My Neighbor Totoro – AniMat’s Classic Reviews
My Neighbor Totoro – AniMat’s Classic Reviews
* Originally uploaded in 2013 *
If you guys enjoy this and the other videos, come and support my work on Patreon, like the Animation Lookback page on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, watch me on deviantART or buy something at the shop!
Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/AniMat
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Animation-Lookback/257130184264
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AniMat505
Store: http://edpstore.spreadshirt.com
deviantART: http://animat505.deviantart.com/
September 19, 2018 @ 2:58 pm
That was aggresive
September 19, 2018 @ 3:00 pm
He should set up kid’s movie reviews like this
September 19, 2018 @ 3:01 pm
My neighbor TOTORO isn’t that bad. You are just overreacting!!!
September 19, 2018 @ 3:01 pm
I see my neighbor Totoro as a diary entry
September 19, 2018 @ 3:02 pm
The dad looks exactly like Kiki’s dad from Kiki’s Delivery Service. Satsuki is technically Kiki with short hair. No hate on Studio Ghibli tho, I love these movies. Just making a comparison.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:02 pm
U call urself a Ghili fan? This is one of the greatest animated movies of all time!
September 19, 2018 @ 3:02 pm
story: 10/10
animation: 10/10
characters: 10/10
overall: 10/10
September 19, 2018 @ 3:03 pm
my scores
the story: 8/10
the animation: 10/10
the characters: 10/10
overall: 9/10 (great)
September 19, 2018 @ 3:04 pm
Could you please review Kiki’s delivery service? I would want to know if you prefer that to this movie.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:10 pm
IRYO
September 19, 2018 @ 3:11 pm
I don’t give a fridge if it don’t have a plot, it makes it outstanding!
September 19, 2018 @ 3:11 pm
Plz review "Nausicaa of the valley of the wind"
September 19, 2018 @ 3:12 pm
5:24 it doesn’t help that the girls’ faces look like a meme ?
September 19, 2018 @ 3:13 pm
You were the first person to ever state my exact opinion on this film.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:14 pm
I did not see this movie until I was 26, so no nostalgia, and yet it made me feel nostalgic. I think it is because the film completely encompasses childhood in a very meaningful and artful way. The film is capturing the moment of these two girls lives and showing how they dealt with it. Even if Totoro is not real, their experiences are (although the cat bus is a bit problematic toward the end, just as the gargoyles are in Hunchback). Regardless, I could not disagree with this review more. This film completely symbolizes what Studio Ghibli is in my opinion – animated films that focus on character, beautiful animation, and setting rather than meaningless plots that exist in most animated movies of today. So many animated movies are made to be loud and silly, as if that is all kids can handle. But this movie was made with an understanding of children. It wasn’t made to talk down to children but meet children where they are in life. That is why as an adult the film still works for me. As I said earlier, it encompasses childhood and I can’t think of any Disney movie that does this (and if there is one I’m forgetting, I’d be willing to bet it isn’t as well done as this film). Yes the characters are simplistic but I don’t think it is on the part of lacking ideas; rather, ambiguity is often an important tool in storytelling. There is a reason why the monster in Stranger Things became less intriguing once we saw it. And there is a difference between intentional ambiguity and lack of character development. In this film, we are given just enough to keep us interested yet also not too much to where new problems can arise. This creates a very magical and childlike environment. On the other side, take a movie like Frozen. Hans is a great example where character ambiguity is a problem. He needed more development. And some can say that realizing Hans was the villain is exciting but that leaves little interaction for the audience. You can’t go back and see the hints to him being evil. You just know because you have seen the movie. And speaking to your point about no antagonist…why is that a bad thing? Many Pixar movies have no protagonist. Toy Story, arguably their best film ever made, has no protagonist. Sure Sid gets in the way but he has little to do with the overall plot of the film. If anything, the antagonist is Woody himself. He is at odds with himself, which creates a much more sophisticated and nuanced narrative than most animated films do not allow. Totoro does the same thing. The antagonist could be the absence of childhood. It isn’t a tangible force in the film and it doesn’t need to be. And finally, these little girls perfectly encapsulate what it means to be a little girl. Whether I watch home videos of myself as a child, or hang out with my friends 4 year old daughter, this is how little girls act. Little kids in general act like this. They are excited and innocent and lively! It is what drew me to these characters. I guess it is obvious that I love this film, LOL. It is not perfect, but gosh darn if it isn’t the poster child for how to tell a story about childhood right.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:15 pm
Estimated Voice Cast (Since this movie has two English Dubs, I decided to make guesses based on the movie’s release in 1988.)
Satsuki (The Tall Girl): Tara Charandoff Strong – Mae (The Short Girl): Jessica DiCicco – Tatsuo (The Father) – Gregory Snegoff – Yasuko (The Mother), A Bus Attendant: Bever-Leigh Banfield – The Totoro Creature: Peter Cullen – Kanta (The Romance Boy): Gabriel Damon – Granny: Debbie Reynolds – The Cat Bus: Frank Welker – Michiko and Satsuki’s Teacher: Tress MacNeille – Kanta’s Mother: Susan Blu – Kanta’s Father, Multiple Creatures: Chris Latta – An Old Farmer: Peter Renaday – Kanta’s Aunt: Russi Taylor – Otoko: Kerrigan Mahan – Ryouko: Lara Cody – A Mailman, Multiple Creatures: Kenneth Mars – Multiple Creatures: Charlie Adler
September 19, 2018 @ 3:15 pm
You should have just given it a 6/10 to troll people
September 19, 2018 @ 3:17 pm
The mother had tuberculosis (as did Hayao’s mother). Also this was shown as a double feature with ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ when initially released. You definitely need a light whimsical movie after watching that one.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:17 pm
So I guess you don’t like The adventures of Winnie the Pooh either since this movie too is a slice of life.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:18 pm
Why animat why I love this movie ?
September 19, 2018 @ 3:18 pm
You could argue that the mother’s sickness and Mei’s getting lost at the end IS the conflict. Not every movie needs to have conflict, it’s just a very simple and basic, well made and humane movie in my opinion.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:18 pm
I honestly hated Mei during the climax. She whined about wanting her mother to come home and never listened to her older sister. And she ran away just to see if her mother was ok and to give her flipping CORN! I’m sorry but i just saw her as an brat.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:19 pm
The movie gets a 10/10
September 19, 2018 @ 3:22 pm
As a kid, this was my favorite movie. I watched it again and I still like it a lot. It is different and unique.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:22 pm
Story: 10/10
Animation: 9/10
Characters: 8/10
Overall: 9/10
September 19, 2018 @ 3:22 pm
Best Review ever!
September 19, 2018 @ 3:23 pm
I personally didn’t find this film as good as some people praise it, but I can see why people can either love or not like it. I found it being worth seeing even once 🙂
September 19, 2018 @ 3:27 pm
I always thought totoro was a giant raccoon.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:29 pm
And why everybody thinking that Animat is being "harsh"?
September 19, 2018 @ 3:29 pm
How is he being "Harsh" or "Unfair"? Just because he saw a movie and didn’t enjoy it as much as everyone else!? Maybe instead of forcing your opinions on to other people you can take the criticisms he has about the movie and try to be open minded about it. Don’t change your mind about liking it based on other peoples opinions but take them into consideration when you hear them.
It seriously feels like people think Studio Ghibli/Hayao Miyazaki films are beyond criticism and that everyone should enjoy them just because they’re "classics" and "important to animation history". seriously no movie is beyond criticism and just because you can enjoy a movie even with its flaws or unusual plot structure doesn’t mean other people will enjoy them, in fact some of my favorite movies I can see people not enjoying because they’re weird, flawed, stupid and many other reasons. I know most people wouldn’t like them and
while I disagree that those things make it a bad movie I can at least acknowledge that some people may not enjoy those aspects even if it’s the same reason that I enjoy it.
The main point I’m trying to make is be open to other peoples opinions. We don’t all enjoy the same things, some people like straight forward plots about going from point a to point b and others like deep confusing plots with Nonlinear narratives, neither are wrong and you shouldn’t treat them like they’re is terrible for not enjoying something, that is truly unfair.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:29 pm
studio ghibli is my number one favorite cartoon company of all time ??
September 19, 2018 @ 3:32 pm
Please do Pinocchio and the Emperor of the NIght.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:34 pm
There being no plot is distinctly what makes this film so fantastic! It’s a film where basically nothing happens but it still manages to suck you in/immerse you in it’s magical world at the same time for the entire length of the film! ? It is truly amazing
September 19, 2018 @ 3:35 pm
You will have to wait until I comment on ALL of Animat’s Studio Ghibli Lookbacks before I tell you which of its movies is my favorite, but I will tell you right now My Neighbor Totoro has a chance. What I like about My Neighbor Totoro is: unlike most of the Studio Ghibli movies I have seen so far, this movie actually tried to be good for kids. Both of the star girls were sweet and lovable (even if their yelling is a little unorthodox), and I am so touched by the father’s compassion for those girls. Also, the mother’s uncertainty for if she will survive reminds me of The Land Before Time, where Littlefoot’s mom actually did die (How ironic that both this movie and The Land Before Time were released in 1988!). And I will have to say the Totoro creature looks pretty friendly. However, I suppose my favorite of the creatures is the Cat Bus because of how amusing it is to see him act like transportation. I will take My Neighbor Totoro over Grave of the Fireflies any day!
P.S. As much as I believe Animat was WAY TOO HARSH on the star girls, I will have to admit I was amused by his "fall-out-of-chair" reaction. "FREAK! (flailing arms) OH FUDGE! (falls down)" XD
September 19, 2018 @ 3:37 pm
5/10 why!?
September 19, 2018 @ 3:39 pm
in my opinion this is probably one of the weaker studio ghibli films I think that it’s just too light hearted even for a family film
September 19, 2018 @ 3:40 pm
I love this movie. It’s more about reliving the magic of childhood. If I’m in the dumps, it’s this movie that I put on. It makes me feel like a kid again.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:41 pm
Way too harsh Mat
September 19, 2018 @ 3:42 pm
TETSUOOOOOOO
September 19, 2018 @ 3:42 pm
Story:10/10
Animation:10/10
Characters:9/10
Overall:10/10
September 19, 2018 @ 3:44 pm
The simplicity and yet subtle complexity to this film is part of its appeal. It doesn’t need action or in-depth characters. As for the kid characters, they act more like regular little girls. The only quibble I could say is that the film is far too short – it would be nice if it were a bit longer. It DOES leave you wanting more of these charming and endearing characters. I enjoy this film as an adult and I have no shame in giving it no less than 7-10 stars out of 10.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:46 pm
Do wolf children plz!
September 19, 2018 @ 3:47 pm
I enjoyed this movie, but understand your problems with it.
September 19, 2018 @ 3:51 pm
I feel the same way about The Land Before Time as you do about this movie
September 19, 2018 @ 3:51 pm
5:47. That’s just how kids are: we were all like this when we Were younger
September 19, 2018 @ 3:52 pm
My review
Story: 10/10
Animation: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Final Verdict: 10/10
My 6th favorite movie of All Time
September 19, 2018 @ 3:53 pm
This is why this film is perfect when you watch it as a kid for the first time? You don’t mind Mei and Satsuki running everywhere and screaming for no reason as you do the same thing everywhere. And then it becomes a nostlagic movie <3
September 19, 2018 @ 3:53 pm
ko hiu
September 19, 2018 @ 3:56 pm
Watch Chris Stuckmann
September 19, 2018 @ 3:56 pm
To be honest I hate this film and I really hate the two girls.