Animated Movie That Was a Pleasant Surprise

My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

I was incredibly late to the party with this one to say the least! I have been gradually watching through the Studio Ghibli collection over the years and in January this year, I watched this incredible film for the first time. I know to always expect great things when I watch a Studio Ghibli feature, but this was honestly a pleasant surprise and exceeded all expectation - I was truly blown away by the magic of "My Neighbour Totoro." It is hardly surprising that Totoro became such an important symbol of Studio Ghibli in much the same way as Mickey Mouse.

In terms of story, not very much actually happens in the film, but it's the small, slice-of-life moments depicted throughout that are its true strength. The first twenty-five minutes are perfect, in my opinion, from the opening tune which gave me a strong nostalgic feeling that I couldn't quite explain to the introduction of Totoro and some more fantastical elements. As mentioned, the opening song "Hey, Lets Go!" is perfectly suited to the coming-of-age themes of the movie, providing an uplifting introduction to the world of Totoro.

The plot follows two young Japanese sisters that have just moved to their new home with their father, in order to be closer to their mother, who is very ill in hospital. The film starts with their arrival in the area on the back of a moving truck, before they arrive at their new house and begin to explore, whist the father deals with the grown up stuff. Fantasy is soon injected into the plot as we are introduced to the "soot sprites" - harmless spirits that live in old dusty houses, as explained by "Granny" one of their new neighbours. Soon afterwards, four-year-old Mei encounters Totoro, a large animal spirit, alongside two smaller, similar spirits. There comes a point in the film where it feels like events may take a darker turn ala "Bridge to Terabithia" but thankfully the movie chooses to keep the spirit of this fantastical world alive in all the right ways.

What I enjoy most about this film is when I put it on Netflix, my three-year-old son is captivated for the first twenty or so minutes. He knows exactly when the soot sprites are about to make an appearance so, as the scene approaches, he moves behind the arm of the couch - I think because the music swells for a brief period when they first burst out.

I cannot recommend this film enough if you have young kids or if you appreciate the art of animation yourself - it has quickly injected itself into my "Top 5 List” of favourite animated films. My fiancée will attest to the fact that I have had "My Neighbour Totoro” on our TV about thirty times this year already and, as if I wasn't obsessed enough, I have even went to a screening at Vue Cinema.