Mein Nachbar Totoro

A playful, magical and hugely positive picture with splendid animation from Ghibli studios. Among other things, it brings us an awesome scene with a rainy night at the bus stop, although... In fact it brings us nothing else. The entire movie is spoiled by the two sister characters, wrecking any atmosphere that might have been. It’s not often you see and hear such a pair of unlikeable dames. I saw the Japanese original, but I have heard that the American dubbing tones things down a little. Particularly the little Mei squawks and screams through the entire 86 minutes and that is the reason why I give this one * less than I would have otherwise. At least she finally has a good reason for crying, darn her. (04.05.2005)

I can have plenty of comments. I can say that the whole movie is too violently intertwined with a heartwarming family thread. I can say that supernatural beings appear a little too little. I can say that the whole plot is too simple. And yet, in Miyazaki's irresistible world, it only means that this time it was not an absolute triumph, but just a beautiful sweet film that lifted my mood for a long time. And I want to be Mei or Satsuki for at least one day and meet the fuzzballs Totoro or take a ride on a cat bus to where I want the most. (15.07.2007)

Miyazaki's films simply bring me a relaxing charm. The beautiful animation and cute characters are always guaranteed to help me forget everything and go with them into their magical fantasy world. The fact that the story isn't a masterpiece doesn't bother me at all, it’s enough that it has the divine Totoro in it... (14.08.2016)

What do the Japanese say? Kawaiiiii :-) Such a nice little film, cheerful, sweet, tender with a demonstration of folk religion and strong, unshakable relationships between family members and even neighbors (whether or not they are named Totoro). The beginning was hard for me to stomach because I was quite eager for some action, here we get nothing but running around, yet the final impression was very positive, for which I am glad. The best part was the cat bus anyway, I want to take that one home! (14.06.2009)

Ja, diesmal werden manche sagen, dass es „nur“ ein Märchen ist. Es ist aber SO schön! (09.07.2023)

Totoro is a gorgeous character to have at home in the garden, I would do nothing but lie all day on his fluffy fur and drink cold ones with him straight from the fridge. Not to mention his cat bus, with which I would give our public transport the same treatment as Minister Kalousek did to the Czech economy. Miyazaki once again casts his spell and his endless imagination can be admired without limits. This time, however, the film itself is somewhat hampered by a weaker story, which is mainly aimed at a children's audience, which is not a problem, but at the same time it attacks the viewer's feelings in a rather indiscriminate way, which significantly weakens Miyazaki's narrative mastery, and this a bit of a problem already. 80% (28.06.2013)

You know when you go for a walk somewhere beautiful, where the birds are chirping, the leaves are rustling, the frogs are croaking, and the brook is bubbling, yet all the while you can't get rid of someone's screaming children getting underfoot while they chase each other with a magical bazooka? That's Totoro for ya. Those beautiful mountains of clouds, massive trees, dense meadows of tall grasses, and the amazing multi-level landscape, with trams running on embankments over green rice paddies and high tension wires running from somewhere above it all, is constantly interrupted by screaming heroines and suspiciously passive and well-adjusted adults, to the extent that I spent the whole time wondering if there was something mysterious and dangerous behind their unnatural smiles and unnatural permanent positivity. (Spoiler) There isn't. (end of spoiler) (16.03.2022)

Eine sehr schöne, angenehme Streicheleinheit für die kindliche sowie erwachsene Seele. Miyazakis Welt bietet erneut Abenteuer, eine leichte Mystik, eine grenzenlose Fantasie, eine Prise Melancholie und unzählige berührende Szenen. (20.04.2024)