Since I really enjoyed Spirited Away, I decided to watch another Studio Ghibli classic: My Neighbor Totoro (to clarify, I watched the English dub), though I didn’t enjoy it quite as much. It centers on two young girls, Satsuki and Mei, as they settle into their new home in the countryside and get into all sorts of shenanigans, some of which involve the titular Totoro; a sort of protective spirit that lives in the forest. Animation-wise, the film is rock solid, especially considering it came out in the 80s; it has a watercolor quality to it that underscores the nostalgic vibes of the movie, and the fantastical elements simultaneously stand out compared to the mundane countryside surrounding them while not feeling out-of-place at all.
Unfortunately, the story was more of a mixed bag to me, it does a great job capturing the sense of wonder that accompanies moving to a new house and, more broadly, exploring the world for the first time. But not much really… happens throughout the film. There’s a throughline of the kids being worried about their sick mother, who’s recovering in the hospital. But that doesn’t come to the forefront until near the end, with most of the runtime having them just kinda get into random situations, sometimes running into Totoro. Speaking of him, for being the supposed main character, Totoro barely feels present in his own film. He doesn’t speak, and only shows up ~4/5 times throughout the whole movie. He has great presence when he does make appearances, but he feels underutilized. I suppose the filmmakers were trying to preserve the sense of mystery and wonder around him, but I think they went too far with it. Overall, it’s still a great film, but it feels like one of those situations where later movies have built off its foundations so much that the original feels bare-bones in comparison. The animation is rock solid, and the plot is excellent at evoking a sense of childhood wonder. But the plot itself is a bit thin, and Totoro doesn’t show up enough in his own movie.