If you loved My Neighbors the Yamadas, try The Story of Heidi

A bridge between a film you've already seen and one most people haven't. The Story of Heidi has roughly 4.5× fewer votes than My Neighbors the Yamadas — it's a deeper cut, not a mainstream recommendation. Here's what they share, and what the second one does that the first one doesn't.

What they share

Both films are directed by Isao Takahata, and they both carry the bittersweet, cozy, tender mood tags, and they sit in Animation / Family territory. If that's the register that drew you to My Neighbors the Yamadas, the second film will land in a comparable space — through a different lens.

bittersweetcozytender

What The Story of Heidi is

Here's a charming tale about being dumped on a relative. Young Heidi is dropped off with her grumpy, goatherding grandfather in the Alps. She makes friends and has adventures, until her aunt reappears to ruin everything. It's an hour and a half very loosely based on a 52-episode show.

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