My Neighbor Totoro: Classic Anime

 My Neighbor Totoro (1988 JP) Two young girls coming to terms with their mothers illness have adventures with the magical forest creatures. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki for Studio Ghibli. Wow this is a gorgeous Anime film. I saw it on the big screen recently in a revival showing and what a treat. Miyazaki's work really resonates with people and I think there are several reasons but primarily his own emotional pain is expressed through his art. For instance as a child Miyazaki's mother was hospitalized for long periods with a health issue that left her without the ability to be mobile even when she was home. In this film the strength of these two protagonists in dealing with their situation has inspired so many. I loved the watercolor art particularly the nature backgrounds. I do think the unsung hero of all of Miyazaki's films but particularly this one is the audio. We focus on the visual art because that's kind of what we do but when you have audio editing that's just as good, your brain fills in the blanks and you feel it. When it rains you smell it. When the wind blows through the grass you feel the warm summer breeze on your neck. That's how powerful Miyazaki's work is. I loved CatBus! So delightfully weird. Kinda thrown off by the Dad taking a bath with both his kids. I guess it was a different time and culture. Find it on HBO and for rent on most streaming. I do recommend you keep an eye out for it in theaters. That's the best way to enjoy such a film