jalyn.stokes - 2017-01-22 13:53:08

TOTORO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hailee.volkman - 2017-01-01 23:41:29

96/100

I can’t think of anything more fun.

wbarrows - 2015-10-24 17:25:26

Well my neighbor totoro  follow's the story of two girl's who move into a new house with there dad. I'm not good with japanese names. Then they meet spirit's one of them named totoro. They hang out have some fun but it's all boring I mean I'm icing over what happen's. Then nothing happen's they just have encounter's with ghost. In fact it was even annoying to watch for me just because of how almost all of the character's just annoyed me. Maybe if your seven and your a family kinda guy or maybe a pedophile might like it as for everyone else tho this is as boring as fuck. 
I guess I'll talk about everything else then. The music was alright I mean it's about average not the best not bad. I'm not really into music myself so you might like it more than I did. I didn't enjoy at all I wished I had watched some thing else during that time.

leta96 - 2015-08-14 13:40:17

Totoro is Studio chibli's second best movie. This is the movie to watch if you are having a bad day. Everytime i watch this i am extremely happy! That's not all have you listened the soundtrack for Totoro!? OMG!!! The soundtrack is so great i could just listen to it all day. This is also the best movie to show your children. Totoro is a movie for everyone, yes i said for everyone. This is for chidren, teens and adults.

tremayne.harvey - 2015-02-22 17:52:15

this movie brings so much memories it's so cute how the two sisters are always together (✿´‿`)

gennaro.gislason - 2014-12-17 03:38:48

Story

Usually when somebody thinks of Studio Ghibli, Totoro comes to mind. Even before I watched any Studio Ghibli movies I would think of Totoro right away whenever somebody mentioned the company. I have no idea why. “My Neighbor Totoro” is a great movie but it’s not the best Ghibli has made, and it’s not the first movie they made either. The reason why Ghibli’s trademark has become Totoro is because it is a memorable movie that perfectly shows the spirit of most Ghibli works.

“My Neighbor Totoro” has the charming spirit that one might find in most Ghibli movies, and had the same environmental message, (though it doesn’t shove it’s message in your face like Princess Mononoke). While it may be a bit boring at times, it is hard not to love it.

The biggest reason of why this movie is so lovable is because it captures the simplicity and imagination that we experience when we are young. It’s nostalgic, and it’s even a bit sad in a way. Kids love it because of the cute creatures, but adults (and maybe even teenagers) love it because it brings them back to their childhood years, where there was little stress and seemingly limitless possibilities. “My Neighbor Totoro” has a story that, while simple, is still very meaningful.

Animation

The animation is fluid and the art style is Ghibli, (yes, it’s an art style now). What more can I say?

Sound

The soundtrack is great. It’s not very memorable, but it fits every moment it needs to and helps to shape the atmosphere. It does it’s job and does it perfectly.

Subbed or dubbed?: “Totoro” has both Japanese and English dubs, and both are really good. It depends on your preference. (Though I particularly like Satsuki’s voice in the English version).

Characters

The characters are just as loveable and sweet as the story itself. They have a little bit of development throughout the movie, but not as much as I would have liked to have seen. They lack depth, but have unique personalities.

Satsuki and Mei are the main characters, (no, not Totoro), and they are part of why “My Neighbor Totoro” is so nostalgic. They themselves capture the fun of childhood, playing around and exploring. I wish I could still be like them, but it was enough to just be able to enjoy the ride with them.

Enjoyment

I really enjoyed this movie for the most part, but I was a bit bored at times.

Final Conclusion: 9/10

xander74 - 2014-08-01 04:03:58

No commentary needed, IT'S TOTORO DAMMIT!
Pros: Miyazaki's beautiful imagination

Cons: Satsuki and Mei are kinda annoying at first, but you'll get used to them.

efren.beer - 2014-05-22 03:02:11

Spectacular. Simply stunning. One of Miyazaki's best, if not the best.

I'll admit, I'm somewhat biased when I say that. I've known this movie since I was three years old. It was one among a series that my parents bought to shut me up and keep me out of their hair. They'd put it on and then leave me with it. I watched it so many times that my childhood VHS was literally destroyed. I didn't get the chance to replace it until I was in my teens, and by then I'd discovered a whole host of fantastic movies from Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki Hayao. So perhaps my view is tainted by sentimentalism.

That won't stop me from recommending it,however. I sincerely believe that this movie perfectly captures a childlike sense of wonder and crosses generational gaps with it. If you haven't seen it: Do so.

kborer - 2013-08-11 21:58:20

At any age, it isn't wrong to enjoy something that was mainly centered to be a children's movie, show, comic, etc. Just as long as the form of entertainment is able to entertain you, then all is right in the world. A great example of this kind of work would be Studio Ghibli's 1988 classic My Neighbor Totoro. My Neighbor Totoro was directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who also created Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind 4 years prior to this movie's release. With his '84 work receiving great praise, does My Neighbor Totoro have what it takes to follow in its footsteps?

My Neighbor Totoro follows the story of the Kusakabe's as they move into a new house in a village-esque area. Their new house seems pretty beat up, but the Kusakabe's are perfectly content with their new living area. After getting theirselves settled in, the children, Mei and Satsuki, start to explore the area around their house. One day, while Satsuki is at school, Mei goes off and finds a very peculiar looking creature, in which she then chases it into its hideout. After reaching the end point, Mei encounters a large, furry creature, who she then dubs as Totoro. From that moment on, the Kusakabe's life would get a little crazy, but interesting.

Being the children's movie that it is, you can't expect a deep story in a movie as such. That doesn't take away from the nice and calming flow of the story. Though, there are still problems to be had with the story. As I said before, the movie is a very calming one. What I meant by that is the movie is a slow paced one, taking about 35-45 minutes to for the first big events to occur. I don't really criticize the movie for having its slow pace, but it should be something that's pointed out to the viewers who may want to enjoy something that has excitement around every corner.

To make up for the slower pace of the story, My Neighbor Totoro does a great job of being a story that is mainly created to warm your heart. If I can say, there's another story that occurs later on in the movie which does a perfect job of showing off the importance of family. Hell, it might even bring a couple tears of sadness and/or happiness to you. Even in the first half of the movie, all the events occurring just flow perfectly with each other.

The only major characters that you'll encounter throughout the movie are the Kusakabe's, Granny, Kanta, Totoro, and Catbus (Yes, you read that right!). The characters act perfectly for their age, as well as for the type of movie this is. Each human character develops perfectly over the course of the movie, with their relations becoming so much more realistic over time. Even relations with Mei, Satsuki, and Totoro are just fun to watch and makes these fictional characters appear much more lively.

I do have two things that I need to criticize about the characters. First off, I really feel like for as much as the movie may advertise to you that Totoro is a big part of the movie, it honestly doesn't feel as if he made as big of an impact that Miyazaki may have intended him to. He does appear a good amount in the latter part of the movie, but really only makes an impact on two different occasions.

Next, while I understand the purpose of supporting characters in movies as such, I just feel like some of these supporting characters didn't serve as big of a purpose as they should have, with the exclusion of Granny. While their father was there to tell them about what he thought Totoro was, he really is there to imply that the Kusakabe's are a happy family, which the movie already spent the first half-hour doing.

As someone who mainly watches anime for the story and characters in particular, I pack these three things together just to mention small things about them. First off, the soundtrack for Totoro is just as calming as the story, with some tracks even matching to the footsteps of Mei at one point in the movie. For something that was released in 1988, it was hard to really find an issue with the animation, something that I've always seemed to like the most about Studio Ghibli work.

What I like the most about character designs in any anime is when the characters don't have much of a similarity in looks to each other, making them much more diverse. My Neighbor Totoro has just that, even with the designs of the children in the classroom. Art-wise, the colors and lighting presented throughout the movie are also top-notch for its time.

I'm a guy that loves watching action mostly and will stick out watching bad shows as long as they can keep my attention with great action scenes (i.e. High School of the Dead). To enjoy something like My Neighbor Totoro would seem odd at first, but at the end of the day, its hard for me to say that I didn't enjoy this movie one bit. Sure, it did get pretty boring for the first half hour around 20 minutes in, but was easily fixed to keep my undivided attention.

As I said earlier in this review, no matter what age you may be, it isn't odd or weird to enjoy any form of entertainment that is centered towards children. I even know one specific college man who has seen this movie 20+ times and still enjoys watching it every single time he views it. Even without any deep themes, My Neighbor Totoro is just a calming movie that is able to entertain anyone looking for something adorable and heartwarming to watch.

When all is said and done, My Neighbor Totoro does a fantastic job at being a children's movie that can entertain many more than its intended demographic. While I don't view this movie to be a top-of-the-line Studio Ghibli work, it honestly is one of the more memorable ones that can be watched time and time again and the same amount of fun can still be had. If you're someone who does enjoy more slow-paced works, such as the Aria franchise for a quick example, then you'll easily love My Neighbor Totoro. Even if you're someone who is just looking for a older work to watch, you'll find what you're looking for in Totoro.

greenholt.hobart - 2013-05-18 10:39:36

If you're one of those people who still don't know what that thing featured on the Studio Ghibli company logo is, then the chances are, you haven't seen "My Neighbour Totoro" (for a while I thought it was meant to be a rather odd looking donkey myself). Well then, you've been missing out!"My Neighbour Totoro" is a delightful film that most young children - as well as a good proportion of older viewers - are sure to enjoy. It's not a particularly deep film, nor a particularly exciting film. At the heart of it, it's a simple tale about a family relocating to the countryside and the children meeting some weird and wonderful creatures, but it is so much more than that. The magic is in the characters, for "My Neighbour Totoro" is filled with some of the cutest, most iconic characters in anime. And amongst these unforgettable characters, it's the big, adorably fluffy King Totoro himself that steals the show, so it's fitting he is somewhat of a mascot for Studio Ghibli the way Mickey Mouse is for Disney.Fantastically weird non-human characters maybe a trait in Miyazaki films, but so are rather less interesting human ones, and "My Neighbour Totoro" inherits both of these traits. The human character has a familiar look about them, as though they're the bloodline relatives to the characters from other Miyazaki movies. Then there's the much used tomboy girl and the boy who wants to make friends with her set up that Miyazaki so likes to use. However, in the midst of these recycled characters, I do like Mei, who's like the adorable little sister that everyone would love to have.Like a lot of other Miyazaki films, "My Neighbour Totoro" does contain a dose of the usual environmental messages, but this isn't Miyazaki in one of his more preachy moods. In this film, the message isn't forced upon us, instead it is gently conveyed across by opening our eyes to the wonders of life. Totoro himself is like a kind of guardian of the forest, doing rain dances, making the trees spring up, all in a very lovable manner. For sure, a lot of the stuff is made up - obviously, in reality there are no creatures like Totoro that can perform miracles such as accelerating the growth of trees etc, but beneath all the imagination, the feelings and the message themselves are very genuine. This is helped along by the beauty of the artwork - I may not be a fan of Miyazaki's human character designs, but the beautifully drawn natural scenaries are as stunning as always.Even though this is film is rather uneventful - there aren't really any particularly dramatic or epic events, but it succeeds because there's a sense joy that's prevalent throughout. For instance the scene where Mei bounces up and down on the fluffy belly of Totoro, and another where rain drops falls repeatedly onto the nose of a rather dopey looking Totoro... these are all simple scenes, but they're scenes that are bursting with pure, innocent charm. It's these little things that makes "My Neighbour Totoro" a bit special, and it's these little things that makes it one of my favourites from the Ghibli collection.