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Yi Yi (2000)
Yi Yi (2000) poster
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4.5

Yi Yi (2000)

一一

Drama • 2h 53m

Overview

Each member of a family in Taipei asks hard questions about life's meaning as they live through everyday quandaries. NJ is morose: his brother owes him money, his mother-in-law is in a coma, his wife suffers a spiritual crisis when she finds her life a blank and his business partners make bad decisions.

Director: Edward Yang

Cast: Wu Nien-jen, Issey Ogata, Elaine Jin Yan-Ling, Kelly Lee, Jonathan Chang, Hsi-Sheng Chen, Su-Yun Ko, Michael Tao, Suzanne Shu-shen Hsiao, Adriene Lin, Pang Chang Yu, Tang Ru-Yun, Hsu Shu-Yuan, Hsin-Yi Tseng, Yung-Feng Lee, Shi-hui Chin, Wu Jie, Shu Kuo-Chih, Leon Dai, Mei-Yun Yu, Lawrence Ko Yu-Luen, Liang-Tso Liu, Li-Hua Chen, Chen Yi-wen, Shau-Ching Sung, Lo Pei-An, Antonio Lee, Danny Deng, Ray Fan, Chien-Hsiung Cheng, Cheng Yuan-Cheng, Ju-Yin Tsai, Jerry Sun, Tzu-chieh Miao, Tang Tsung Sheng, Wang Chi-tsan, Jianchang Li, Kenjiro Tsuda, Wei-Ning Wu, Hui-Ling Chang, Kuei-Ying Hsu, Allen Lu, Yang Shih-ping, Tzu-Yen Yeh, Cheryl Yang, Wan-Yun Lee, Hsiao-Wei Lin, Yiting Wu, Cheng-Kai Wang, Nien-Chu Hsieh, Shi-Chi Chen, Kuang-Ting Hsiang, Yen-Chun Lin, Hsin-yi Wen, An-yi Wen, Tzu-Ai Tsai, Yao-Wen Liu, Wei-Chun Wu, Szu-Chia Huang, Ming-Min Yeh, Yilian He, Katherine Lee, Tricia Chen, Christine Cheng, Fiona Chen, Cheng-Wan Pieh, Kate Yeung, Shih-hue Tu, Yu-Lung Yin, Lien-Lien Hsiao, Xianghua Ye, Sharon Mao, Liang-Hsin Hsieh, Mitsu Sudo, Kiyotaka Ueno, Norihiko Hashimoto, Christian Storms, Azusa Naito, Hui-Hui Chiang, Stephanie Michelle Lord, Morgan Reynolds, Tamara Robertson, Song-en Hu, Shou-yao Liu, Kai-Li Peng, Edward Yang

Best English-Friendly Release

Best Video Release

France Carlotta 4K Blu-ray is FiM encoded and superior to Criterion 4K Blu-ray see caps but the Carlotta release is not English friendly

Best Audio Release

Additional Info

A user writes: 'the 5.0 mix does not closely resemble the matrixed stereo track included on all prior releases (save for a 2003 French DVD which had 5.1). There is significant dialogue emphasis in the 5.0 mix while the older stereo mix has ambient sounds and dialogue mixed at nearly the same loudness. Additionally, the 5.0 mix has minor limiting in select loud sequences and a strange distorted quality on occasion (one notable example is the sound of a plane taking off which plays during a static shot of clouds in the sky). The stereo mix included on the FRA UHD/BD is a downmix of the 5.0 track.'

Format

UHD Blu-ray

UHD Tiers

Excellent
Carlotta > Criterion

TSPDT

2026: #118
2025: #118
2024: #118
2023: #118
2022: #118

Criterion Forum

Review

Picture: 9, Audio: 8, Extras: 8

Length

173 mins

Type

Movie

Alternative Titles

Yi Yi: A One and a Two...

Last Updated

a month ago

Contributors

Best English-Friendly Release
Best Video Release

France Carlotta 4K Blu-ray is FiM encoded and superior to Criterion 4K Blu-ray see caps but the Carlotta release is not English friendly

Best Audio Release
Additional Info

A user writes: 'the 5.0 mix does not closely resemble the matrixed stereo track included on all prior releases (save for a 2003 French DVD which had 5.1). There is significant dialogue emphasis in the 5.0 mix while the older stereo mix has ambient sounds and dialogue mixed at nearly the same loudness. Additionally, the 5.0 mix has minor limiting in select loud sequences and a strange distorted quality on occasion (one notable example is the sound of a plane taking off which plays during a static shot of clouds in the sky). The stereo mix included on the FRA UHD/BD is a downmix of the 5.0 track.'

Format
UHD Blu-ray
UHD Tiers
Excellent
Carlotta > Criterion
Featured Lists
TSPDT
2026: #118
2025: #118
2024: #118
2023: #118
2022: #118
Criterion Forum
Review

Picture: 9, Audio: 8, Extras: 8

Length
173 mins
Type
Movie
Alternative Titles
Yi Yi: A One and a Two...
Last Updated
a month ago
Contributors

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1988 Pioneer JP LaserDisc for the original 1988 home video audio
2001 Dynit IT Blu-ray for the 2001 remix
2009 Bandai Visual JP Blu-ray / 2011 MHE UK Blu-ray for the Hypersonic remix

1992 Criterion US LaserDisc for the 1988 Streamline English dub

2013 FUNimation US Blu-ray the 2001 Animaze English dub

Due to budgetary constraints, the original theatrical mix was mono. It was replaced with Dolby Surround for all subsequent releases and was never re-released.

LaserDisc is the best souning version of the original home video mix, as all later releases attentuate bass significantly and lower dynamic range. Comparison

The Japanese audio was remixed in 5.1 twice, first time in 2001 for the DVD release, and second time in 2009 for the BD release ("Hypersonic" remix). While the 2001 remix remains mostly faithful to the 1988 mix, the 2009 Hypersonic remix is highly revisionistic. However, its fidelity is outstanding, and despite many changes made, it's a worthwhile alternative experience for fans of the film. The 4K release includes the Hypersonic mix, but with a tonne of unnecessary noise reduction and unbalanced levels.

Comparison between mixes, list of changes between mixes

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Yi Yi (2000) backdrop

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