Madadayo
1993 · Movie · 134 min · ★ 7.3 · 82% critics
In postwar Tokyo, a beloved writer-professor retires but is sustained by the passionate devotion of former students. Each year they gather for lively birthday celebrations, turning hardship into something communal and warm through gentle, comic episodes about aging and refusing goodbye.
Also known as Maadadayo · Not Yet
Where to watch
Streaming on The Criterion Channel.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Original title
- まあだだよ
- Years
- 1993
- Release date
- 1993-04-17
- Language
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 134 min
- Critic score
- 82/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.3/10 (133 votes)
About
You’ll likely like this if you enjoy bittersweet, community-centered stories of a mentor and loyal students, told with gentle humor and patience; Not for you if you want a fast, plot-driven movie like Kids Return or Rhapsody in August.
Pros: heartwarming student devotion; touching aging themes; warm, gentle vignettes | Cons: slow episodic pace; overlong celebrations; subtitles can be spotty
Themes
- birthday party
- tribute
- teacher student relationship
- post war japan
- 1940s
- memories of teachers
- lost cats
Awards & recognition
- International Submission to the Academy Awards · 1994 · nominated
Cast & crew
Tatsuo Matsumura
as Prof. Hyakken Uchida
Kyōko Kagawa
as Professor's Wife
Hisashi Igawa
as Takayama
George Tokoro
as Amaki
Masayuki Yui
as Kiriyama
Akira Terao
as Sawamura
Takeshi Kusaka
as Dr. Kobayashi
Asei Kobayashi
as Rev. Kameyama
Hidetaka Yoshioka
as Takayama's Son
Yoshitaka Zushi
as Neighbor
Directed by Akira Kurosawa