The Tale of the Modern Family
Ghibli Month — Chapter 12: My Neighbors the Yamadas
Director — Isao Takahata
Year of Release — 1999
Language — English
How Many Times Watched? — 1 time
Rating — ★★★★
This is a Good Watch.
I don’t know how many times I have to say it until you finally get it. Isao Takahata is the unsung hero of Studio Ghibli. He constantly pushes the boundaries of animation, redefining the medium in his decades-spanning career. I can’t help but sit in awe while watching his work, My Neighbors the Yamadas included.
This may be disappointing to some of you, but I need to tell you something. This is not the sequel to My Neighbor Totoro that you’ve hoped for. It baffles that they would name two of their films so similarly, but whatever. I’m not the boss.
From a brief glimpse, My Neighbors the Yamadas does not look like your typical Studio Ghibli film. Its visual style is that of a Japanese comic strip. There is no contiguous plot. Not much really happens. But in these differences comes a film like no other and something that feels right at home under the Studio Ghibli banner.
My Neighbors the Yamadas follows the daily lives of the Yamada family. There are six members of the Yamada family: Takashi (father), Matsuko (mother), Shige (Matsuko’s mother), Noboru (son), Nonoko (daughter), and Pochi (dog). Their story is told through a series of short vignettes (sketches) that offer a glimpse into the normal life of a modern, middle-class Japanese family. You see the ups and the downs, the funny and the hurtful, and everything in between.
Some of the sketches involve Nonoko being left at the mall, Takashi and Matsuko fighting for control of the remote, and Noboru getting his first girlfriend. The film takes a look at the little things in life that every family does, the ones you rarely see on screen. Every small reaction each person has is masterfully done and true to life. You can’t help but point and laugh because you know exactly how true much of it really is. It makes you feel like you’re watching your own family
For instance, there’s a scene where the father gets up from the table to get some iced tea. Immediately everyone asks for something from him, whether it be cake, soda, fruit, or to turn the heat on. As he hesitates to acknowledge the requests, they all unanimously yell, “Thank you!” assuming he’ll do it for them. That exact instance has happened in my family, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
At its heart, My Neighbors the Yamadas is about family. It’s about the parts of family that we’re not always proud of. The times where you wish you had different parents. When you can’t seem to agree on anything. When you wish you had never gotten married.
Though the Yamadas are not perfect, there were still some tender moments. I especially love when Noboru dances in his room after talking to a girl on the phone. Through all the silliness and misunderstandings, it is clear the Yamadas would have it no other way. They all still care for each other regardless of their problems.
This is where My Neighbors the Yamadas shines. It is genuinely funny while it pokes fun at a modern family dynamic, yet it isn’t afraid to broach tough subject matter. Family can be difficult, but it can also be the most rewarding thing in life.
The film ends with Takashi standing up to give a speech at a wedding but Matsuko accidentally gives him the grocery list instead of his notes. As he bumbles his way through it and even mentions divorce, Takashi eventually makes a meaningful point: “take life as it comes…However tough life gets, it can’t be helped.” It then cuts to the whole family singing “Que Será, Será” as they float away into the sky. Whatever will be, will be.
People often do things they don’t mean. It’s a part of life, and it’s something you just have to deal with. It can’t be helped. The key to life is just to move on and forget the bad stuff. Life will go on. Just forget it. Life is hard. Sometimes family is all you have. They may hurt you, but it’s not worth throwing it all away.
Que será, será. Whatever will be, will be.
