Poster - Jarinko Chie

Isao Takahata's 1981 comedy Jarinko Chie is a favorite of mine, and every once in a while, I post the entire movie if I can find it on YouTube.  It's a terrific picture, full of wit and humor and that emotional family melodrama that is Paku-San's trademark.

For our new Ghibli Blog readers in the Twin Cities, Jarinko Chie is very similar in style to Takahata's 1999 Studio Ghibli movie, My Neighbors the Yamadas.  Both are adaptations of popular Japanese comics, both follow an episodic structure with various overarching themes, both are wonderfully funny and goofy.  If you're lucky enough to see one picture, you'll be sure to enjoy the other.

Chie was successful enough to spawn a popular TV series, which ran for two seasons.  Takahata served as "General Director," which meant he oversaw everything, but without directing specific episodes.  I'd love to see the anime fansub community tackle that series, but it's probably too obscure for most of them to notice.  I would imagine, however, that there'd be greater interest in Chie, now that we have all those Seth MacFarlane shows.  Ah, well, probably isn't likely to happen.  We're still waiting for someone to take up that Heidi fansub project.

This rare movie poster is currently selling on eBay for a princely sum ($75, give or take).  That's a little rich for my blood, but I'd be thrilled to have one in my personal collection.  Studio Ghibli movie posters are fairly easy to buy these days; if you want to really impress your family and friends, you'll need to dig deeper.

Please, Discotek, pick up the rights to the Chie Blu-Ray!  I'll do commentary!  I'll write more essays!  I'll buy everyone coffee and doughnuts!