Synopsis
Hayao Miyazaki had been cradling the idea for this wonderful fantasy for a long time before he finally decided to write and direct it. Although it’s set in the mid 1950’s in Japan’s rural area, the sceneries with lots of trees, of fields and meadows with colorful flowers bring a universal feeling of joy and harmony even to those who have never left the big cities or living in other countries. Another charm of the movie is of course it’s heart warming tale of the two little sisters and their relationships with the land’s mysterious creatures (including a ‘Cat Bus!’) whose plots aren’t forced or condescending in any way, which makes the film such an enjoyable experience for kids and adults alike. It’s a 2-disc set with loads of special features, including a storyboard-to-film comparison for the entire film.

Review
I remember back when I was a child, around five years old. I have watched Totoro and loved it a lot. As a child’s point of view, I liked Totoro for its cuteness and story. It gives me, as a child, the thought of, “What if there was Totoro and I saw it?” Certainly it will be cool, but seeing something that big with big teeth… I would get scared. A few years have passed since I watched Totoro. Now that I am seventeen almost eighteen, I revisited what I have once visited. The old feeling was still there, and I still get attracted to Totoro for its cuteness and story. I guess my mind has not changed through out the years.

Totoro attracts not only children, but adults too. The story of two sisters who live with their father, as their mother is in the hospital is fun to watch, because of the happy atmosphere that Mei and Satsuki create when they are running around their back yard having fun or doing funny things such as, catching a “Mak kuro kurosuke.” There are a few tense moments such as, close to the end of the movie. The character animations are similar to other Hayao Miyazaki works after all it is created my him. What impressed me was that the quality of the animation looked as if it was from 1995 instead of 1988.

The Breakdown
After rewatching Totoro, I feel like going out and buy the doll… it’s so cute just like Puuchuus.