Totoro is a movie like no other. There's no villan to learn to hate, or any hero to root for either. There's no obvious climax to look forward to, or even some starting events to develop a main plot...hell, one may even argue that there's no plot at all in this movie! But why does Totoro always sit near the greatest films of all time?

In my opinion, it's greatness comes from there. It basically proves that a movie does not need the conventional elements of storytelling to work. What it needs are likeable and relatable characters, a touching message and a wild imagination. It's one of the only movies i've ever seen that I can say I loved every second of it. It's basically a journey of how great it is to be a child, how your imagination can light you up to watch it in it's entirety. The animation is, hands down, the greatest of it's generation, and it's creativity is second to none!

It cemented Studio Ghibli's reputation as the best animation studio on earth. A masterpiece!