My Neighbors the Yamadas

Isao Takahata’s adaptation of Hisaichi Ishii’s beloved slice-of-life manga departs from Studio Ghibli’s traditional anime style and instead uses a roughly sketched comic-strip look. Awash in pastel watercolors, My Neighbors the Yamadas delights in the everyday misadventures of its titular family—dad, mom, older brother, little sister, granny, and Pochi the dog. Punctuated by daydreams and fantasies, Takahata’s film is a heart-warming and honest look at modern family life. Along with its typical animation style, Ghibli forgoes its usual long, orchestral music in favor of short piano themes to match its episodic style, making the film a standout in the studio’s filmography.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation.

1999 | 104 min. | Japan | Color | Japanese with English subtitles | Rated PG | DCP

DIRECTED/WRITTEN BY: Isao Takahata 

WITH: Yukiji Asaoka, Toru Masuoka, Masako Araki, Hayato Isohata