My Neighbor Totoro: Review/Synopsis

by: Julz

Two young girls, Satsuke and her younger sister Mei, move into a house in the country with their father to be closer to their hospitalized mother. Satsuke and Mei discover that the nearby forest is inhabited by magical creatures called Totoros. They soon befriend these Totoros, and have several magical adventures.

Totoro!

This is a gentle, and enchanting movie which is easy to fall in love with. Children and anime fan anime fan alike will be swept away. The theme is mystical and imaginative. One thing that really attached me to this movie is the freedom, sincerity and variety of emotional expression the characters use (especially the two young girls and Totoro, their furry forest friend). There are lot of magical adventures to be found in this movie, from flying with umbrellas to catching a giant living (and "meowing") cat bus that leaps from tree top to tree top to get around. Although the girls' mother is in the hospital, and the youngest girl, Mei, gets lost (and found), there is nothing dirturbing about this movie. It is very gentle. The animation is colorful and expressionate, and the characters are youthful, lovable, and free spirited. All in all it is an enjoyable, lovable, and imaginative adventure.

This movie will make you feel like a kid again, thanks to all the lively characters!