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Summary: A whimsical fairy tale with beautiful animation.
Review: This absolutely lovely video combines a fairy tale and a heartwarming family saga. "Whimsical" is an excellent word for it. This is my first experience with anime, and I needed some time to get used to the wide mouths. But the detail -- in the landscapes, etc. -- is remarkable and visually captivating. The colors are brilliant. The characters are lovely and endearing. The creatures are gentle, fun, and comforting. NOT SCARY AT ALL! Rated G -- there's even a bathtub scene in which the entire Japanese family participates, but there's nothing embarrassing to see. An outstanding animated film.
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Summary: My Neighbor Totoro...
Review: This movie was great! I first saw it when i was very young and i loved it. Its a very cute anime and i guess it hooked me on other animes like sailor moon. sometimes i still watch it and i still love it more and more. i truly recommend that u buy it!
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Summary: You people are kidding, right???
Review: Come on, one of the greatest anime movies of all time, and you people DUB it? All I can say is that the english voices can't compare to the original japanese ones. Even if you can't speak japanese, A- it's possible to buy fandubs, and B- it's possible to find translated scripts on the internet. You're not getting the full experience of this movie if you watch a version in which they remove and replace ALL the sound... just realize that, please. I'm not even going to BRING UP the topic of the music....
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Summary: Simply Splendid
Review: This film just blew me off!! Miyazaki-Sama is not called one of the greatest animators for nothing. He elegantly captured all to the little details of everyday Japanese life as well as the universal manners and temperaments of children of all ages. I highly recommend this film if you want to take a glimpse of how rural Japanese people live, or if to just simply swept away to a magical journey that only lives in the minds of the innocents.
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Summary: Miyazaki is Japan's Disney and then Some
Review: i have only seen the japanese version of this movie. BUT i am sure that the english version is just as amazing. miyazaki is japan's premier cartoonist. not only is this movie adorable (gotta love totoro!!!), but i think it gives a lot of insight into japanese culture. in totoro, the viewer sees example of shinto, how japanese live, how the japanese communicate (i am not sure if this is lost in the translation, though). a must see!
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Summary: One of the best movies EVER. Period.
Review: This is a sweet, cute and EXTREMELY fun movie, for people of any age. A story about two young sisters who encounter the magical forest creature "Totoro" is wonderfully portrayed by the amazing talents of Hayao Miyazaki (also known for his other great movies, "Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind", "Laputa Castle in the Sky", "Kiki's Magic Delivery Service" and "Princess Mononoke"). It is beautifully animated, and the manner of the children in the movie is eerily lifelike and portrayed with almost scientific accuracy. Miyazaki KNOWS how to entertain, and the movie is definitely worth your time.
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Summary: Wonderful!
Review: This is a MUST SEE video! I have watched in in Japanese & English, and it is a classic. So much fun, the whole family really enjoys it! It is so much fun to sit with my kids and watch it. One comment to the Japanese person who wrote another review about stereotypes, lighten up! How many times have you seen the non-Japanese (Gaijin) depicted in your TV shows/Movies/Anime as "large, loud, out of control, big nosed, rude, shall I go on? Lighten up! I found that the characters were very Japanese, and so lovable. Rant over. See this movie, you will not regret it, I promise! Cheers! Stuart Ablett Tokyo Japan
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Summary: Rare animation you won't find from Disney
Review: My Neighbor Totoro (Tonari no Totoro as I'm familiar with) was such a satisfying, delightful movie that I recommended it to my parents and other friends. Thought anime was going in a wrong direction? Watch a Miyazaki film. When I rented it, my parents told me I'm not for kid movies anymore, but a Hayao Miyazaki film is for everyone. I recommend it to anyone who just wants to watch an excellent film, more or less a little masterpiece in its own way. At first, watching the opening few scenes got me thinking that it was going to be a movie strictly aimed towards children, but as the movie progressed, I found it to be touching and full of delight. Unlike Disney movies, there are no lyrical songs needed to give light to the story or to lengthen the plot. Also, the movie is just a simple plot about two young girls who befriend a spirit of the forest, Totoro, after moving into a new house. The story won't stumble or lose the viewer because My Neighbor Totoro is a tangible dance all the way. The characters are colorful, charming, and most of all, imaginative. You'll be entranced when you see Totoro and his buddies, especially that awesome 12-legged cat bus. Everything in this movie brings out the wonder of enchantment and belief. You can't enjoy an animated picture without the eye-candy. Miyazaki's trademark use of beautiful vibrant colors are all here. It's just nice to look at. The music adds much, too. The film was scored by Joe Hisiashi, who pretty much scored all of Miyazaki's works. This is one admirable soundtrack. The Totoro theme song will surely get you boppin. From beginning to end, Totoro is a well-made animated picture that will make you thank yourself you saw a Miyazaki film. This is visual imagination that is Disney-caliber and more. If you're a parent try to pick this one up because your kids could fall in love with it; everyone in-between will enjoy it as well. Savor every moment... it's such a satisfying film to watch. Kid movies rock.
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Summary: THIS MOVIE HOOKED ME ON HAYAO MIYAZAKI
Review: WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS FILM IN JAPANESE I WAS IMPRESSED ENOUGH TO WANT TO SEE IT IN ENGLISH. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE I FOUND A COPY OF IT... AND IMMEDIATELY SNAPPED IT UP. THE STORY IS OF TWO SISTERS WHO HAVE MOVED TO THE COUNTRY BECAUSE OF THEIR AILING MOTHER IS MOVING IN THAT IT CAPTURES THE INNOCENCE OF CHILDHOOD AND THE WONDER OF DISCOVERY AND THE JOY OF AN UNSPOILT NATURE. IT ALSO DWELLS ON THE REPSECT OF ONES NEIGHBORS AND ELDERS. AND THEN THERE IS THE TITLE CHARACTERS- THE TOTORO- A RACE OF MAGICAL BEINGS THAT EXIST IN HARMONY WITH NATURE AND CAN ONLY BE SEEN BY THE CHILDREN. THE TWO SISTERS FOLLOW SOME OF THE SMALLER TOTORO INTO A HIDDEN GLEN AND FIND THE KING TOTORO AND HAVE MANY WONDERFUL ADVENTURES WITH ALL THE TOTORO INCLUDING A RIDE ON THE "CATBUS". THIS MOVIE QUICKLY BECAME A FAVORITE OF MY DAUGHTER AND NEPHEW- SOMETIMES BEING THE ONLY THING THEY WOULD WATCH! ALL OF THIS LEAVES ME HUNGRY FOR MORE OF HAYAO MIYAZAKI'S WORK... MIYAZAKI-SAN IS AN ICON HERE IN JAPAN AND THE RELEASE OF MORE OF HIS MOVIES IN THE STATES IS A MUST. (I ESPECIALLY AM AWAITING THE ONE ABOUT A MAGICAL GROUP OF RACCOONS THAT WAGE A WAR AGAINST THE NATURE-DESPOILING HUMANS- A RECURRING THEME IN MANY OF HIS MOVIES.) BUY THIS MOVIE FOR YOUR CHILDREN, IF NOT FOR YOURSELF, AND BECOME HOOKED ON HAYAO MIYAZAKI'S MAGIC AND HOPE FOR EVEN MORE MOVIES TO BE RELEASED!
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Summary: How this film saved my life as a parent
Review: I was raised on Disney, and I love Disney. I also love Wizard of Oz. These are the films that I began to show my two year old. A little later on he began to get very nasty all the time, it is what we called being a wicked witch. Graciously into our life came the answer to bad guy role models, this wonderful little film called My Neighbor Totoro. I will defer to other reviews that write profoundly about the history of the film, the lovely plot and such...but I think I shall stick to how Totoro saved our lives as parents. My son now still refers to the film as the one with no bad guys. This is a film about nature, and the joys of being children(for instance the children are always honored for their ideas and their vision), the joys of discovery and moving. The conflicts come from real issues but are always sensitively done. And it is fun, with a great sense of fantasy. AND OH MY GOODNESS, THAT CAT BUS! (just check out the tail lights). Totoro is a film that has achieved cult status for all the right reasons, a stunningly sensitive and fun story that you can watch with your kids without fear of them negatively acting out. Now instead of acting like the wicked witch all the time(only a quarter of the time now) my son grabs acorns and plants them in the backyard. We are quite a sight with our umbrellas, trying to make the plants grow. See the film and you'll figure it out.
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