and what have you, and the plot is so slice of life-y it's as far removed from what you might expect of a typical Ghibli film. Nevertheless, because Isao Takahata directed it, Yamadas rises above a typical slice of life film and becomes a celebration of daily life, presenting 'real' people and bursting with little, enjoyable details.As with many films in the slice of life genre, the plot isn't exactly heavy on dramatic twists and full-on drama. Rather, it is structured as a series of vignettes and excels in instilling a sense of watching a real family go about its business, watching the members do various things and have things happen to them and, crucially, feeling that ear-to-ear grin emerge on your face when you relate to what's occurring on screen. Little things like the father's inevitable need to be the hero of the family, resulting in a dream sequence in which he saves his family from peril; the father and mother arguing over who gets to use the remote; the father deciding he'll do the grocery shopping only to forget certain items; the daughter realizing that there was a time when her father and mother weren't married; the family dog seemingly judging the family with a perpetually cynical look on his face, etc. It's all done with humor and genuine insight to and love for human beings. Nowhere is this more apparent than the fact that despite the film's heavy focus on comedy, it never feel condescending. It never feels like the stuff on TV that passes for comedy these days. Characters – and therefore the audience – are always taken seriously.As with all of Takahata's output, the visuals are crucial for understanding the story and characters. It's the most minimalist of all Ghibli films, feeling like the almost childishly drawn versions of the flashback sequences from Only Yesterday. Characters are drawn with a handful of lines, environments are sparsely rendered, a lot of the time most of the screen is white, which makes all the more hilarious the fact that this is the first Ghibli film that has been made mostly on computers. It seems like Takahata was going for a 'less is more' approach. Not only did he go against the established Ghibli 'look', but he also showed how it's possible to tell a convincing story, to portray 'real' people and provoke audience sympathy with a minimal amount of brush-strokes. Not only that, the simplicity of the visual style corresponds with the equally 'simple' family life the film portrays. The film also exhibits Takahata's penchant for combining a highly realistic style with surreal flights of fancy (as seen in wonderful opening scene that has to be seen to be believed).If by reading the above plot summary (if one can call it a plot), you are instantly turned off by the prospect of intense boredom, then this film might not be for you. It requires patience, but those who possess it and give this film a chance will be highly rewarded. In lesser hands, this could have been highly clichéd, but in Takahata's hands, it's an experience that – very much like Only Yesterday – feels life-affirming, a celebration of life that feels funny and honest.

Anssi Vartiainen Of the two Ghibli founding directors, Isao Takahata has always been far more Japanese than his more internationally successful colleague Hayao Miyazaki. And unfortunately this movie is no exception. My Neighbors the Yamadas depicts the live of a typical Japanese family as seen through Takahata's eyes. The Yamadas are more than a bit quirky, set on their ways and more than a bit dysfunctional - like most families really are - but the movie still manages to convey the love and admiration they feel for each other, even if their outwards reactions are the exact opposite.The problems arise from the fact that a slice of life movies like these have to be charming and funny for them to be enjoyable. That is, if they're not made to be brutally honest and realistic, which this in no way is. You're supposed to laugh at the jokes and the humorous blunders that each of these family members get into in turn. Yet the fact is, I didn't laugh a single time watching this movie, I didn't even smile all that much. I could kind of recognize the scenes I was supposed to be laughing at, but the humour never connected. Guess you need to be Japanese to get them.Though, to this film's credit, it's unlikely this would have gotten released outside of Japan if not for the fame Studio Ghibli has amassed over the years, so Takahata's choice to make this a very Japanese film is understandable and it's our failing as a viewer if we just don't get the culture. Or the language, for that matter, because apparently a lot of the jokes are based on the dialects of Japan, which is pretty much lost in the subtitles. I don't know if the English dub would be any better, as my personal copy didn't include that.The other good thing about this film is its animation. Especially the early fantasy sequence, delving into the imagination of the family's young daughter, is amazing to look at and the talent of Studio Ghibli is showcased beautifully. The rest of the film tries to imitate the newspaper strips it's based on, but even those simplified designs have fluidity and great motion to them. Not the best looking film Ghibli has ever produced, but it has its moments.As a whole I'm going with an average rating for this one. I personally didn't enjoy it all that much, but I can see the talent behind it and the idea they were going for. If you're a fan of Japanese culture and especially if you understand the language, give it a watch.

daisuke-ichi i watched this movie trough local TV shows, and haven't missed any episodes of it! it fulls with extraordinary funny character! really man i mean it! especially the mother character! i guarantee you can't stop laughing! the artwork seems unusual...but that's the point of it! beside of the hilarious stories ( four thumbs up for the script writer) i almost can't find another TV show that matches the yamada's. if you're fans of the friend's TV series or family - comedy show, need a laugh ( lots of it! ), not so think - too hard show,this is your shows! ( if you like anime though! )if you're not fans of anime well...just try the show! concentrate on the story! i bet you'll love it! the world needs a lot of laugh lately...it'll cheer up your gloomy day. what i regret the most is...the yamada's only has a view episodes ( imagine if it has hundreds episodes like naruto or one piece )oh ho ho...anyway...happy watching and hope that you enjoy as much as i do. if you like it...i could give you another tittle : kariage - kun, kobo - chan ,atasinchi, and crayon shin - chan. alls are greaaattt shows!

Rooliana I enjoy many types of animation but after watching this DVD last night I was stunned. The minimalist artwork set the impressionistic spring mood. The music was upbeat and light matching the "baby blues and pinks" colouring.I've never seen anything like this before. Not only does it encourage the would-be Animator to try similar things but the hidden themes behind each little cartoon clip was touching and honest.The introduction was a grabber for me with the beautiful analogy of this Japanese family going through life like a voyage on rough seas.I watched it with the American voices, they matched the drawings so well, giving them warmth and realism to the Yamada family's personalities that is impossible to convey via the drawings alone.I loved My Neighbours the Yamadas and wish Hisaishi Ishii and the Director would continue creating more brilliant work.