- This isn't a film, it is an experience. Calling this a "movie" I feel in a way is misleading, because in a classical sense all the hallmarks of a movie are not present in this “film”, there is no overarching plot, no antagonist, no three-act structure, no obvious threat, no beginning, no clear ending, and, no lesson learned by the end of the film, which is why really to me this wasn’t a “film” but more an experience. A sort of window into what it is like to be a child filled with innocence and wonder for what the world has to offer. - This is why even trying to define what this “film” truly is, is hard, I can’t compare this to all the other Ghibli films I have watched, because it somehow feels disconnected from everything else that I have seen. Yes, other films like Kiki’s Delivery Service are fun and whimsical, but they still have a plot, there is still a progression in the story, with there being an overarching theme, here… there is none of that. Really, I don’t even know how to rate this, because I can’t even tell if I enjoyed it, I didn’t dislike it, but by the end, I wasn’t like “wow that was such a good film”, because again, it didn’t feel like this is a “film.” - Almost nothing about this leads me to classify this as a “film”, sure there were things I liked about it like the music during the intro and outro are fantastic, and the animation still is just as beautiful as it was the day this film was released 22 years ago, but what was this about? and the answer is, nothing. But yet, I wouldn’t say this is bad, why is that? I think it is very telling that this film came out the same year as Grave Of The Fireflies, in a way My Neighbor Totoro invokes the exact opposite feeling, happiness, and I feel that is kind of the point. This “film” reminds you that as an adult, that cynical lens you view the world through wasn’t always there, all of us used to be like the children in this “film”, filled with innocent bliss that comes with childhood. - This is the first time I have watched this “film”, meaning I have no nostalgia for it from when I was little, and yet, for the first time, I feel like that’s a good thing, because this “film” really resonates with you when you’re an adult, because it reminds you what it was like to be a child, not worrying about the consequences of going under those bushes, or the hassle of needing to clean up those dirty footprints all over the house, being a child was just so, relaxing. So in the end, maybe that is what this whole “film” is about, it conveys an emotion, it is a reminder for what one moment in time felt like, and is that not the job that all films dream to accomplish? To be able to resonate with their audience right to their very core? Well then, I guess in that sense, this film accomplished its goal masterfully. - Ultimately, I’m going to give this film a 85/100, not because it is not perfect when it comes to accomplishing its goal, because on that front it would easily get a 100/100. No, the reason I’m giving it an 85/100 it’s just because out of all the Ghibli films I have seen, this isn’t a film that I particularly enjoyed, nor do I feel it is a film that I would ever want to watch again. Don’t get me wrong, it was a nice experience, but ultimately if my goal was to feel happy or relax, this wouldn’t be the first Ghibli film I would go to, to accomplish that goal, but that is just my personal preference😉