The film starts out when the Kusakabe family moves into the country side to live in a run-down house to be next to their ill mother. Our two main leads are Satsuki and her younger sister, Mei, as they explore their newfound home. Things seem pretty normal until Mei stumbles into the giant forest next to them and come across, Totoro, a big rabbit-like furry monster who likes to sleep a lot. Only the two sisters can see Totoro and throughout the film, the two slowly befriend him and his pack of friends (one of them is a Catbus!). There is no main villain or conflict in the story, aside from the sisters' mom being very sick, so it's a fairly laid-back one.
I enjoyed it for what it is though the scenes without Totoro and his pals weren't that interesting since aside from Satsuki and Mei are just goofing around-- which I found to be kind of boring. It's mainly aimed at kids so don't go expecting a deep story and some plot twists.
Characters
While nothing special, I really enjoyed the cast of the film. Satsuki is the older, slightly more mature sister while Mei, is the younger, more naïve one. The interactions between the two were adorable and you start to care about them as the story progresses. Totoro and his friends don't talk much, but the scenes where they eat and hang around with the sister were fun to watch. The side characters like the sisters' dad, the old lady "Granny", and the boy next door Kanta, were pretty likable.
Presentation
Being one of Ghibli's early works, Totoro holds up pretty well considering its over 30 years old. The character designs might look a bit washed-out by today's standards, but the lush green environments, detailed water effects, and iconic design of Totoro are all very impressive. The voicework (dub) was decent and the performances were pretty okay. The soundtrack, on the other hand, was great and really blended well with the film's style, as expected from renowned composer Joe Hisaishi.
Overall
My Neighbor Totoro was a pretty fun watch. The story was pretty simple for my taste, but I can see the appeal behind it, especially with young children. The characters were good as well and the presentation continues to impress to this day. Overall, it's a great recommendation for fans of the studio and those looking for a "fun for all ages" adventure.
