Tonari no Totoro

Before the "what the fuck is wrong with you, a 5 on a ghibli movie, kill yourself" settles in, I want to assure you that the movie did everything that it set out to be outstandingly and if I was from that target audience, I would probably consider it nothing short of a masterpiece. I usually prefer to criticize a show for what it tried to be but failed while presenting every factor I deemed important about the movie and why eventually it was only an average experience for me. In this case, I don't have a lot to criticize on what the movie actually ... tried to do because it was succesful in what it did. So all I can present is what factored into my experience only a 5 with what the movie has had done and has not done.

Starting with the movie's strong suits, the artistic side of it is outstanding. While the obligatory "for its time, it looks incredible" compliment must be said, I'll do one more and say that for our time, I wish people would pay as much attention to detail in animation as was done in Tonari no Totoro and would look at least half as good. The animation has plenty of small details throw in that makes each frame look lively and realistic. As an example there will be some scenes with children crying. Have you ever seen someone cry in an anime? I will assume that most of the time, depending on what you watch of course, crying doesn't rise any red flags. However, watching a child cry in this made me realize something. Most people don't even put any effort into the way they display someone crying and see it as something simple and easy to portray. However, in Totoro, when the child started crying I could see the range of emotions she went through and react realistically, the same way any child of that age would. All down to the point of starting to cry silently because she was upset then up to the outburst of emotion, screaming and bawling as soon as she was given attention again the way children do when they are given attention in these situations. It may seem a ridiculous thing to pick out the level of detail for animation, but that's what I found most impressive. The range of emotions displayed in a few frames was done as right as anyone could ever do them and I can't imagine someone outdoing this kid.

Ok, now the movie so far was 10/10 children cry real. Anyway, up next I'm gonna talk about, more of the art, and rather, its significance in this movie. You see there's a point to the art actually being this well animated and that is that its goal is to be as captivating as anything can be. Yeah, sure, anything has to be captivating, but in this situation, you have to keep in mind, the audience was intended to be children. Children are impressionable. And I assure this was artstyle was very impressive if it still is today back then. But the reason it also has to be captivating it is because it's trying to display the innocence of children, which is the artistic goal of the movie. Which it does. Quite well. To the point where everyone praises it. So I praised it on that front enough. But I have to add, since its audience seemed to have been children, it has build an impressive world with imaginative designs in a realistic looking manner. To the point where adults can watch it to feel like a kid again and children can watch it to be amazed by the movie's world.

But here's where my praise stops and my gripes with the movie starts... well... you see... I was bored. Yes, despite the amazingly looking visuals that occasionally made me so impressed I forgot all about how bored I was for a short while and despite being 100% on board with what the movie has displayed, I still was bored. Why? Because it is mostly comprised of the children fucking around and showing off how well designed everything is, as well as put focus on what they're trying to display in the movie. The movie piles on a lot and a lot of scenes together for artistic value and to continuously display how innocent a child is. I get it. So what?

What do you mean "so what?", that's the point of the movie?

Yes, and why would I watch something solely meant to display that. Quite frankly, there's a lot of things intended for kids that are sweet, innocent and whatnot and have a point in their story, even if simple and meant for children to understand and teach them good values. However this movie spends an hour on children and then realizes something needs to happen as for the story to have some sort of tension by the point where you'd have ingrained the target audience into your brain and know everything's gonna be alright. The story is a tool to display art, rather than to display a engaging narrative.

Yeah, but the story's goal was to show off the children's innocence. It's only your fault if you can't appreciate that.

Yeah, finally something that we can agree. Frankly if you enjoy a movie that is artistic and the theme that I've described in the review, it will be outstanding. But do you enjoy stories? Do you enjoy it when you learn something? Do you enjoy it when you see someone have some sort of struggle and have some type of conflict? Do you enjoy it when something you watch tries to drive home a point or multiple points? Are you entertaining by these things? Because they are absent here. As a child or enough of a childlike mentality, you could admire and yonder or feel nostalgic over how your own childhood was due to the movie, but, if that's not what you're looking for... You're likely to get bored... just like me. Unless you're watching it for the amazing visuals. In which case, congratulations again.

Most often times when something succeeds in what it sets out to be it is often free of criticism because there is no point to it because it's already succeeded. But just because it succeeded in something doesn't mean it will succeed in entertaining you. If narrative is something you really want in the movie, a series of connected events that do drive a point across, this is not something you should watch. If you value the artistic side of a show more than anything, this is a masterpiece that you should not miss, this movie is for you.

My Neighbor Totoro is a wonderful telling of child curiosity with some sprinkles of coming of age. It's surprisingly flat on plot, but I can't really tell you what I was expecting. I wanted... more, but I don't know why. It was a perfectly fine film. The story is really cute, the characters are really cute and compelling. It looks amazing, but for some reason, I was expecting Spirited Away. This is nowhere near that. This is the last Miyazaki review I do for a while. Nothing really seems to have the same impact on me as Spirited Away. It's disappointing.

My Neighbor Totoro is a weird movie. It's also one of Hayao Miyazaki's first directorial works as well as his first film with Studio Ghibli. Totoro is often cited as classic anime, but is it really any good? It's hard for me to say; I'm not a big fan of Miyazaki or family movies. It's a bit melodramatic, though some people would rephrase it as touching. It's hard to relate to the main characters because they're so annoying! They seem to yell all the time. My Neighbor Totoro also has Miyazaki's signiture trippy scenes, such as Totoro with the umbrella and the catbus. While I ... didn't particularly like this movie, I'm sure that most people will. It's not hard to find, so you might as well give it a shot.

This movies wasn't half bad. It was fair. It did have its moments when it was pretty boring. There were a lot of times when they drug out the movie with pointless pictures. For example there was a scene where they were at the bus stop for quite some time. I got the reason later but they didn't need to make it that long.

Like I said, it was a decent movie. It wasn't a complete waste of time and it might be better if you are younger. I watched it once and i am pretty possitive i will never watch it again.

As for ... the totoro: creepy freaking things. If i was ever standing and suddenly one of those things walked up to me, i don't care what it could do for me, i would be keeping my distance. But, that is just me.

Overall: 6 / 10
re-watch value: Never.

I really don't want to criticize this movie (lest the wrath of the internet come upon me), but I didn't leave this movie feeling satisfied. Sure, most Studio Ghibli films are more slice-of-life pieces, not really full of a plot that goes from point A to point B, however, I really feel like this one needed more than what it was. Maybe if the girls got to play with and go on adventures with the fantastical creatures more, I would be more pleased. Regardless of that, this movie was really nice and had a definite air of childlike curiousity and wonder all throughout. I just ... feel like there could have been more to it.

Story: 6
The story is very simple, yet magical. Every time we see one of the larger creatures, I feel transported. The beginning and climax leave a lot to be desired though.

Art: 7
Art is great. It's Ghibli of course! Especially as this was made in '88, this is a masterpiece when it comes to the art. I just wish the more beautiful moments lasted longer, or that there were more of them.

Sound: 3
The two main voice actors are annoying throughout most of the movie (English and Japanese). They're not really charming for me. The older girl does do better at the serious moments though.

Character: 5
There are ... things to enjoy about the characters, but I wish there was more. Especially from the parents; they be kinda bland.

Enjoyment: 9
That said, I liked it. I recommend this if you haven't seen it yet. A lot of classic moments. This one's especially good for younger kids.

Overall: 6

Reviews in 100 words or less:
Man, after seeing how popular Totoro was, I was expecting something breathtaking. The plot got so bland I actually fell asleep, and the ending had me going "Wait, the entire movie was literally an animated food delivery?", to which the person next to me said, "Yep, always has been." I might as well have just ordered food myself, then I'd have something to eat at the end. I guess the appeal is the totoros, but put fur on anything and its cute. I'm all for beautiful shows, but I felt like I watched a picture slideshow more than anything else.

I have always been a big fan of Ghibli as movie makers. Though not exactly a critic watcher, I am a rather critic scorer. Even so, 3 Ghibli's are either 9's or 10's on my list, 2 of them by Miyazaki.

Whenever someone mentions Totoro as the perfect anime movie for kids and adults, I always think they mispelled Spirited Away or Kiki's Delivery Service. Totoro itself became Ghibli's most recognizable mascot, but using that fact as reasoning for it being a great movie that you actually loved watching is the same as saying Mickey Mouse cartoons are best in class.

I decided to rewatch My Neighbor ... Totoro in order to write most of what is in this review and the whole experience was very mixed and somewhat strange. The movie's scenes are incredibly well linked, to the point it is difficult to stop watching at any given time, however, it is almost never being actually fun to its audience, a more "mature" one in my case.

Totoro's story is... not at all striking. The main characters are... not at all striking either. There are cooler directing tricks and character interactions in Porco Rosso. There are more interesting settings in almost every Ghibli movie, both in the fantastical side and in the down-to-earth side.

I didn't laugh, I didn't get emotional, I wasn't wowed by its best moments.

My honest opinion is that My Neighbor Totoro is in fact a really important milestone for Ghibli as a studio, and 1988, the start of an escalade in movie quality that peaked with Princess Mononoke in 1997 and Spirited Away in 2001.

This review contains *SPOILERS*.
Watched in Sub/Dub: Sub

Story: 6/10
Sisters Satsuki and Mei move with their father to the countryside in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother. For 90 minutes the two girls run around their village and explore the forest near their house. Sometimes, fuzzy little creatures that Mei names “Totoro” show up and participate in the girls’ antics. There is also a catbus.
Well the setup for My Neighbor Totoro is pretty weak and there isn’t a climatic event until the very end of the movie. I view this film as a trial run for Ghibli’s more grand films that tackle a real plot ... inside a mystical land like Spirited Away. But for kids I think the simple plot is pretty effective in favor of beautiful visuals.

Art: 8/10
This isn’t the peak of Studio Ghibli’s work but is objectively adorable and has great expressive animation. As one reviewer described, watching the range of emotions pass across Mei’s face before she cries is just unmatched to most animation. The palette is pleasing, the landscapes are beautiful, and I just want to sit in that squishy catbus.

Sound/Soundtrack: 10/10
I genuinely think this is one of the best soundtracks out of all the Studio Ghibli films I’ve seen so far (only 8 out of 22 ha ha). It’s so fun and perfectly reflects Satsuki and Mei’s child wonder. Also nothing beats “To-to-ro, To-to-ro” at the ending.

Character: 8/10
Satsuki, Mei, and their father are all super likeable characters along with the secondary characters like the girls’ grandmother and Kanta. All warm feelings for these characters but none of them are particularly striking or interesting and there’s no time spent on actually developing them.

Enjoyment: 6/10
My Neighbor Totoro is a practice film for Studio Ghibli more than anything and that really comes across when trying to nail down the target audience for it. I remember first watching this film in my preteens and thinking “I wish there was more Totoro stuff :/ ” and now watching it again as an “adult” I thought to myself, “I wish there was more Totoro stuff :/ ”. For little kids I think it’s probably too boring with the lack of mystical elements and for adults the plot is barely established so there’s no emotional draw. I believe the ideal audience is kids 9-11 since they’re likely to understand the more complicated elements of the story (like the mother’s illness) and still have enough imagination to appreciate the more mystical elements of the film. Everyone outside that narrow age range, including myself, will probably describe this film as a little or very boring.

Overall: 6.5/10
What My Neighbor Totoro lacks in plot and story it makes up for in beautiful animation and cute characters. It’s nice to watch casually but it’s not really a standout film in any aspect.

Although considered to be one of Studio Ghibli’s best works, I personally found it to be one of their most boring ones. Ok, maybe not as boring as their latest movies, which despite the far better visuals and lots of action are still dull as heck. It’s just that nothing important happens in this film. Ok, maybe it does for the kids but story-wise it is quite unimpressive compared to their earlier works. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (technically not the same studio but from the same people, so it counts) was a grim adventure in a post-apocalyptic world, while Laputa – Castle ... in the Sky was a zany adventure full of action. It seems like Hayao Miyazaki decided to make an even lighter than Laputa story, which is also why I liked it even less than it.

Let me clarify that there is nothing wrong directing-wise in Totoro and that it is a wonderful film for the family. It’s just that it will feel way too simple in plot and may tire a big part of the target audience for being just about the small, unimportant-to-the-rest-of-the-world adventures of two little girls in a simple rural village, and nothing more. While focusing entirely on its characters it helps to get attached to them a lot easier than being constantly distracted by what is going on in the setting, at the same time it feels like there is nothing serious going on for you to care. Of course if you try to see the story from the eyes of its heroines, then it will definitely feel like it’s the end of the world for them. Their mother is very sick and may never recover, and they go to a place which is considered to be magic and see lots of mystical creatures living there. For the mentality of little kids whose reality is shaken so hard, this will surely mean everything. From a more cynical point of view though, you might as well think that their mother is not even seen in the film so it’s like she doesn’t exist, or that we never find out what happens to her, or that this whole magical world only the girls see is just their imagination going wild and it’s not real at all.

Seeing it from a more introspective angle though, it does have some interesting themes. You could say that it’s showing how two children make-up a whole world, just to find a way to escape their cruel reality. That the whole world of Totoro is their own way of coping with their sadness, as well as how vivid the imagination of kids is to the point it can manifest entire worlds. Heck, you are not even sure if the world is imaginary only towards the end, when Totoro actively aids one of the girls to find her sister. All that make you think funny. And it’s not like their magical world isn’t a fun place, which every animal and object being sentient and moving around. I could even say that their weird facial grimaces are just so bizarre that they become memorable (seriously, what is going on with their eyes and mouths?).

So why wouldn’t I like such a nice premise, if it sounds so imaginative? Basically because I have seen far better similar stories. One movie in particular, titled Heavenly Creatures is almost like the teenage dark version of Totoro and I liked it a lot more for delving much deeper into the twisted minds of the heroines and eventually finding the cruel reality coming back to crush their world. That was such a trip! Heck, the same year Totoro was made, Ghibli also made Grave of the Fireflies, (of which I adored) which is also about two kids suffering because of the cruel reality and eventually being crushed by it as well. So what I am saying here is that Totoro’s magical land is way too detached from reality and plays out as nothing but pure escapism, something of which I don’t like at all. Do I need to remind you of how most modern anime are fan catering crap? Same thing. What about their mother’s fate? What about the police doing something? What changed by the end of the movie if the girls didn’t develop at all and the magical land is left there as a distant backdrop? Too many what are in this film if you don’t see it as JUST a fairy tale.

So, no, I wasn’t thrilled with it as so many others were. The production values are great as always and the magical creatures are adorable in their own spooky way but that’s it. It doesn’t make good use of its setting, other than a fancy presentation.

And now for some excused scorings.
ART SECTION: 9/10
General Artwork 2/2 (well-made)
Character Figures 2/2 (weird magical creatures)
Backgrounds 2/2 (well-made)
Animation 2/2 (good)
Visual Effects 1/2 (simple)

SOUND SECTION: 9/10
Voice Acting 3/3 (good)
Music Themes 3/4 (not great but fitting with the feeling of the series)
Sound Effects 3/3 (good)

STORY SECTION: 6/10
Premise 2/2 (interesting)
Pacing 2/2 (good)
Complexity 1/2 (not much)
Plausibility 0/2 (none)
Conclusion 1/2 (cheesy)

CHARACTER SECTION: 5/10
Presence 2/2 (strong)
Personality 2/2 (simple but well founded)
Backdrop 1/2 (simplistic but it’s there)
Development 0/2 (none)
Catharsis 0/2 (none)

VALUE SECTION: 7/10
Historical Value 3/3 (all-known)
Rewatchability 2/3 (high as it is easy and cute)
Memorability 2/4 (those Totoros are something but the rest of it are nothing)

ENJOYMENT SECTION: 3/10
Nice woozy feeling but nothing more.

VERDICT: 6.5/10

I didn't see this as a kid and so much of the magic it holds for others, I'm missing. For me, many scenes are visually arresting and evoke the marvels and wonder of childhood. But the narrative buckles under the children's own fantasy of escapism, rendering much of the latter half pretty weak. Compared to the internal conflicts of Kiki and Spirited Away, the characters' conflict here seems relatively broad, perhaps because they are younger than in these other two. It's a movie guided more by images and feel than by a coherent narrative logic, which I think is to its detriment, especially when tying ... things back together at the end. I can see its appeal for those who grew up with it, but to me it's a messy echo of the childhood nostalgia I get from other Miyazaki movies.

My Neighbour Totoro is a movie which is quite mixed for me. It’s good, but, nothing greater than that. Here’s why (in my opinion):

- POSITIVES -
This movie has some really fluid and nice animation, I’d describe it as kind of like a slingshot in some scenes. Some other scenes just look really good like scenes where it is raining for example.
In general it just has a really nice vibe to it all.
The characters are really likeable and are a cute and happy family. The other characters are pretty cute and fun too.
Every action in this movie you can feel. A character slipping while they’re running, ... a character panting because they’re out of breath, a character stressed, etc.
The final part of the movie is really good because of the event that happens in it. It’s a pretty stressing event and hooks you in but it has a nice ending.

- NEGATIVES -
This movie is WAY too long and like nothing happens until the final 20 minutes. Pretty much the entire movie except the last 20 minutes is just build-up for the characters. This makes the movie feel slow. It also just makes you feel like the entire 1 hour before those 20 minutes at the end feel kinda useless. They aren’t but they take way too long to build up the characters for the final 20 minutes of the film and it makes the movie feel like a bit of a drag. This 1 hour and 30 minute movie could’ve just been a 30 or 40 minute movie and would’ve been better in my opinion.

- VERDICT -
Overall I’d give it a 7/10. I think you should give it a watch just for those last 20 minutes since they are pretty solid as I said before and the parts before those 20 minutes are still good just kind of boring and slow. But if you don’t really want to watch it, then don’t. It’s not one of those animes that I’d say you should definitely watch even if you don’t want to since it’s worth it.

Initially upon first viewing, Tonari no Totoro is a movie with little to no substance behind its animations, which are glamorous for its time. This is to be suspected, considering its general audience is for kids. But for the curious individuals such as I, I believe the underlying theme to this movie, is that it is okay to rely on others for coping. It's okay to find a substitute to turn to when all hope is lost. Totoro is the embodiment of that, the substitution for the hopelessness. While the two main characters, the sisters are ... the embodiment of the two different stages of interpretation. The oldest, embodying the responsibility and action of accepting reality, moving on. Whilst the youngest, embodies a more optimistic view, naive, and turns to a substitute for gratification when reality sets in.

The movie shows us subliminally, the duality of these two embodiments coexisting together, and both needing a substitute when both idealogies fail. Both sisters turn to Totoro for gratification when the emotional weight for them is too much of a burden. Totoro can me a symbol of many things, a mother, a father, a best friend, or hell even camabis, anything you use as a substitute to help you cope. Depending on what you use to help cope, it's okay to rely on them for a number of times, as long as it helps you retrieve some gratification.

Overall, I would rate the movie a 6/10, due to the lack of a story. There really is no plot to move the characters forward, so a lot of the things that happen feel really contrived and ambiguous. Regardless, I would recommend this movie if you want a nice relaxed show, with stunning visuals and shots.

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