Phil Marino

Easily one of Takahata’s greatest works. Everything from the sassy antics of the tough loving grandma, the “hardworking” dad, and mom who never has enough time to herself, this film is JAM PACKED with wonderful and insightful metaphors about the strange push and pull dynamic of family. Takahata’s funny, quick-witted, and charming humor does the film right by steadily making us fall in love with the Yamadas each scene and even relate to the fully functional dysfunctional family. The film does a wonderful way of using it’s simple animation style and directing method to draw the viewers in to a simple yet impactful story that isn’t driven by big name celebrities, stunning CG graphics, or even a crazy storyline. I HIGHLY suggest watching this film if you love Ghibli and want to broaden your horizons in animated film, this one along with “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya” are underrated gems in the animation world. The ending scene is forever going to make me cry happy tears and I will always be grateful that Isao Takahata created such a masterpiece.