Tonari no Totoro

It is with tremendous shame I confess to one of my darkest secrets- despite owning 500+ physical anime blu rays, including the entire Ghibli steelbook collection, and despite being an older, longtime anime fan, as of last night I had never seen My Neighbor Totoro. Better very, very late than never, so last night I finally remedied this unacceptable situation! As with any other time I review old anime- VERY old, nearly 35 years in this case- the standard disclaimer of "the only fair way to evaluate anything is in its own time and my perspective, watching it now for the first time, is not ... the same" is very much applicable.

The first thing that stood out to me, shockingly, was how well this film holds up graphically today. It's amazing that something 35 years old still looks reasonably good today, and it must have looked INCREDIBLE at the time, and certainly Studio Ghibli deserves every word of praise that they've received as far as the presentation is concerned.

If I'm being honest, the opening song made me a little nervous. It very much gave me the "this movie is made for young children" vibe and before the film even really began I was concerned it was going to be a long hour and a half. Ultimately the movie probably IS aimed at children/younger audiences, or at very least it's completely appropriate for them, but I think it's reasonable to assume it can be enjoyed by adults/the whole family as well. Of course, had you watched this for the first time around the time it came out as a child of a certain age I'd imagine it would be a magical experience, albeit one I unfortunately cannot duplicate for myself in 2023.

As with other Ghibli films that I've seen, the plot and character development here are actually relatively minimal. The goal of their films certainly seems to be to take viewers on an enchanting, very pretty magical journey and let audiences experience the wonder of the spirit world- a staple of Japanese culture- as relates to everyday people and situations. Deliberately, they choose to keep things simple. This would certainly miss the mark for the kind of viewer who needs deep, complex messaging in their anime.

Is the plot realistic? Of course not! Are there multiple elements that are never explained and couldn't ever happen in the real world? Of course! There isn't any explanation for anything and Totoro's motives, powers, why he exists, how long he has existed, etc are all never discussed whatsoever, so you're either able to accept "It's magic!" as an explanation or you'll be sorely disappointed. Given the tone of the film and it never taking itself overly seriously or trying to be something that it isn't, I was able to roll with that punch, but certainly the film being highly simplistic and lacking anything remotely close to an explanation as to how any of its magical elements work is a criticism I can appreciate as well. In this world, the existence of magic and spirits and supernatural happenings is something that's simply known and accepted and it's no more weird than the fact that humans need to eat and drink in order to survive.

While the film did do enough to keep me engaged, I'd certainly say it lacks any sort of climax or any major standout moment that triggers an emotional response or gets burned into the viewer's memory. As a whole it lacks impactful plot points, harkening back to their approach of simply providing a journey and an experience above all else and keeping it simple and on a smaller scale. The ending wasn't overly impactful or memorable either.

At the end of the day I can appreciate this film for what it is as an adult in my 30s, but it's simply not possible for me to know what I would have thought had I experienced this as a child all those years ago. It's simple, arguably overly so, it's very pretty (unbelievably so for its time) and it's inoffensive and family friendly. Where does that leave us? With a classic, one worthy of its praise and longstanding adoration, but not one that is going to blow away a proper adult who does not have nostalgia goggles for the film, like myself, 35 years later. It's still worth a watch though! Now on to Howl's Moving Castle, which I somehow also haven't seen...

2023 RATING- 8
1988 RATING- Impossible today, but if it were a 9 or a 10 at the time, that wouldn't surprise or offend me whatsoever.

While watching this film one of the things that seemed to stand out the most was the sheer sense of wonder that was captured throughout the films runtime. From the first time that these characters graced the screen their naturally inquisitive natures were palpable in how they approached\viewed the world that was around them. It was because of this that from the very beginning of the film you can tell that many of the sequences that were going to be displayed were going to be quite lighthearted. While this was the case for most of the film once the story started to incorporate its elements ... of conflict, it became clear that the characters displayed had much more depth than they initially portrayed. The addition of this additional complexity truly helped to make the story much more emotional relatable as well as enjoyable.

The animation of the film is done in the signature Ghibli style which is both stylistically unique but also visually distinctive. The musical score through out the film was rather subtle and melodic in a way that seemed to embody the spirit of calm/wonder. This film was very clearly made to be accessible to younger audiences but still possesses enough discourse to be interesting to some older audiences.

In short, a rather enjoyable film that really shines the importance of valuing the simple things in life and cherishing the time that you have while you have the chance. This film stirs around a 7.7 in my book.

I decided to watch this movie to entertain my 3 year-old, which it accomplished. However, this simplistic cartoon inspired more thoughts in me than almost any anime or movie I've ever seen. Wave after wave of insights washed over me, a few of which I wouldn't have realized even a year earlier. If nothing else, that's an impressive accomplishment, and something that none of the previous Miyazaki flicks I've seen ("Princess Mononoke", "Castle of Cagliostro", and "Spirited Away") managed.

Now, let's begin with the most obvious observations into the picture and work our way to the buried treasures;

MOST SHALLOW: This is an achingly gorgeous ... film. The way the grass moves when blown by the wind and the vistas are bathed by the Sun's golden, glorious rays. The intersection of the deep blue irrigation ditches with the calming green of the fields with the light blue sky. The wonder and sadness on the faces of the little girls. The hidden, mystical world of the forest spirits, including secret paths through the trees and comfortable, lush grottos. It's all evocative and stirring, and not only looks phenomenal for 1988, but holds up great in 2023, over a third of a century later. The music, which tries to be emotional and conjure up nostalgic memories of childhood, works well. The movie is evoking a mood rather than telling a story, and it succeeds.

A LITTLE DEEPER, BUT STILL CLOSE TO THE SURFACE: Miyazaki is one-dimensional and predictable. I knew nothing about "My Neighbor Totoro" prior to watching it other than the name, iconic cover, and a short synopsis, yet it was exactly as I predicted. An idyllic appreciation of nature and cute spirits with no story. What's more is that I see a bunch of the same ideas repeated again and again in his pictures, right down to specific yokai and visual motifs.

Is there anything in "My Neighbor Totoro" that isn't also present in the later "Princess Mononoke" and "Spirited Away"? The dust sprites and elevated wooden flooring are only two obvious reused elements in the latter. On the one hand, it's fine to repeat ideas in one's works. But Miyazaki takes it to a point where he is making slightly different versions of the same film. I like to be surprised by pictures. If I know what a movie is based on nothing more than a director's style, a cover image, and a short synopsis, that's disappointing, even when it's beautiful and evocative.

And of course, there is no story. One can argue that this is emblematic of daily Japanese life, but that's not true. I like to watch the Japanese series "Old Enough" with my children, about kids aged 2 to 5 completing chores on their own, in similar Japanese countrysides as in "My Neighbor Totoro". There is more story, conflict, and character in those 15 minute episodes than in the 90 minutes of Miyazaki's picture.

ATTAINING SOME DEPTH: This movie is significantly better than "Spirited Away", which I watched a few months ago. Ignoring the visuals, "Spirited Away" tries to tell a fairy tale and fails horribly. As a story, it's lousy and amateurish, which again reveals Miyazaki's severe limitations as a creator. However, "My Neighbor Totoro" is free of such requirements! It's not trying to tell any story!

It's just two cute girls exploring their rural environment. It aims for a more modest target, but it completely succeeds at it. There's no obvious way to improve "My Neighbor Totoro". It is simple to improve "Spirited Away".

THE TRUE CORE: Think about what this movie is. It's a glorification of nature and traditional Japanese rural living.

But how does it accomplish this? With the most high tech animation techniques available in 1988, which Miyazaki made as part of a corporation in a giant Japanese metropolis. Miyazaki is no traditionalist, either, with his feminist and environmental views. The circumstances of creation are the exact opposite of what it's producing!

And what is the depiction of nature in this movie? It's what French philosopher Baudrillard called a "simulacrum". An imitation of the original. But this need not be an ersatz copy, a faded photo of the genuine article. Oh no. It can actually be brighter, sharper, and in some ways "better" than the original.

This is what we call "hyperrealism", yet another concept from Baudrillard. It's more exaggerated, more detailed. And that is true of "My Neighbor Totoro". I spend countless hours every week chasing after that same three year-old of mine in parks, forests, and other nature preserves. It's beautiful, but I've yet to see the sparkling green from "My Neighbor Totoro". Even in videos I've seen of those exact Japanese rural villages, as in the aforementioned "Old Enough", there is never such a beautiful contrast of green fields, irrigation ditches, and sky. Nature is never so bright and detailed in reality. It can be smudged, dirty, and unaesthetic, too.

Miyazaki calls himself an environmentalist, but what is he promoting here? Not nature itself, but a hyperreal simulacra made from the sweat of a large corporation in a major city, aided by computers.

"Okay", I hear you say, "But won't this still cause people to go out and appreciate nature?"

Does it, though? I've met plenty of huge Ghibli fans over the years. None were big nature lovers or hikers. On the contrary, most were the classic basement-dwelling anime fans sitting all day in front of the flashing pixels of their monitor, never once going outside and "touching grass". Considering how many people mention they were first draw into anime thanks to Ghibli classics like "My Neighbor Totoro", and there is a good chance they would have enjoyed and appreciated actual nature more if not for this movie.

So not only is the process of "My Neighbor Totoro" a betrayal of its product, but the influence is, paradoxically, to draw attention away from nature and into the beautiful, hyperreal worlds constructed by cutting edge technology.

If Miyazaki understood this and was genuine about appreciating nature, you know what he should have done? Burned the final reel of "My Neighbor Totoro" and quit making anime on the spot. It was hurting the very thing it claimed to promote.

66/100