My Neighbors the Yamadas

My Neighbors the Yamadas
North American DVD cover
Directed by	Isao Takahata
Produced by	Seiichiro Ujiie Takashi Shouji Toshio Suzuki
Screenplay by	Isao Takahata
Based on	Nono-chan by Hisaichi Ishii
Music by	Akiko Yano
Studio	Studio Ghibli
Distributed by	Studio Ghibli (Japan) Disney (worldwide)
Release date(s)	July 17, 1999 (1999-07-17)
Running time	111 minutes
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

My Neighbors the Yamadas (ホーホケキョとなりの山田くん, Hōhokekyo Tonari no Yamada-kun^?) is an anime film directed by Isao Takahata and released by Studio Ghibli on July 17, 1999. The movie is a family comedy that is presented in a comic strip style which is unusual since all the other Studio Ghibli movies are presented in the traditional anime style of Studio Ghibli. Based on the yonkoma manga Nono-chan by Hisaichi Ishii, it was the first completely digital Studio Ghibli movie. 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 movie to have animation drawings painted entirely on computers. Despite decent reviews, the movie did not fare as well at the box office in Japan as other Studio Ghibli movies. It was released on DVD in America in August 2005, alongside another Takahata film, Pom Poko. Produced by Toshio Suzuki.My Neighbors the Yamadas received an Excellence Award for animation at the 1999 Japan Media Arts Festival.

Plot

This film is about 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 5, the daughter), and Pochi (the family dog). It has a significantly different "feel" to it than the other Studio Ghibli films, not only because of its different style of animation, but also because it is not a contiguous plot, but rather a series of vignettes, each 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, getting 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 which far outweighs Matsuko's. 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.

For a much more detailed plot synopsis, covering every episode in detail see: plot synopsis.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack was composed by Akiko Yano and it is characterised by very short piano themes. Classical pieces played by Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra conducted by Mario Klemens. Released by Tokuma on July 1, 1999.

Track listing

CD 1

1. "Theme I: And So It Begins" 1:45
2. "Joyous Music I: Going Forward With Reckless Abandon" 0:26
3. "Cuckoo I: Not Like The Main Title" 0:28
4. "Extract from Chopin's "Nocturne No. 1 in B Flat Minor", Op. 9" 4:13
5. "Extract from Mahler's "Symphony No. 5", 1st Movement, Funeral March" 0:29
6. "Extract from Mendelsson's Wedding March" 4:22
7. "My Neighbors the Yamadas" Theme (Orchestra Version)" 3:34
8. Happy Bridge" 0:21
9. "Evening Waltz Theme (Orchestra Version)" 1:43
10. "Lively BGM" 3:21
11. "The Dog's Policeman" 2:25
12. "Troubles (BGM I)" 1:08
13. "Troubles (BGM II)" 0:24
14. "Sunset Scamper" (1:01)
15. "Theme II: Thank Goodness" 1:11
16. "Shut Up And Bring It Here!" 0:34
17. "Joyous Music II: Please, Stop Pushing, Right Now!" 0:52
18. "Cuckoo II: Oh, Welcome Home" 0:29
19. "Happy Bridge II" 0:15
20. "Takashi and Matsuko's Tango" 0:59
21. "Pom Poko Tanuki Band" (Wakaya Rakudan) 1:13
22. "Joyous Music III: A Happy Mouth" 0:25
23. "A Father's Sorrow" 0:39
24. "Paradise of Freedom" 0:23
25. "Extract from Mahler's "Symphony No. 1", "Giant", 4th Movement 3:32
26. "Theme III: Spring Rain" 3:32
27. "Cuckoo III" 0:28
28. "Cuckoo IV: The Correct Answer" 0:26
29. "Cuckoo V"

CD 2

1. "Round Of Forgotten Things I: Morning Blessings" 1:16
2. "Round Of Forgotten Things II: Morning Blessings" 1:19
3. "Cherry Cherry" 0:45
4. "Extract from Albinoni's Adagio" 2:07
5. "Young People" 1:42
6. "Cuckoo VI: Summer Dreams" 0:28
7. "Joyous Music III: School Is Fun" 0:50
8. "Exciting BGM" 0:45
9. "Phone Line" 2:56
10. "Bach: Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in E Flat Minor" 4:14
11. "Cheerful Music III: Going My Way" 1:16
12. "Round of Forgotten Things: Bridge" 0:28
13. "Round III of Forgotten Things: Good Advice" 0:36
14. "The Masked Moonbeam Theme Song, "Who is the Masked Moonbeam?" (Yoshiko Kondou) 3:24
15. "Broken Dreams" 0:24
16. "Mozart's "Toy's Symphony", Movement No. 2" 2:27
17. "Que Sera Sera/Whatever Will Be, Will Be" 3:20
18. "Quit Being Alone" 3:55

Characters

• Takashi Yamada (山田たかし Yamada Takashi) - Father
• Matsuko Yamada (山田まつ子 Yamada Matsuko) - Mother
• Noboru Yamada (山田のぼる Yamada Noboru) - Son
• Nonoko Yamada (山田のの子 Yamada Nonoko) - Daughter
• Shige Yamano (山野しげ Yamano Shige) - Matsuko's mother
• Pochi (ポチ) - family dog

Voice cast

• Hayato Isobata as Noboru Yamada
• Masako Araki as Shige Yamano
• Naomi Uno - Nonoko Yamada
• Touru Masuoka - Takashi Yamada
• Yukiji Asaoka - Matsuko Yamada
• Akiko Yano as Fujihara-Sensei
• Kosanji Yanagiya as Haiku Reader

English

• James Belushi as Takashi Yamada
• Molly Shannon as Matsuko Yamada
• Daryl Sabara as Noboru Yamada
• Liliana Mumy as Nonoko Yamada
• Tress MacNeille as Shige Yamano
• David Ogden Stiers as the narrator

References

External links

• My Neighbors the Yamadas on Nausicaa.net - detailed information on a fan site
• My Neighbors the Yamadas at the Internet Movie Database
• My Neighbors the Yamadas (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia