Title: My Neighbor Totoro

Genre: Fantasy

Creator/Studio: Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli

Company: Buena Vista/Fox

DVD Info: 1 hour, 26 minutes

Summary: Two girls named Satsuki and Mei move to the country with their father to be nearer to their ailing mother. While there, the children meet a host of friendly forest spirits who resemble giant cats.

The Good: This is Miyazaki's most celebrated work, and it's easy to see why. It's just as charming now as it was back in 1988. The children's energy drives the film on, making it joyful and magical throughout.

The Bad: I really can't say anything bad about this one.

Offensive Material: Besides the forest spirits, which are somewhat pagan, there is a bath scene, but it's short and we don't see anything. But that's it, I swear!

Overall: My Neighbor Totoro is a great, timeless classic that shows the joy of childhood. And with all the angst we see in anime these days (not that there's anything wrong with that), we need to be reminded of the brighter side as well. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My Review: 4.0 Category: A (all ages)

Comment: Fox originally brought this film to the States about a year after it was released in Japan. Disney soon managed to add this one to all their other Studio Ghibli titles. Although the Fox version is good, I recommend the Disney version because you'll get to watch the subtitled version, great for all you purists out there. Other Ghibli titles include: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, Pom Poko, Princess Mononoke, Grave of the Fireflies, Spirited Away, The Cat Returns, Whisper of My Heart,and Howl's Moving Castle