"Totoro-ly Awesome!"

I know... bad pun. So sue me!

Another tally for my "Miyazaki Films I've Seen" list! This time, I watched My Neighbor Totoro. Another awesome film!

Unlike the other Miyazaki films I've seen so far, Totoro doesn't have big action scenes or explosions. It's just a cute, little movie with a warm story. I personally think of it as the Dumbo of Miyazaki films.

After seeing these films, I'm starting to doubt my faith in Disney (gasp!). It's not that I don't like Disney films anymore, it's just that their last few films haven't been up-to-par with the Miyazaki stuff. The characters in Miyazaki movies are much more believable & relatable than Disney's.

Some of the Disney children either have no distinct personality whatsoever or are 30 year olds in a child's body. The two girls from Totoro, Satsuki (age 11) & Mei (age 4) FEEL more like real girls. They not only look & sound more believable, but they also act & feel that way too.

& COME ON! Who would not want to ride on the Catbus!? So what if it might shed everywhere! CATBUS RULES!

Ahem... anyway, it's a spectacular film. 10 out of 10! But don't just take MY word for it. Go see it yourself!

'Castle in the Sky' with Diamonds

Ever since I saw Princess Mononoke last week (or was it the week before?), I've been hunting for Miyazaki films at my school's library. Just the other day, I came across another one of his films, & of course, I picked it up & took it out.

The film was Castle in the Sky. A lot of people have told me that it's not as good as Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away, but I disagree. I LOVE this film. Personally, I think it's a LOT better than Princess Mononoke. The story, the characters, the concept, the music, the cast &, of course, the animation were all magnificent. I've alway's loved flying, & this film is all about it. I especially love the design of the little bug-like machine like the one Steve-O is riding above. Do yourself a favor & go watch this film . You won't regret it.

Have you seen Princess Mononoke yet?

Every time I talk to someone who is into animation like I am, they always ask if I've seen Princess Mononoke, the Miyazaki film. I tell them I haven't yet & they do one of those "OH MAN! YOU GOTTA WATCH IT! IT'S THE BEST ANIMATED FILM EVER!!!" exclamations.

I finally watched Princess Mononoke for the first time last night. It is a great film, but it was not quite as extraordinary as people say it is. The animation is top notch, the voices are superb (even though most of the characters are voiced by typical top-name American actors for the English dub), & the story was exciting & compelling. But it's not quite what I expected. On a 1/10 scale, I'd give it a solid 8. It ain't perfect, but it's pretty far up there.

Personally, I like Spirited Away a lot better, but I appreciate Princess Mononoke for what it is & I respect that. I would definitely suggest you all to watch it if you haven't seen it yet.