My Neighbor Totoro

I had the opportunity to purchase Hayao Miyazaki's classic anime movie "My Neighbor Totoro" and I couldn't have made a better decision in my life -- apart from taking graduate studies and taking up education as a course in college, hehe...

What could've been a simple story of a family moving into a new home and adjusting to a new life in an idyllic, rural setting gets a boost with stunning visuals, a sensitive treatment of the characters, and the addition of forest spirits that look like a cat-bear-rabbit hybrid.

The movie was quite an experience for me. The moment Mei saw those pointed ears emerging from the grass, I was completely lost in Miyazaki's vision. Miyazaki-san made me feel like I'm seven years old again -- looking at the world with eyes of innocence and wonder. Maybe Totoro, the dust bunnies, and even Neko-bus were Miyazaki's metaphor for childrens' lost wonder -- their innocence that enables them to look beyond the mundane and see the dustbunnies lurking in the dark corners of an abandoned home, spy the pointy ears of a woodland sprite as it tries to sneak past you like a tiptoeing ghost, and wonder if the great gust of wind that blows with such force could be something more...

Here's a clip from that amazing movie. This scene got me chuckling like crazy...the Neko(Cat) bus' entry was literally a jawdropper for me...



I soooo loved the expression on Totoro's face as he was standing beside Satsuki.