My Neighbors the Yamadas | 
| Director: Isao Takahata
Actors: Toru Masuoka, Yukiji Asaoka, Masako Araki, Naomi Uno, Akiko Yano
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.99
Buy Used: $9.25
You Save: $20.74 (69%)
New (46) Used (13) from $9.25
Rating:  27 reviews
Sales Rank: 13590
Format: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Japanese (Original Language)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 104 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: D40448D
UPC: 786936286748
EAN: 0786936286748
ASIN: B0009MAO3M
Theatrical Release Date: 1999
Release Date: August 16, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Although it's technically a feature film, Isao Takahata's My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999) plays like a series of comedy sketches or sitcom episodes. The Tokyo household of Takashi and Matsuko Yamada includes their son and daughter, Noboru and Nonoko, Matsuko's cranky mother Shige, and their lumpish dog. Stolidly middle-income and middle-class, the Yamadas have a family life that falls somewhere between Married... with Children and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. Affectionate but undemonstrative, they rarely face crises more challenging than a lost umbrella or what to have for dinner. But they manage to find (or create) drama within their humdrum existence: the struggle for the TV remote becomes a stylized battle that spoofs karate matches; when a girl calls Noboru, his mother and grandmother cling to him like remoras. Many of the Yamadas' adventures end with an elegant haiku. Does Basho's "How cruel, a grasshopper trapped under a warrior's helmet" really apply to Takashi Yamada? He thinks it does. Much of the film's charm comes from the loose, cartoony style that suggests pencil lines and watercolor washes. (Rated PG, Parental Guidance Suggested: Mild thematic elements) --Charles Solomon
Product Description
Takashi yamada & his wacky wife matsuko navigate their way through the ups & downs of work marriage & family life with a sharp-tongued grandmother who lives with them a teenage son who wishes he had cooler parents & a pesty daughtre whose loud voice is unusual for someone so small. Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 08/16/2005 Starring: Voices Of Jim Belushi Run time: 104 minutes
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| Customer Reviews: Read 22 more reviews...
 this review refers to the movie (DVD not yet released) June 19, 2005
Huggle (Germany)
17 out of 17 found this review helpful
Created after an idea of the popular Japanese comic book author Isaichi Ishii, this movie tells nine amusing and moving episodes from the every day life of a "totally normal" Japanese family.
Mischievousely, "My Neighbours, The Yamadas" describes the problems and quarrels that raise from marriage and generation conflicts. Thus, the author paints the lively and colourful portrait of a family who is an explosive mixture of eccentric, yet highly sympathical individualists.
At the same time the wonderfully drawn movie doesn't lack depth. The poesy of every day life which filters through the lives of the Yamadas is summed up at the end of each chapter in an haiku (most of them by Basho). Being a basic part of Japanese culture and spirituality, these short poems fit the respective characters' philosophy excellently.
A deeper symbolic dimension opens to the viewer in the partially grotesque/surrealistic scenes of the movie. A flashback shows us the Yamadas as honeymooners riding a gigantic wedding cake. Long married, they try vehemently to get the upper hand in the daily quarrel over the TV programme and both fight virtuousely in Japanese fencing style over the remote control.
"My Neighbours, The Yamadas" premiered extremely successfully in 2000 at the Anime-Festival in Annecy (France).
EXTRAORDINARY PORTRAYAL OF AN ORDINARY LIFE....ANOTHER STUDIO GHIBLI TRIUMPH!!! October 6, 2005
Mohd Jafar (Hyderabad, AP India)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
My neighbors the yamadas portrays suburban middle class life as it is in Japan or any other part of the globe for that matter. Directed by Isao takahata, this experimental studio ghibli film is unlike any of their previous films. A collection of short vignettes, showing everyday life of yamadas family, My neighbors the yamadas wears a newspaper comic strip look. It lacks all the usual detail, fine lines and photorealistic backgrounds of other ghibli films without losing any depth or appeal. Digitally achieved watercolor wash look works just fine for the style of the film and makes it visually striking and different from any other work studio has ever done.
My neighbors the yamadas is filled with humor, satire, grief and quite possibly everything else a middle class experiences. Everyday life incidents you can relate to and situations you can identify with, mentioning any of which here, may spoil the fun for those who havent seen the film.
Lets look at the dvd now. My neighbors the yamadas happens to be the only studio ghibli film released by disney as a single disc dvd. Presented in anamorphic widescreen, picture quality of the disc looks absolutely crisp and flawless and so is the sound. As usual, both English and Japanese tracks, rendered in dolby digital 5.1 are available on the disc. English dub featuring the voices of Jim belushi, Molly shannon and others doesnt disappoint and is quite decent. Bonus features include a "behind the microphone" featurette (approx 6 minutes) showing the english dubbing process and original trailers and tv spots which run a little more than 15 minutes. Fans of rough animation would be delighted to see the first trailer, which shows one complete segment from the film in line drawings without any colors filled. Movie has been rated PG for mild thematic elements.
Only disappointing thing, few may find, about this disc is the storyboards. Unlike all previous ghibli releases, there's no entire storyboard version of the film here. Instead, for some strange reason, it is a gallery of tiny sketches which you cant even enlarge. Inspite of it all, a worthwhile disc and a great buy too, just for the main feature itself.
With an experimental film like my neighbors the yamadas, studio ghibli has once again proved how versatile their artists are and how simple, yet unusual and globally appealing, their choice of subjects could be. My neighbors the yamadas is a simple and beautiful, fun-filled film without any sugarcoating or modern day formulas.
A great disc to watch and own.
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