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Poster for Madadayo

Madadayo

Seen it?

1993 | 134 min | Drama, Comedy

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (88% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office loss and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who wants a laugh. If you loved The Holdovers, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Funny with heart.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 14 min.
What might put you off
  • It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

In postwar Tokyo, beloved writer-professor Hyakken Uchida retires and is buoyed through hardship by the fierce devotion of his former students, who honor him each year with a raucous “Not yet!” birthday toast. Told in warm, gently comic vignettes, Kurosawa’s farewell celebrates aging, friendship, and the sustaining ritual of teacher and pupils refusing to say goodbye.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    88% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.3 out of 10

  • AwardsWeak

    0 wins and 1 nomination from smaller awards and festivals

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $2 million worldwide on a $8 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 48K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Akira Kurosawa

  • Tatsuo MatsumuraProf. Hyakken Uchida
  • Kyōko KagawaProfessor's Wife
  • Hisashi IgawaTakayama
  • George TokoroAmaki
  • Masayuki YuiKiriyama
  • Akira TeraoSawamura
  • Takeshi KusakaDr. Kobayashi
  • Asei KobayashiRev. Kameyama
  • Hidetaka YoshiokaTakayama's Son
  • Yoshitaka ZushiNeighbor