My Neighbor Totoro

9 reviews - 41.5 total score (Explanation of the rating system)
avg. score: (4.6)

9. Marshal of Manga

Mei and Satsuki move into a ‘haunted’ house with their father, and soon discover to their delight that the kind old woman living nearby is not their only neighbour. Mei becomes aware of two curious creatures who collect the nuts sprinkled around her new home. She follows them into a mini-forest and meets Totoro, a giant animal that is a mix of cat and bear. When Mei disappears while on a mission to visit her hospitalized mother, it is up to her elder sister’s heart and Totoro’s magic to retrieve her.

Totoro is a nocturnal caretaker of nature, and will only appear for children, but symbolically, Totoro represents the sincerity, boldness, and imaginative spirit that are so abundant in many children, and it is these qualities that will lure and lead us to Totoro so we can experience the wonders of his magic. To me, My Neighbour Totoro (MNT) is about nurturing these qualities inside us so we can enrich our lives, and that is when Totoro ‘appears’ for us.

MNT is a ‘children’s movie’ in all aspects – one can’t see Totoro unless a child, subtle distinctions are made between a life of practical work for adults and the carefree existence of children, but anyone can appreciate the meaning of MNT. It’s about cherishing childhood and the many things associated with it.

I find the character of Mei rather annoying at times, but her personality only serves to bring the proximity of childhood closer to the viewing experience. None of the characters actually change by the movie’s end, but we are left with no doubt that the children’s moment of magic will enchant their lives forever.

MNT contains one of the most charming melodies in any Ghibli production, certainly one of the most charming creations (Totoro), and an excellent display of magical beauty.

8. Yogi

This is about a story about two kids who find mysterious creatures in the woods called Totoro. The movie details their adventurers together. There is really no general plot to the story, and the most tragic thing that happens is a girl gets lost. Besides the glorious backgrounds, music, and animation that one comes to expect from Ghibli, there lies a simple story about two girls and the fun they have with their mysterious friends. The Totoro aren’t diabetes inducing cute, and even look a bit scary (they look like they’ll do well in a fight), but they come across as adorable fantasy creatures. This is aimed for a very young audience, but it’s still good.

7. Hybrid

Well what do you get a story featuring about 2 young sisters and their father, a house, a huge carpiore tree, dust bunnies, acorns, magic seeds, a cat bus and cute magical creatures that only children can see........well you get My Neighbour Totoro. From the opening sequence you know you are in for a wonderful,heartwarming movie as the Totoro song is playing out to the delightful animation sequence of a Totoro walking across the screen. The music of the movie is simply fantastic and sweeping like many other films that Ghibli have produced. The animation of the movie is very bright and detailed. If there is one weakness that this movie has, it is it's story. There isn't much here story wise other than meeting Totoro, but I'm not going to let a minor detail like this spoil what is an absolutely magical story about the magical moments in life that one experiences. Highly Recommended.

6. Makunochi

My Neighbor Totoro is a very cute anime. The anime is enjoyable for all age groups. I watched this anime when I was about 7 years old and 10 years later I still have fond memories of it. The colors are vivid and the characters are adorable, especially Totoro. My favorite though would have to be the little blue Totoro =). The anime starts out with 2 kids that stumble upon a magical creature in the forest. They become friends and have adventures together. There are parts of the anime that would make you say "aww." All in all, a very cute anime that everyone should check out. And if you have kids show this to them, they'll love it.

5. Tempy

My Neighbor Totoro features many cute and wondrous moments. As with all Ghibli movies the art is bright and pretty, and the animation is excellent. There are tons of lovely details, but unfortunately, there's not much of a story here. Still, there are many simple pleasures in Totoro to enjoy, from finding shiny acorns, to watching a big Totoro discover the joys of umbrellas, to a furry catbus.

4. Dreamer

Studio Ghibli can easily make anything Disney looks pale, and Totoro is the brightest example. Vivid colors, beautiful landscapes and most importantly, very appealing characters. It also proves that a great show does not necessarily needs a deep plot to be fun. Totoro is all about innocent fun and is a very lighthearted show. It got me so absorbed in it that I was really surprised that it had actually come to an end. Even with that in hand, I really don't regret taking a look at it. One advice, look for the Japanese International DVD, which has English subtitles. All of that because Disney, which publishes Miyazaki's works on the US, will NOT include a Japanese audio track in any of the future releases.

3. bremmi

On a cuteness scale of 1 to 10, Totoro is easily an 11. As with Kiki, the general lack of a deep plot keeps it from getting 5 stars, but everything else about the movie is perfection. Two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei, move with their father to a new house in the country in order to provide a new, more healthy environment for their sick mother. Soon after moving in they discover that some magical creatures live in the forest next to their new home. Totoro and his friends help Mei and Satsuki adapt to their new lives, and that's about all the story has to offer. If you like cuteness, you absolutely have to see this movie. Every new Miyazaki movie I see makes me appreciate him all the more.

2. hakootoko

The plot and climax in this movie are not of Earth shattering importance: a little girl is lost and we have to find her. This is a nice, friendly movie about a rural Japanese community and their forest spirit Totoro. The first half of the movie is a heartwarming story of life and surprises in the village for a family who just moved there, followed by little Mei getting lost and everyone (including Totoro) doing their best to find her. Certainly one of my top three favorite Miyazaki movies.

1. Mechaman

Everybody seems to love this, but I thought that it didn't really measure up to Miyazaki's other films. It is about a family in Japan who move to a countryside house, to get near the hospital where their mother is. There they encounter friendly forest spirits. This movie has lots of humane warmth and magical creatures, but it's slightly boring sometimes (watching a four year old running about is not very interesting). At it's best, it's simply enchanting and awakes your own childhood memories.