A different perspective

      Beloved by fans from all over the world, Totoro is often considered the pinnacle of feel-good anime. I, however, strongly disagree and intend to present an outside perspective rarely brought to light.

     I watched this movie recently for the first time, so nostalgia plays no role in this stage of thought. I feel the need to say it since, apparently, a lot of people hold much of their appreciation towards this film out of fond memories of their childhood or perhaps how much they liked it a long time ago despite not having seen it since then and thus not remembering much. I honestly can understand the appeal it might have for a lot of people, which is a good thing, but I'm sure it didn't affect me at all and, without further ado, I will try to elaborate myself.

     Totoro is a story of two girls living in the countryside and experiencing some weird magical events that could only be described as a pure fruit of children's imagination. It's rather common having kids telling unbelievable stories that we can't forgive but joy upon due to their innocence and creative silliness. The film attempted to capture this feeling and show it to the audience in its own way, Miyazaki's way. However, allow me to establish a parallel between this movie and another one that is undoubtedly the face of Studio Ghibli, Sen to Chihiro, and explain why Totoro disappointed me so much.

     Sen to Chihiro is also a feel-good movie that captures the feeling of experiencing, alone, a situation or event in a way that's practically uncommunicable to others and is likely to be dismissed as yet another fruit of children's boundless imagination. However, unlike Totoro, it delves into Chihiro's character in a way that presents way more than just that feeling as it is and as we know. Totoro is nothing more than the depiction of such phenomenon through two children, who occasionally meet these odd creatures, and their daily adventures. There is no conflict or concern, aside from the constant preoccupation about their mother's health that only in the very end of the movie is barely tackled. Either you will feel good or you will feel nothing. I fall into the latter. Why? Because Chihiro exists. I'm well aware that the latter came much later, but it proves my point nonetheless.

     Chihiro's character is basically a realistic child in the middle of a totally unexpected and supernatural situation. It's known that kids easily adapt to situations that most teenagers and adults wouldn't, so as time passes by she slowly learns how to survive and struggle to return to reality. What's interesting however is that the same yearning to be back to her parents and regular society is what she feels once the time comes to say goodbye to her misadventure. So beyond the obvious 'children are so cute' and 'children's imagination is so vast' there is also the feeling of instant nostalgia that any of us would feel, not just kids. Actually, it is a feeling we surely don't want to get rid of, for it is the nostalgia our last link to past emotions that won't ever return.

     The homesickness, the loss of safety, the struggle to survive, adapt, learn, and the grey rather nonsensical feeling of missing the very thing that caused you suffering because in a way or another it made you grow. That's Sen to Chihiro, that's the superior feel-good anime that didn't stop at the safe yet obvious point. It comments on humanity through Chihiro, whereas Totoro stops on the kids and there it lies, the whole point of the film. You can enjoy for what it is, but I sincerely got disappointed by how little it does and how little it essentially is. I know Miyazaki from Nausicaa's manga, where he established an ingenious point through the eyes of one character facing several problems regarding the world and its upcoming annihilation. Conflicts might not generate the most enjoyable or thoroughly joyful experience, but for one hour and twenty minutes, all I could think of was how mediocre this film was. A lot of people surely got happy watching this and that's great, the more happiness the better. However, to me, it was rather frustrating and poorly conceived, almost to the point where I'd call it self-indulgent. Those who actually know Miyazaki and his creative process know he first draws, then thinks about it, and finally comes up with to justify it. It often leads to wonderful results of visual greatness and involving atmosphere, but with this film, it felt like Miyazaki wanted to settle down a bit and not put much thought into it.

     This is an extremely safe, simple anime that didn't hit that spot in my brain that works I deem to be good while risking themselves do. Overall, boring and empty. I'd rather watch other safe, simple movies from recent times that at least had more visually interesting concepts, like Arriety and Ponyo. Watch Sen to Chihiro, that's all I can say. That's it, have a nice day.