Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro)

Good afternoon everyone! Today's been a pretty good day. I woke up to snow on the ground and it looks so gorgeous out in the apartment building's yard! I love the snow! (not so much when I have to drive in it, but it's so pretty!) Since I don't have to be at work til 4, I decided to watch "My Neighbor Totoro".

This is such a cute film! I think that Mei has to be one of the most adorable characters in all of Japanimation film history. The story is geared more toward younger children, but it has a lot of good real life messages.

"My Neighbor Totoro" is a story about 2 little girls named Satsuki and Mei. They just moved into a new house and are becoming familiar with their surroundings. They are also having a hard time with their mother being in the hospital. They want mother to come to the new home so they can show her everything and their family can be complete once again.
Mei is playing outside one day and catches sight of a small white creature and starts to chase it. The white creature then joins up with a mini version of Totoro and they try to run away from Mei. She then follows them into the forest and meets the big Totoro. Mei is not frightened at all by the sight of the lovable beast. She climbs up onto his stomach and introduces herself, and he does his best to communicate that his name is Totoro.
Throughout the film, Totoro appears randomly to either help the girls or comfort them. When they waited in the rain for their father to get off the bus, Totoro showed up and distracted them from their worries. When the 2 girls were losing hope of their acorns sprouting, Totoro and his companions appeared and encouraged the acorns to grow. And finally when Satsuki can't find Mei, Totoro and the Cat Bus come to her aid to find her.
The father in the story says that Totoro and his companions are the forest spirits and you can't see them unless they want you to. You never see Totoro interact with any characters other than Satsuki and Mei.
This is one of Hayao Miyazaki's and Studio Ghibli's most beloved films. Totoro is actually the "Mickey Mouse" of Studio Ghibli. The Japanese version was released in 1988, while the English version was not released until March 7, 2006. The English dub has an ensemble of well known actors such as:
Dakota Fanning: Satsuki
Elle Fanning:Mei
Tim Daly: Father
Lea Solonga: Mother
Pat Carroll: Granny
I give "My Neighbor Totoro" an 8/10! It's a very cute and heart-warming film, but it's not very high energy. It's great to watch if you just want to relax. The musical score, along with the animation is breathtaking! I think everyone should see this film at least once in their life!

That's about all I have for today! If you have any anime to recommend me, shoot me an e-mail at jjewelyj@gmail.com!

Hugs and Kisses!
~Jewely