My Neighbor Totoro

This was the best out of the Ghibli studio in my opinion, was a very moving story about the plight of the two sisters and their father who move into a new area and as their mother is in hospital, there is quite a lot going on with their lives .I found the story could be fun as well as sad at times with the three of them having to work out without their mum, the two girls meet the TOTORO god and is the most moving and fun gibli film i have seen and also the animation was amazing so much detail, also i watched this in the English and then the Japanese version and both were great to watch as each other .hope you enjoy this as much as i did .

All that ever will be said about the movie has been said already, the vast majority of which has been highly positive...so you don't need me to tell you how good it is. This review is just for the new 2010 Disney 2-disc 'Special Edition', with a feature packed extras disc. It is well worth re-investing in if you're a big Totoro fan. The UK single disc has literally a couple of trailers and storyboards, and the previous USA/R1 version made little use of the extra disc. This new version is packed with good stuff...as follows: The World of Ghibli: Creating My Neighbor Totoro Creating the Characters The Totoro Experience Producer's Perspective: Creating Ghibli The Locations of Totoro Scoring Miyazaki Original Japanese Trailer Behind the Microphone Creating Ponyo Creating Kiki's Delivery Service Castle in the Sky: Character Sketches Enter the Lands: (Interactive Map) ...the biggest and best of which is the 'Locations of Totoro', a half hour segment from a Japanese documentary which went in search of the real life locations that inspired the environments in Miyazaki's movies. This segment, of course, focuses solely on Totoro, and some of the real life locations are so close to the movie it is really quite astonishing. The full length storyboards from the original Totoro DVD releases are also present, as are a clutch of unrelated Disney trailers. The interactive map section is aimed at children, with simple little games to play and various Ghibli video clips to discover. The discs come in a 2-disc Amaray style keep case, with an embossed cardboard slip-cover. What will be of interest to fans is the choice of cover image - a very interesting piece of artwork featuring the bus stop scene from when Miyazaki was toying with the idea of there being just one child in the family, and that the girl in question has a face that looks like a hybrid of Satsuki and Mei. Fortunately, Miyazaki-san decided on two children...and we got to meet the lovable sisters we now know so well...but this is a very interesting and beautiful piece of art nonetheless, and it reveals to us part of the journey that the production took to get to the finished product. Disney have also been kind enough to include a collectable card lithograph of this cover art, which you will find inside the case. The only unfortunate thing is the fact that this is the exact same print of the movie as before - so no digital restoration has been carried out. However, when the original print of the movie was clean, colourful and well mastered, this is no bad thing. It's the same Dolby 2.0 audio track as before, too. Spoken language tracks are English, French and Japanese (all Dolby 2.0). For English subtitles you have 2 choices; the 'dubtitles' (the English dub word for word), and a literal Japanese to English translation...which is recommended for a more authentic experience. The English audio dub is, of course, the latter Disney dub, with the voices of the Fanning sisters...not the earlier Fox dub. However, many find Totoro is best enjoyed in native Japanese with subtitles, but the Disney English dub is there for those who prefer it, or for kids who can't keep up with the fast flow of text. I myself prefer to listen in Japanese with the English subs on. After all, these are the voice actors Miyazaki chose - and often English anime dubs tend to over-Americanise, rather than simply translate. All in all it is well worth the upgrade. Although I would point out that the Ghibli collection is sure to make the transition to Blu-Ray at some point...so some fans may want to hold off. Also available in the new Disney 2-disc special editions are 'Kiki's Delivery Service', 'Laputa: Castle in the Sky' (just called 'Castle in the Sky' in the US) and 'Ponyo'. I believe more from the Ghibli stable are to follow in this new special edition range. Please bear in mind that you need a region free DVD player to be able to play these imported Region 1 DVD's.

not English

L'oeuvre de Miyazaki est exceptionele , dommage que l'expérience soit gâché par un livreur qui à forcer en mettant le coli dans ma boi^te aux lettre et l'a abîmer

Do not buy this item if you live in India its region B and nothing is mentioned in the description but the image shows its all region compatible hence if you are not in region B you cannot play this in a normal player

Back when this movie first came out; the late Gene Siskell and his buddy Roger Ebert reviewed this movie and called it quite possibly the best family movie ever made! And despite all the additional movies that have been produced since then - IT STILL IS! What makes this movie so good? Made by Studio Gibli and it's co-founder, Hayao Miyazaki (called the Walt Disney of Japan). It's a virtually perfect blend of family, detail and fantasy all rolled into one! It starts out with two sisters and their father moving into a run-down rural house that they've rented for the summer. Then slowly ups the ante that there may be more to this house than meets the eyes as the little sister starts to see little critters that no one else can see! She's absolutely adorable. In fact this is one of the best parts of Ghibli movies; their characters are all so absolutely real. The little sister looks like, acts like, throws tantrums like, explores like just any little pre-schooler would. Then throw in the older sister who's trying to take care of her, the house and their father while their mother is away in the hospital fighting some unknown illness and you can just feel the realism and the family dynamics. Then when the older sister also starts to see things that shouldn't exist and discovers the guardian of the forest is a big gentle giant by the name of Totoro; it really gets to be both exciting and fun at the same time with magical cat buses, dust bunnies that can actually move and all sorts of magical adventures! The other thing I like about this and later Ghibli movies like Kiki's Delivery Service, Arrietty, Whisper of the Heart and Ponyo (all of which I highly recommend) is that these movies don't fall back on the usual stereotypes of some despicable villain that has to be fought and stopped. Or everything always has to be settled with a fight. Instead they have lots of action, wonderful discoveries at every turn; but no villain! There is a major problem to be solved, friends to be rescued or helped, but things don't have to be settled with violence! That is so refreshing at times. This is one of those rare family movies that adults will like equally with their kids. And even today with the thousands of movies I've seen; this is still and always will be one of my absolute favourites. Five stars all the way! J. A. P.S. - Don't confuse this Disney version of Totoro with an older Pan and Scan version that was originally marketed over ten years ago by Fox. This is a top quality 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and looks superb in either dvd or BD versions. Reviews that talk about it being cut are referring to the older no-longer sold Fox version.

英語版のトトロは、会話の練習にはもってこいのものです。興味を持って聞くと、聞き取りがアップします。

My Neighbor Totoro (animation, adventure, family) Directed by Hayao Miyazaki Starring the voices of Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Tim Daly and Pat Carroll Disney / Buena Vista | 1988 | 86 min | Rated G | Released Mar 02, 2010 The Film 5/5 Unlike most of my previous reviews, My Neighbor Totoro hasn't yet been released on Blu-ray. Disney is working its way through the Studio Ghibli titles and has released most of them on DVD, but a Blu-ray release for this particular film is likely one or two years away. While I intend to own them all on the best possible format, I just had to buy Totoro on DVD until it sees a high definition release. This is going to be a difficult review because my love for Studio Ghibli and its worlds is hard to put into words. I'll do my best. Hayao Miyazaki's films aren't for everyone. They should be, but it just isn't the case. The reason is that we in North America have come to expect a certain style when it comes to animation. Animated movies are typically fast-paced and filled with action. They have heroes, villains, chase scenes and conflict. What's more, they are noisy. It seems that without constant action, there's a fear that the audience might become bored. This is not a criticism, merely an observation. I'm quite happy watching such things as Kung Fu Panda, Megamind, Tangled or How to Train Your Dragon. Miyazaki's films don't follow the typical Hollywood style. Until very recently, everything was hand-drawn. Each frame is like a watercolor painting and has a certain beauty. Those who only watch modern CGI animation may not appreciate the classic two-dimensional style. Another huge difference is the pacing. Instead of constant action, you'll see occasional shots of the countryside, a stream, an animal or clouds. It's a cultural difference and reflects a society in which people are more in tune with nature and the simple joy of being alive. Miyazaki's stories unfold gradually in their own time. Like most Studio Ghibli releases, Totoro doesn't contain any villains. We are shown situations that its characters encounter and have to figure out. It works because the characters are well-defined and we care about them. We want to see how they will proceed and whether they will succeed. The story is set in the 1950s in a Japanese village and begins with Professor Kusakabe (Daly) arriving at his new house, along with daughters Satsuki and Mei (Dakota and Elle Fanning). Satsuki is about 10 years old and Mei around 4. The sisters are delighted with their new home. Mei mimics her sister's actions and sometimes repeats what she says. I have never seen a more realistic depiction of how children think and behave. The children are full of life and explore their new house with excitement. It's rumored to be haunted, but they only encounter soot sprites which leave at the sound of laughter. The sprites are only visible to children. Another cultural difference is highlighted when the professor shares a bath with his daughters. His girls happily help with the chores before they run off to play. This is a world in which TV doesn't exist. The children spend their free time playing outside. Professor Kusakabe puts the girls on his bicycle and takes them to a hospital where their mother is being treated. Miyazaki's own mother suffered from tuberculosis and, although it's never stated, this is probably what Mrs. Kusakabe was recovering from. It's not typical for animated films to deal with such themes as illness, but this is a realistic world and the situation fits. They learn that she's almost ready to return home and see their new house. Satsuki cooks for the family and her father works at home when he's not lecturing at the university. It's a benign world where children walk to school without any fear of abduction or similar dangers. Mei isn't yet old enough for school and plays outside while her father works at his desk. She views the world with the charming fascination of a child, exploring her surroundings and watching tadpoles swim in the stream. Then she sees a pair of white ears in the long grass, belonging to a creature resembling a rabbit. The creature scurries away from her alternating between visible and invisible. She tracks it into a tunnel formed by overhanging trees. After entering a hole in the trunk of a vast tree she emerges in a clearing occupied by a giant sleeping creature. We are more than 30 minutes into the film before she encounters the sleeping totoro. The film takes its time and doesn't feel the need to introduce the creature from the start. It looks like a cross between a cat, a teddy bear and an owl. She prods it inquisitively and it seems unconcerned by her presence. There's no sense of danger and she simply curls up on top of it and falls asleep. Her father and sister notice she is missing and set out to find her. When they arrive, she's sleeping on the ground in the forest with no sign of the totoro. When she tells her unlikely story, her father and sister believe her. They accept that she wouldn't lie. It's very refreshing to see that kind of trust between adult and child. Professor Kusakabe speculates that the totoro can only be seen when he wants to be seen and that Mei was very lucky to have the chance. These simple words make her happy. The film defies our expectations at every turn. When her father has to go to the university, Mei starts to miss Satsuki, so the old woman looking after her takes her to the school. Satsuki explains to the teacher that their father will be home in a couple of hours and Mei is allowed to stay with the older children. She feels important and quietly sits at her desk drawing a picture of the totoro. I don't want to give away the whole story, but the totoro has an important part to play in the lives of the girls. The most worrying part of the film lasts about ten minutes, but it's a realistic situation and doesn't contain any villains. Their friend the totoro is a reassuring presence and knows how to solve the problem. The girls are very sweet, but it isn't overdone. Little Mei is probably my favorite character in any animated film. She's thoroughly adorable. Miyazaki's drawings are quite simple, but he can convey emotion with just a few expressions. He varies the size of the children's mouths and eyes according to the mood of the scene. My Neighbor Totoro is set in a world that no longer exists. The parents care deeply for their children and the two sisters love and depend on each other. Villagers pull together in times of crisis and care about their neighbors. Children respect older people and there's no sense of danger. It's a warm and happy place to visit and I wish the real world were more like Miyazaki's imaginary ones. This is what human beings are supposed to be like. Miyazaki has a wonderful imagination and it's even more prominent in fantasy worlds such as those encountered in Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky and the Oscar-winning Spirited Away. All of his stories have warmth and heart. If you see him interviewed, it's apparent that he loves what he does. His enthusiasm is infectious and he smiles when he talks about his worlds. He sees things that most of us take for granted and miss altogether. I consider My Neighbor Totoro to be the perfect family film. It may also be the happiest film I've ever seen and the relationship between the sisters is wonderful to watch. They aren't constantly bickering. If Mei gets tired, Satsuki carries her. Adults treat children seriously and genuinely want to know what's important to them. In today's world, with the pressures adults place on themselves, that isn't always the case. Miyazaki has crafted a film filled with wonder and a sense of discovery. It's like returning to your childhood and seeing the world from that perspective. The expressions of concentration, determination and pure wonder on Mei's face are depicted perfectly. The film is full of beauty. I don't just mean the animation - although it is beautiful - I'm also referring to the actions performed by the people and creatures in the film. The feelings created by the story are considerably enhanced by Joe Hisaishi's haunting score. He's responsible for the music in all of Miyazaki's films and the two have established a good understanding. The melodies seem so simple, but it's hard to imagine the film without their presence. While I'm delighted that Disney is releasing the Studio Ghibli titles on Blu-ray, it can't happen fast enough. Some will argue that the English dub of the film ruins the experience. The good thing about the recent releases is that the original Japanese version is included as an option. If you want to experience the film in its native language, you can now do so, with or without subtitles. There's also a short film set in the same world; Mei and the Kittenbus. It hasn't been released commercially, but is sometimes shown at the Studio Ghibli museum in Mitaka, Japan. You'll have to reserve a ticket in advance if you want to pay a visit. It's a long trip to see a 14-minute short film, but it's currently the only way to see it. My forlorn hope is to see the short included among the special features when the film is released on Blu-ray. I would recommend Miyazaki's films to everyone, although I realize that some people won't connect with them. The potential reward is worth the time investment. If you have children, there's even more reason to give one a try. Try to go in with an open mind. My Neighbor Totoro isn't about constant action or conflict, but it's an experience that shouldn't be missed. It's closer to a film like Bambi than Megamind or Despicable Me. Just because a film is about young children, it doesn't mean that the viewer has to be a young child in order to appreciate the story. Pixar has elevated North American films to new levels over the past two decades, but I can honestly say that Studio Ghibli, and Miyazaki in particular, has produced films with more heart. They are beautiful, magical and full of imagination. These stories matter to me and I can't wait to see the next one.