Customer Ratings & Reviews

I bought this as a gift, I have not viewed it yet.

A timeless classic animated film. I give all 5 stars for the film. Unfortunately, 2 Stars for mediocre material + terrible shipping = dented steelbook. A bit disappointing.

I was advised to watch this from my sister and I got to say I don't necessarily get the premise. Fantasy at it's finest but if you like Anime will be right up your alley.

The first disc we purchased would not play in our BluRay player so we returned it and got another. Same results. Our conclusion was there must have been a bad batch of discs produced by the manufacturer. It was annoying, at best, to have to return to the store twice and end up with nothing to show for it. Best Buy graciously accepted the returns, which was the one bright spot.

This is a weird movie. But my son really wanted it.

Didn't care for this at all myself. My son bought it and I think he liked it ok but just not the kink of thing an adult would enjoy at all.

They remaster the voices and themesong. By original instead.

Came with a scratch on the cover I had to return in store

Very disappointed. Tried playing DVD which did not work. Best Buy would not exchange for new one.

if you have nothing better to do in you spare time, I still do not recommend this movie

For some weird reason, I've avoided most of the Studio Ghibli films except for Princess Mononoke. You see nothing but great reviews and people gushing over them...which I guess turned me away. However, earlier this year I saw where they were releasing Totoro and Howl's Moving Castle on Blu-ray and figured that it might be the time to watch some more. First off, I wish that I had known that Best Buy was doing a deal to save $6 off a 2nd Ghibli film with the purchase of either of the two aforementioned. I would have ordered online and picked up Nausicaa as well, but I've already opened both. My store managed to get both releases in stock (only 3 each, though) which is astounding for any anime release. Rarely get anything besides the Bleach and Naruto volumes along with other Viz titles. Totoro takes place in a small village area about an hour outside of Tokyo in the 1950s. It appeals to everyone's sense of fantasy and wonder whether you're a child or adult. Sprawling rice-paddy fields, winding dirt roads, old Japanese homes with sliding doors, fire-heated baths, and more embody the feeling of living in rural Japan over 60 years ago. In all of the homeliness, you can almost forget the magical Totoro and his companions. When Satsuki and Mei move into their new house with their dad, they have no idea of the adventures that await them. The animation is incredibly well done and the Blu-ray release is fantastic. All of the extras are still in standard resolution and after watching the movie in HD, the difference is amazing. Less pixelation, more vibrant colors that still leave the movie with a nostalgic feeling, and great audio quality as well. The soundtrack is beautiful. It's so easy to get swept away in the melodies throughout. With it storming here at the same time, I had trouble telling what was coming from the movie and what was happening outside during the storm scenes. The English voice-acting was very well done...it was done by Disney; what do you expect? However, I prefer the Japanese vocals and definitely the songs sung in Japanese. The English songs were okay but just slightly off. Lastly, the extras were awesome. Watched each one...couple hours worth it seemed. Definintely loved the locations of Totoro segment. Walking through all of the areas that are animated and seeing how preservation methods are being invoked to keep the area from being further developed was really eye-opening and enjoyable. The creators of Tenchi Muyo! did the same which I loved. Amazing scenery.

Even after 25 years, My Neighbor Totoro remains an instantly watchable animated masterpiece that holds new surprises from every time I watch it. Satsuki and Mei are sisters who move to the Japanese countryside with their father. The children are fascinated with the quirks of their new house, as well as the vast nature around it. Satsuki goes to school and Mei begins to explore a fantastical world beneath a large tree in the backyard. She meets three little creatures and names one of them Totoro. Mei tells her sister about the adventure, but Satsuki does not believe her. During the next few days, the sisters discover more and more about their neighborhood and adjust to their new way of life. My Neighbor Totoro effortlessly crafts and develops so many different poignant stories. It is a coming-of-age tale, as well as a story about how we deal with change and one about the bond between two siblings. Totoro, his little pals, and the world they inhabit add a whole other layer to an already complete narrative. The magical elements intertwine with Satsuki and Mei’s story. They bring light to the siblings, during a scary and dark time in their life. The elements of magic add some levity to less joyful parts of the film, giving just as much closure to the audience as to the characters. The film never reveals too much about Totoro and a lot about him remains a mystery even after the credits roll. He is so adorably drawn and never feels threatening. He has no dialogue, excluding a few grunts here and there, but is still one of my favorite things about this film. He brings a kind of magic that resonates with you every time he is on screen. The lesson of My Neighbor Totoro is to never lose faith in what you believe in. Mei’s belief in the magic of Totoro never falters and for that, Totoro helps her and Satsuki not just because they are kind souls, but also because they both learn to believe in his magic. I give My Neighbor Totoro an age rating of 4 to 18. It appeals to all ages and has practically nothing objectionable for young audiences. I think adults will marvel at the spellbinding animation and wonderful story. I give My Neighbor Totoro 5 out of 5 stars and you need to see this special re-release if you haven’t already fallen in love with this film.

I really love Studio Ghibli movies and this is one of my favorites out of his collection . The artwork is beautiful and it was just enjoyable to watch with my husband .

All that needs to be said is that this is a Studio Ghibli movie and thus needs to be watched. Arguably the greatest animation studio and studio in general.

This is one of my all-time favorite movies! 'My Neighbor Totoro' tells the story of two young girls, Satsuki and her younger sister Mei, and thier mysterious friend named Totoro. Totoro is, of course a large, furry forest spirit that only children can see. Totoro shows Satsuki and Mei glimpses of his world and shows them how there is magic everwhere. What follows is a brilliantly made film. The writing and directing, both by Hayao Miyazaki, are of the highest caliber. Totoro has a simple story, telling a slice-of-life tale, but it keeps your attention very well and leaves you feeling very glad you decided to take this trip with Totoro and his friends. The music, by Joe Hisaishi, is great and features a great etherial theme for Totoro himself. The animation is well-drawn and fluid, some of the best 2D cel animation you'll ever see! The extras have some nice insights on the making of 'Totoro'. Both Hayao Miyazaki and producer Isao Takahata give their insights on the making of this one-of-a-kind film. There's also a segment from "Scenery of Ghibli', a documentary about locations that inspired Studio Ghibli films (there really is a place called 'Totoro's Forest'!!!). There's also an interactive protion where you can find out which of 'Totoro's' characters you are most like as well as some 'Where's Waldo' like games for 'Kiki's Delivery Service', Castle in the Sky' and 'Ponyo'. When you watch this movie, watch it in the ORIGINAL JAPANESE and not the English dub. The English voice actors for Satsuki and Mei not only do not fit their characters but neither sound age appropriate. That's just one of many problems with the dub version. This is perfect for the whole family. Children and adult alike can enjoy a trip through Totoro's world.

This movie has an amazing storyboard,character development and extras that made the movie breath taking. Even though the plot and character development was amazing I wasn't into the acting. The Fanning sisters acting didn't seem well suited for the role of the characters. Names were miss pronounced and they were lacks of emotions or over the top roles that didn't make a strong impression as the first dub from this movie in the 1990s. I have always been a fan of these movies but the acting as well as the movie wasn't the best. Another thing that bothered me was the cover of the dvd. I don't know if anyone noticed but they drew the character wrong. They made the one of the main characters Satsuki with pigtails. Satsuki is the older sister who has short hair whereas her younger sister Mei is the one who has pigtails. I'm pretty sure that it was a mistake, but I wish that Disney caught on the cover. The movie is well, except some acting but i would still recommend it because the story plot and the drawings are amazing.

Hiyao Miyazaki (Studio Ghlibi) is a legend in the animation industry, and My Neighbor Totoro is a definitive reason as to his reputation. The warmth, humor, charm, and innocence that run through his films bursts through the richly animated, expressive characters, the rollicking music, and the lush backgrounds bursting with life. Totoro is an iconic character, and Miyazaki's writing and Studio Ghlibi's gorgeous visual style bring depth, slyness, and mischievousness to a largely silent animal. Disney's Blu-ray transfer highlights this and brings the lovely picture and audio quality to a new level unreached by previous DVD transfers. The special features give additional information on a stellar movie.

This is a really cute story with a message the whole family can enjoy. I prefer to watch the Studio Ghibli movies in the original Japanese language with English subtitles. Subtitles are quite helpful with children learning to read.

I love all Hayao Miyazaki Films, but this one takes the cake. I love the characters, and the animation, the plot and everything else about the movie. I have not watched the extras yet, buy I am very excited to. (-^.^-)

This is actually my favorite Hayao Miyazaki film! The only thing i was kind of upset about was the fact that they changed the cast, and did keep the original dubber over voices. I grew up watching this movie and hearing the changed, it just was not the same. Other than that, amazing movie. Best artwork, best music. Best pretty much everything.