My Neighbor Totoro

Miyazaki's films simply bring me a relaxing charm. The beautiful animation and cute characters are always guaranteed to help me forget everything and go with them into their magical fantasy world. The fact that the story isn't a masterpiece doesn't bother me at all, it’s enough that it has the divine Totoro in it... (2016-08-14)

Totoro is a gorgeous character to have at home in the garden, I would do nothing but lie all day on his fluffy fur and drink cold ones with him straight from the fridge. Not to mention his cat bus, with which I would give our public transport the same treatment as Minister Kalousek did to the Czech economy. Miyazaki once again casts his spell and his endless imagination can be admired without limits. This time, however, the film itself is somewhat hampered by a weaker story, which is mainly aimed at a children's audience, which is not a problem, but at the same time it attacks the viewer's feelings in a rather indiscriminate way, which significantly weakens Miyazaki's narrative mastery, and this a bit of a problem already. 80% (2013-06-28)

A playful, magical and hugely positive picture with splendid animation from Ghibli studios. Among other things, it brings us an awesome scene with a rainy night at the bus stop, although... In fact it brings us nothing else. The entire movie is spoiled by the two sister characters, wrecking any atmosphere that might have been. It’s not often you see and hear such a pair of unlikeable dames. I saw the Japanese original, but I have heard that the American dubbing tones things down a little. Particularly the little Mei squawks and screams through the entire 86 minutes and that is the reason why I give this one * less than I would have otherwise. At least she finally has a good reason for crying, darn her. (2005-05-04)

What do the Japanese say? Kawaiiiii :-) Such a nice little film, cheerful, sweet, tender with a demonstration of folk religion and strong, unshakable relationships between family members and even neighbors (whether or not they are named Totoro). The beginning was hard for me to stomach because I was quite eager for some action, here we get nothing but running around, yet the final impression was very positive, for which I am glad. The best part was the cat bus anyway, I want to take that one home! (2009-06-14)

At the end of 2021, I had the chance to see My Neighbor Totoro on the big screen (and in its original version), where it has a lot more charm. While I still stand by the fact that I wasn't as enchanted by "Miyazaki's cutest character" as I was by Spirited Away or Howl's Moving Castle, Totoro is a powerful experience that, while primarily aimed at a younger audience, has the potential to appeal to an adult viewer as well. Miyazaki's inspiration from Alice in Wonderland is unmistakable, whether it was the grinning catbus, the pursuit of the "rabbit" or the juxtaposition of the real and magical worlds, and it creates unforgettable magical scenes with the director's own imagination, accompanied by Joe Hisaishi's equally magical music. I know I have always been somewhat irritated by the shouting character of little Mei, yet her behaviour has its place and reason in the plot. On the surface, a simple yet very powerful film about family and faith. (2010-12-27)