Watched this for the first time today and I was wondering where the punch line is. The reality is: there is none! And the movie ends very abruptly and I was like: "Wait, what? This could have continued for at least an hour!" It's a beautifully animated movie with a great soundtrack, but I'm pretty certain this movie would have bored me to death had I watched it as a child because there is not a lot going on (except when the movie turns into a frickin' drug trip). Also did you notice that the giant cat bus has balls? Anyways, I'm going to bed now. This review sucks. But the movie doesn't. A very easy 8/10 from me. Now I want a series which explains the backstory of these monsters...

So I missed out on the Hayao Miyazaki exhibit at the Academy of Motion Pictures Museum. However, I still found a sweet movie poster of Tonari No Totoro at the gift store.

I mean, it was $35 plus tax, but it's not like I'll ever find a more legit poster replica. Unless I search for it on eBay? Anyways...

Long summer days with restless, young legs and an imagination wilder than any creature on this planet. My Neighbor Totoro might just be the most cheerful and heartwarming story about a childhood that I have ever seen.

My Neighbor Totoro was the first Miyazaki movie I have seen so far and I absolutely loved it. It's cute, creative, and heartwarming, and watching this film was definitely an experience that I will always remember.

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!