Pjtaylor-96-138044 To put it simply, this beloved animation is fairly boring. 'My Neighbour Totoro (1988)' is unable to make up for its lack of story - or, at least, proper plot - and characters even with its generally beautiful and inventive aesthetic, the inclusion of which is really its only saving grace and provides its limited - but somehow still genuine - charm. The only shot that amused me was one of a water drop hitting a frog on the head, a simple but effective moment that's totally inconsequential and completely detached from the narrative, but there is somehow an overall pleasurable vibe to the piece. This is created by the innocence of its characters and the innocuous craziness of some visuals. It feels quite palpable, despite the experience also being pretty dull, and prevents the piece from slipping into totally terrible territory. 4/10

Anonymous002 This film is not only for kids . Infact , I don't recommend it to anyone below 13 . Most of the cartoons movies have a simple single plot. This one has two major plots and some sub plots too. I think it's a little complex for a children film.There is a scene where a father and his two daughters bath together which not okay for such a film. Maybe it's a culture in Japan but it can be disturbing for foreign viewers. Furthermore, there is a subplot of a love story between two kids. I admit that cartoons(And Animes) are also for adults but still this is a little too much for animation film.This is case with other Miyazaki films .Coming to the story , it starts with tatsuo kusakabe buying an old house . He lives with his daughters satsuki and Mei while his wife is sick and is in a hospital. Satsuki and Mei discovers that the house is haunted . They soon meet forest spirits and befriends them . First 50 minutes are wonderfully entertaining . It's a highly imaginative film. The bizarreness of the storyline keeps us engaged for entire 50 minutes. But after that the story goes downhill . It becomes confusing . The repetitive incidents fails to entertain . It drags for another thirty minutes.It does not have much of a storyline . It's a combination of sub-plots with a high amount of imagination which is best suited for kids . Miyazaki has a wide understanding about children's mind . More than any of us. But as I said earlier , its little too much complex . The idea of mother's death is dark for a children film.

Neradea33 Tonari no Totoro is an animated film which tells the story of Satsuki, Mei and their father Tatsuo who just moved into a new place, a little house in the Japanese countryside, so that the girls are closer to their mother's hospital. The little house is surrounded by fields and forest. In the nearest forest, Mei and Satsuki are going to create strong ties with the forest spirits called Totoro. The forest spirit is really powerful in the way that, in a certain angle, he can represent the hope of the two young girls toward their mother's health and the wish that it gets better. What is interesting in this movie, is that it is different from the classic outline when the lead character has to fight/ win over an enemy which is another character. There is no enemy in this story, the main problem that hooks viewers is the disease. In this way Tonari no Totoro is different from most of animated movies putting forward the enemy and his/her fall as a goal. Moreover, the magical atmosphere of the movie, halfway between the real and the imaginary, plunges the viewers in a particular mood and way of thinking and incents them to feel more concerned about the problem while still not being too worried. Indeed, the movie is far from being a tragedy and the magical atmosphere debunks the stress of the disease in a way. From its deep content to the way it is structure, Tonari no Totoro is a really beautiful movie that I would definitely recommend watching!

thedarkknight-99999 I can't describe how delighted am I after I've just finished watching this movie. This is the best movie that captured the childhood very accurately. The children characters behave so realistically that I couldn't believe my eyes while watching them play, cry, laugh, or doing anything. I didn't felt like I was watching a child in front of me, but I felt like I was watching my younger self. I felt like I was watching myself as a child. As if my childhood memories were being displayed before me. Even if I haven't done that thing the characters did, I feel that my younger self would do the exact thing. That doesn't mean anything but that Hayao Miyazaki is a real genius!But the greatest thing about My Neighbor Totoro isn't how realistic it feels, but it's the fabulous message it delivers, and the thing that is more fascinating is the way it delivers this message. I really shouldn't spoil anything about this gorgeous film, but it delivers a message about facing the fear; the fear of everything, and the fear in all its kinds and levels. Miyazaki merged this message with this story that almost has no plot! I shouldn't call it delivering the message, instead, I should call it merging or combining the message with the story, or rather I should say that Miyazaki created an entire story from a message!Hayao Miyazaki proved that it's not even necessary for a movie to have an antagonist, or at least not a common one, as I mentioned above, the story itself is about a message about facing the fear. And I didn't feel at any time throughout the movie that I need a common antagonist or a usual problem to be invested in the movie. I was engaged and hooked from the very beginning of the movie till the end credits scene, which is very cool, by the way. The thing is that at the third act the movie changed completely in terms of the plot; it turned from a plot-free movie to a movie that has a real plot and a very serious problem. The plot and its problem didn't come from nowhere; they are attached very well to the story from its beginning, and it's been appeared later that the plot is kinda share the same message of the story, but the problem is that the movie changed a great deal when it moved from its second to the third act. It was like the movie betrayed itself after promising that it well keep the audience on the edge of their seat without using any problem or obstacle. Yes I've been engaged again and invested in the story with its plot because I cared about every single character, but it took me a little time, and I really felt disturbed and annoyed with this inconsistency.Overall, I can say that My Neighbor Totoro is an imaginative tale that every parent should take his child and watch it with him or her. Because it's message is actually more important to the adults.I prefer My Neighbor Totoro to Spirited Away, but let's face it, Spirited Away is the best Miyazaki movie!(8.5/10)