Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Jxbinha
I originally watched this movie because it's so famous, and honestly, I don't remember much about the story anymore. However, Totoro himself is still a character I absolutely love.
The movie has a very simple and calm atmosphere, which I think is part of its charm. It's more about experiencing a small magical world through the eyes of children than following a complicated story.
Even though it didn't become one of my most memorable movies story-wise, I can understand why Totoro became such an iconic character. He's adorable, comforting, and apparently memorable enough for me to still love him years later... I even own a ridiculously comfortable Totoro pillow.
So while I may not remember much about the movie itself, Totoro definitely left a lasting impression on me.
Score: 7/10
Read at the sourceGOODBOYMODZZ
One of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen, both visually and emotionally. First off, this might be the best looking Miyazaki movie yet. The animation isn't as intricate and detailed as Castle in the Sky, but the art style is fucking insane with everything looking like a watercolor painting. I also really love the countryside location and focus on nature and the deep connection that you can have to it. I also really love the Shinto themes (a religion I don't really know much about, and researched a bit because of this movie), with how it portrays spirits as gentle, good, and a direct part of nature. This also captures an incredible sense of childlike wonder to the world itself. I love that entire beginning before Totoro even appears, when it's just the girls exploring the new house an…
Read at the sourcek-0da
Similarly to Ponyo, My Neighbor Totoro is just as lovely as I remember it being. Looking at it some fifteen years after I first saw the movie, I fell in love again with not just Totoro, but the beautiful Japanese countryside.
Look, It’s a Ghibli movie, the animation is gorgeous--you don’t need me to tell you that. Miyazaki’s works make you happy to be alive. He paints the world so appealing, that I leave every film of his with a renewed passion to try my best at life. The Kusakabes’ new neighborhood glows with the lush life of summer--endless fields of rice, plump vegetables, twisting streams, and ancient, emerald forests. Miyazaki illustrates an extremely idyllic countryside life, making great use of its time period being pre-television.
The plot of My Neighbor Totoro is fairly straig…
Read at the source_Bubassotto_
A Studio Ghibli classic that, unfortunately, didn't quite win me over as much as I had hoped.
Few films carry as much weight as My Neighbor Totoro. Beyond being one of Studio Ghibli's greatest classics, it also gave rise to the mascot that represents the studio to this day. Given this historical significance alone, my expectations were naturally high. I expected to find one of the finest examples of Japanese animation, but, despite recognizing all its qualities, the experience ultimately didn't leave a lasting impression on me.
It is impossible to deny the care put into the production. Even though it is a 1988 film, the animation remains stunningly beautiful. There is a sense of life in every setting, from the fields, trees, and houses to the smallest details of nature. Everything convey…
Read at the sourcechinese_cartoons
I will get the positives out of the way first. The art and animation is high quality as expected from Ghibli, and Totoro is an amusing character; his 15 minutes worth of screen time is the highlight of the film. But there's just one problem...
Absolutely nothing happens in this film. There is no real plot, there are no stakes, there is very little depth. All that's left is a series of mildly uninteresting events interspersed with an irritating amount of children shouting. Even the one potentially interesting source of drama (regarding the mother in the hospital in the second half) is resolved pretty much immediately.
This film is another victim of Miyazaki's tendency to overly sanitise his work and his reluctance to kill off characters (no matter how many death flags they are waving) whi…
Read at the sourceAnime_Enjoyer_69
I absolutely love this movie. My sister and I used to watch it on repeat on our VHS player lol. It *is* a kids movie, but even as an adult I enjoyed it thoroughly. This is a joyful and whimsical fairytale story about childhood, adventure, and uncertainty about the future. You can expect to have a lighthearted and fun time watching this movie.
One of the things I noticed when I was watching it this time was the attention to detail paid to the atmosphere. The trees, cicadas, the wind and the rain all sound both beautiful and enchanting. I think that's one of the things about this movie. I love is how it portrays magic in the mundane. (even though there literally is magic in the movie.)
I usually tend to watch anime subbed, but I went for an English dub most recently. I guess there are two…
Read at the sourcemaya_kotori
This absolutely melted me in the best way possible. I wasn’t expecting it to hit me so hard, but the whole movie felt incredibly magical, comforting, and full of that gentle Studio Ghibli charm that stays with you long after it ends. Totoro himself is just impossible not to love. So cute, so iconic, and honestly one of the most comforting characters ever created. I was so obsessed that I even ended up drawing him on my wall, which probably says everything about how much this movie got to me. It’s simple, sweet, and wonderfully nostalgic. I genuinely adored it.
Read at the sourceelumizu
My Neighbor Totoro is a deeply comforting movie that captures the magic hidden within everyday life. The story focuses on the experiences of two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the countryside with their father while their mother recovers from illness in a nearby hospital. As the girls explore their new rural surroundings such as lush forests, rice fields, and old wooden houses, they begin encountering mysterious forest spirits, including the large and gentle creature known as Totoro. The narrative unfolds through everyday discoveries over a conventional dramatic structure. Mei is the first to encounter Totoro while wandering through the forest, and her innocent curiosity introduces the audience to a world where nature quietly coexists with unseen spirits. Later, Satsuki also meets T…
Read at the sourcePatrick_Lansing
When you're a kid, almost every tree, every corner, every playground, cats and dogs, and every rain soaked afternoon filled with bright sunshine is - magical. As you grow old, the magic is lost.
What this beautiful movie captures is the magic of childhood, made possible by the brilliance of the Ghibli arists, because this film is no less than art exemplified. Our two protagonists, the two little girls, are suffused with life - every action, every trees, every shade thrown by the sunlight filtered through the leaves reminding you of scenes you may have witnessed in childhood. It pulls you along, as we step into the territory of spirits that capture our imagination in just the exact way it captures our little friends'.
If we were in search of lost time, and lost magic, this is the film. Fi…
Read at the sourcetheo1763
Honestly, this movie was so adorable that I couldn't even rate it anything less than a 10/10. Satsuki and Mei were the stars of the show, in my opinion. They were just so adorable, had so much energy, and felt so real as siblings. It really felt like I was watching two real kids being themselves. You could feel the love within their family, and that emotional bond made the whole story hit even harder. Even though the plot is very simple, it never felt boring at any moment. All the little things mattered, and it was all so heartwarming.
The animation was sheer gorgeousness. Ghibli's countryside scenery is breathtaking, and the manner in which all of the motion, from blowing wind in the trees to Mei running through tall grass, appears to have life is marvelous. Fantasy scenes, like the oft-…
Read at the sourceAbhinandan108
MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO (1988), directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is a beautiful, cute, and utterly lovable film. With a concise runtime of 1 hour and 26 minutes, its pacing feels just right, making every moment engaging.
Unlike some of Miyazaki’s more complex works, the storyline is simple and easy to follow, yet it remains captivating without the need for an antagonist.
The direction and animation are stunning, showcasing Miyazaki’s signature artistry, and the soundtrack perfectly complements the film’s whimsical tone.
For nearly the most part, I couldn’t stop smiling. The sisterly bond between Satsuki and Mei is heartwarming and authentic, with their laughter, shouts, and tears feeling genuinely endearing. As an elder brother, watching them brought back fond memories of my childhood with my yo…
Read at the source50Fiftillididee
✒🐱 Cheshire Cat's Fun Uncle 👄 °8.2° °Excellent ° 💯%🔍 some minor spoilers
✨MNT is about the wonder of childhood✨
A family with two young girls, Satsuki & Mei, moves to the boondocks to be near the hospital where mom is being treated.
When the girls walk into the dilapidated house they immediately meet little dust creatures☸ that scurry and scatter to escape the light. The countryside contains special magic, it seems. They meet the rest of their cheerful neighbors: A granny, a boy their age, schoolmates… and Totoro. What is Totoro? He looks like a giant cat blob with huge human-like teeth. (What Teeth! 👄 The Better To Roar With!) He likes acorns. Two mini Totortos follow him around. He rumbles and it sounds growly, but Satsuki & Mei aren't scared. As gargantuan as he is, he can o…
Read at the sourceShinrindegozaru
Story: 9 | Art: 10 | Sound: 9 | Character: 9 | Atmosphere: 10
Overall: 9.4 → 9
Some films don’t need complex narratives or high-stakes conflicts to leave a lasting impression; My Neighbor Totoro is one of them. It thrives on simplicity, nostalgia, and pure-hearted wonder, capturing childhood in a way few films can.
The story follows two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, as they move to the countryside and encounter mystical creatures led by the gentle, enigmatic Totoro. Unlike many adventure-driven anime, Totoro is more about experiencing a world rather than following a structured plot. It is a slice-of-life fantasy, where the magic lies in small moments - the rustling leaves, the distant rain, the excitement of discovering something unknown.
Visually, Studio Ghibli’s signature artistry shines…
Read at the sourceKK-The-Atomizer
My Neighbor Totoro is so heartwarming, an amazing family watch!!
The animation is gorgeous, even today. The vibrant environments, the very fluid movements, and the expressiveness of all the characters will definitely keep your eyes glued to the screen!
The plot is very simple, but it does work very well for what the movie is trying to accomplish, and while it does get tense near the end, it’s overall a happy watch that’ll warm your heart once all is said and done.
The cast of characters is really nice, and they play super well into the themes of the movie! You won’t just be waiting for Totoro to appear throughout the movie, as Satsuki, Mei, Kanta and the parents all work greatly, especially Mei’s naivety and childish innocence that can capture the hearts of an entire audience.
The fant…
Read at the sourceMrSlamboni
I'm a massive Studio Ghibli glazer, but this movie was kind of a nothing burger. The animations, character design, art and music were spectacular as always. BUT.... there is absolutely no plot. Nothing really changes from the start of the movie to its end. Sure, there is the usual theme of co-existing with nature, but I do expect something meaningful to happen in the movie. It seems that My Neighbor Totoro was targeting very young children (3-6 years).
If my niece was around, I might put this movie on. As an adult, I wouldn't really watch it more than once. The eye candy is good, but the lack of any story isn't. I would give it a 7-8 because for the child demographic, this is probably good. But for older demographics, this is a 5-6.
Read at the sourceCaptainSalty
My Neighbor Totoro is probably the most inoffensive thing I've seen in anime. It's the definition of the phrase "really good" and nothing beyond or less than. For Ghibli films, it sits comfortably between the meh stuff and the spectacular stuff, as this movie has its realistic and endearing characters embracing their childhood wonder. If there's one thing that really stands out about this Ghibli movie, its the characters' very realistic movement. On paper it sounds odd to point out, but seeing a scene of the children running, playing, or chasing, you could spot out how realistic they made it. Sporadic, giddy, and pure energy glows from the characters making them feel much more real. Solid Ghibli film for any age, as a child you can relate to it and see yourself in the characters. As someon…
Read at the sourcePokitaru
A while ago, I promised myself I’d watch all the Ghibli movies, or at least all the popular ones, and My Neighbor Totoro was next on my list. Αnyway, I finally watched it, and I've got to say, it was a pretty magical experience.
To be fully honest, it's been more than two years since I watched a Ghibli movie, so my excitement going in was pretty high. However, I can assure you that my hype is only a tiny part of it. The rest of it comes from the movie's great quality.
Directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki, this 1988 classic is one of those movies that just makes you feel good. It's a sweet, simple story that’s perfect for anyone who loves a good, heartwarming tale, without caring too much about all the details or being too critical.
Plot:
The plot of My Neighbor Totoro is really strai…
Read at the sourcecoolman6446
As a young adult watching this movie for the first time, I would say this movie is the definition of a perfectly fine movie. Nothing bad about it, but nothing really amazing. It's as slice of life as a movie can get with a few fantasy moments thrown in. The music is good and the art is great as to be expected, but nothing really stood out to me besides Totoro's cute design. If you are learning Japanese, I would recommend this film since it uses basic Japanese for most of the film thanks to it being a slice of life kids film. Otherwise, you can honestly skip the film or just watch a compilation of the Totoro scenes online to get a similar experience.
Read at the sourceRyanSpring
It is with tremendous shame I confess to one of my darkest secrets- despite owning 500+ physical anime blu rays, including the entire Ghibli steelbook collection, and despite being an older, longtime anime fan, as of last night I had never seen My Neighbor Totoro. Better very, very late than never, so last night I finally remedied this unacceptable situation! As with any other time I review old anime- VERY old, nearly 35 years in this case- the standard disclaimer of "the only fair way to evaluate anything is in its own time and my perspective, watching it now for the first time, is not the same" is very much applicable.
The first thing that stood out to me, shockingly, was how well this film holds up graphically today. It's amazing that something 35 years old still looks reasonably good…
Read at the sourcePaulDanger
While watching this film one of the things that seemed to stand out the most was the sheer sense of wonder that was captured throughout the films runtime. From the first time that these characters graced the screen their naturally inquisitive natures were palpable in how they approached\viewed the world that was around them. It was because of this that from the very beginning of the film you can tell that many of the sequences that were going to be displayed were going to be quite lighthearted. While this was the case for most of the film once the story started to incorporate its elements of conflict, it became clear that the characters displayed had much more depth than they initially portrayed. The addition of this additional complexity truly helped to make the story much more emotional…
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