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Chibi Maruko-chan has been a mainstay of Asian television for many years. The film echos the basic plot of the animated TV show. A Japanese family living in a smaller city, with a caricatured mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, older sister, and -- of course -- Maruko. They yell, fight, do dumb things, but always seem to come together at the end. This film focuses more on Maruko's school and classmates. There are no English subtitles, so what I know is based on having watched the film (and many many episodes of the TV show) with my Chinese wife and daughter (who translate as best they can while busting their guts laughing). I wish very much that someone would either dub in the English or put in subtitles. It's a great series and a good movie!

I had a much higher opinion of this film until I read Jack Schaefer's novel. As another poster observed, the boy comes off mostly as a toe head in the film, but as quite thoughtful in the book. But the thing I dislike most about the film adaptation is how it changed the role of the mother from a brave and strong-willed woman to a sniveling preacher of non-violence. At times in the book, Marian seems more determined than Joe to stick it out and fight. In the book, Shane teaches Bob (Joey in the film) about shooting without interference from Marian. The line about a gun being just a tool is spoken from Shane to Bob, not to Marian, as it is in the film. It seemed to me as if the screenwriter bent backward to create a weak woman stereotype. Maybe that's what sold tickets in 1952, but it wears very thin today.

But there's no doubt that this is a beautiful film to watch.

I saw this for the first time this evening on the TCM network and was completely swept away. This happens nearly every time I see a new Studio Gibli film, but this was exceptional. The story of a young Japanese woman's 10 day vacation to the old safflower farm; a trip by train during which she recalls memories of her school days and how her earlier experiences shape who she is today. If you've ever seen the Japanese TV show Chibi Maruko Chan, you might think, "This is Maruko all grown up!" There are many moving scenes, one of the most interesting involving the woman's memory of her struggle with 5th grade math. She can't solve the logic of dividing fractions, and her discussion with her rather rude older sister on this topic reveals tremendous insight on the part of the filmmaker. It's simply a very touching story of a young girl's growth. It would make a great double feature with another Gibli film, "Kiki's Delivery Service."