Anime Reviews ⇢ My Neighbor Totoro
My Neighbor Totoro
Tonari no Totoro
Average Rating: 9.67 / 10

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Ratings: 6
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Content Overview
Violence: 1 / 10
Nudity: 1.7 / 10
Theo Theme: 2.2 / 10
Neg Theme: 1 / 10

Brief Description:
Two girls and their father move out to the country, in part because of their mother’s illness which leaves her in the hospital. In their explorations of the house and surrounding area, they discover Totoro- a magical being that lives in the forest, who helps care for them.

Suggested Age: All
Year Released: 1988
Licensor: Disney
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=534
User Reviews
03/20/2012: Atria35 [ Already Rated ]

My Neighbor Totoro is perhaps *the* iconic Ghibli film, at least in Japan. I have managed to keep from seeing it until very recently, when a friend loaned me her copy of it. I think it’s a good thing, since I’m at an age where I can look at childhood with nostalgia and wonder, just like these girls explore their world with wide eyes. They’re thrilled to be able to get an old house, full of places to explore and things to do with a little bit of imagination- and as they discover, there’s a little more to it than meets the eye. Soot spirits and cat buses and Totoros live their lives around them, unseen to adults but enchanting the children with the wonders of life.

At the same time, it has the subtle theme of children trying to come to terms with their mother’s illness. Both girls love their mother, and want her to come home- dealing with it is hard. Mei has a hard time having any member of her family be gone from her- she can’t even stay at a neighbor’s house for a full school day without needing to see her sister. Her sister is just as panicked and worried about their mother, and when the movie takes a serious turn, things become more complicated when Mei decides to go on her own to try and make their mom better.

Like in most Ghibli films, there’s an environmentalist theme that runs through it, justified in this case because wild and abandoned places hold a fascination for children, that there might be something hiding in the next tree or living in an attic. Being out in the forest provides a wonderfu backdrop for a story where most anything can happen. One of the most fascinating scenes is when the girls wait for acorns they planted to grow, and Totoro appears one night to help them out; the strength of their hopes and a little touch of ‘magic’ makes them sprout, and brings about a ision of what it would look like if allowed to grow, and grow, and grow! The scene is entrancing in both its simplicity and its power. Granny also teaches the girls that the home-grown vegetables are good for you and make you healthy… so when Mei decides to visit her mom, it’s an ear of corn that she grasps with all her heart.

Totoro also makes an enchanting playfellow for the children, with him opening their eyes to amazing things, and they in turn showing him interesting things from their own world. An incident with an umbrella turns into a meeting with a cat-bus and the sight of a forest sprouting in a night, and all ends with music being played in the branches of an old and venerable tree. The friendship that grows between the three is adorable, and Mei’s disappearance brings out how friends help each other in their times of need! The sheer amount of joy Totoro has when helping Mei’s sister is astounding. It’s a reminder that friends should love to help each other, and that sort of thing is what friends are for. Everything about this film brings about ideas and ideals of friendship and imagination, while still dealing tactfully with a subject that can make children’s lives harder – and even with that, these kids still manage to find joy in their everyday lives.

Nudity/Sexual Content- Depending on the release you see, there is the chance of seeing some toddler butt as the girls take a bath with their father. It's one scene, and obviously non-sexual.

Theological Themes- The girls are interacting with various fantasy creatures- mainly made-up by Miyazaki. The Totoro is apparently somewhat of a forest spirit, there's a cat bus spirit, and they see soot gremlins at one point. Most of the story revolves around them interacting with these beings.

March, 2012: Rose Faerie [ Already Rated ]

Violence: There is none.

Sex and Nudity: There is a single instance of a father bathing with his daughters, and you see some child butt. It's clearly non-sexual.

Theological Themes: The dad suggests Totoro is forest spirit.

Problematic Themes: There are no substances or swearing.

Overall: This was my first anime, even before Pokemon. It played a huge part in my childhood, and I loved it. It holds a special place in my heart and is a classic in my household. It is an excellent portrayal of childlike wonder and the power of the imagination. (Though I sure hope Totoro wasn't supposed to be imaginary. That would ruin my childhood.) As a child I identified with Satsuki, as I too was an older sister, and Mei is the embodiment of my youngest sister. This is a delightful family film, suitable for all ages. I very much recommend it.

March, 2012: _GazeRockMei_ [ Already Rated ]

This is an excellent family film that's great for all ages. I watched it with my siblings (11, 9, and 4) and they all loved it to death. Perhaps a bit slow which causes them to lose interest, it's extremely adorable and is filled fun and adventure.

The only thing I would like to "warn" about (although it hardly needs a warning because it is nothing sexual or inappropriate in any way) is that near the beginning the two girls and their father bathe together and show little girl butts. However, this is nothing of concern because it's only natural for a parent to bathe with their children and, of course, is nothing at all sexual.

Also, I simply rated the Theological issue part a 2 because this anime does deal with magic and spirits. However it's not to be found offensive to the Christian belief, so I saw nothing wrong with it.

A very good movie with lovable characters and a family-feel to it.

The following users rated this title without reviewing it: Cadence | MangaRocks! | Anirac.
Added: March, 2012