Mei and Satsuki are moving into the countryside with their father, a professor, while their mother recuperates from her illness in a hospital nearby. However, they discover they have some rather extraordinary neighbors--the kind that only they can see.
The neighbors are creatures called "totoros" which come in all different sizes and colors, and Mei is the first one to catch them scurrying along their business. As their residence in the countryside continues, Mei and Satsuki develop an unusual relationship with the giant gray totoro living nearby, even as the health of their mother is in a worrisome state.
This film is one of the most charming, sweet films by Studio Ghibli and a certified classic. It combines the fantasy of the mysterious totoros with the realism of everyday family life, and lets the audience experience the magic through the eyes of the young characters who are seeing all of this for the first time with childish glee. From Mei's search to follow the first Totoro she sees, to an odd meeting at the busstop, to the quirky characteristics of the fairly quiet Totoros of all sizes, the movie is simply magical, accompanied with memorable music that fits the movie perfectly. While the story never goes into the darker territory that other Ghibli films have explored, it is still entertaining for audiences of all ages in its whimsical way, somehow old-fashioned and lovely all at the same time.
