Anime Review: My Neighbor Totoro

Review My Neighbor Totoro Written by Warpshadow Rating excellent

My neighbor Totoro is a Studio Ghibli film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. For most anime fans saying that is enough for them to want to see the movie. For there rest of you I have written a review of this movie. I can be brief by saying that other group of people are probably right.

Satsuki and May are moving out to the countryside with their father who works in a university. They are also moving to be closer to their mother who has to stay in the hospital since she is very ill. One day while she is exploring near the house, May finds a little fuzzy creature. Following the creature back to it's home she finds a creature that is almost the same but much larger. The creature say his name is Totoro. So begins her and later her sister's relationship with the magical beings known as the Totoro.

My neighbor Totoro is an anime movie directed squarely at children but fortunately it is something that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. The main reason for this is that the Totoro while cute are never considered to be cloying or look like they were designed to be a marketing tool. The plot and dialogue are simple but never talk down to the viewer regardless of age, which I think is one of the strong points of any of Miyazaki's films. Add to this good visuals especially the backgrounds and a nice soundtrack you have yourselves a winner.