My Neighbors The Yamadas

2 reviews - 8.0 total score (Explanation of the rating system)
avg. score: (4.0)

2. Yogi

This is an interesting story. An ordinary Japanese family drawn in a very simple watercolor style is seen doing ordinary things. There is no connecting story, just a series of vignettes giving a realistic example of married life in Japan. The art is apparently computer animated, but drawn in an extremely simple and cartoony style. The one complaint I have with it is that the subject matter doesn’t quite hold the viewer’s attention for the whole time. However, it’s still a rather interesting movie.

1. Tempy

My Neighbors The Yamadas is Studio Ghibli's first offering after the impressive Princess Mononoke. Based on a comic strip and done in a simplistic drawing style with a watercolored look, the movie is actually completely digital, is very stylish and boasts good animation. It's about your average Japanese family, the Yamadas (Yamada is a common Japanese family name). The movie consists of various short vignettes grouped by various themes. It depicts the usual stuff that happen throughout life in a family, but in a very light hearted, funny, and sometimes poignant way. While it would probably fare better as a TV series than a full length movie (it did very poorly in Japan), My Neighbors The Yamadas is definitely worth watching if you're in the mood for light-hearted, life-affirming, and pleasing entertainment.