Trees and people used to be good friends. I saw that tree and decided to buy the house.

-Tatsuo Kusakabe, My Neighbor Totoro

FIRST TIME VIEWERS: CHERYL, JOE

Beautiful scenery, screaming children, the Cat Bus, and great big fluffy Totoro. What more can we say about this late 80's animated classic from Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli? There aren't many words in this movie, nor is there a complicated plot, but there's plenty of "squee". Is that enough for us to understand its lasting appeal?

How many of us want to ride in a Cat Bus or sleep on a Totoro? How distracted are we by the idea of a Studio Ghibli theme park? Does this movie qualify as anime? Have we pulled out our credit cards to buy ALL the merchandise? Could there be a connection between this film and the Beatles? And how excited can two kids get about a rotting house? Join us, as we crawl our way through the underbrush into the magical world of Totoro.

Click here to listen to Episode 32: My Neighbor Totoro.

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