i_think_im_turning_japanese

Is it an owl? Is it a cat? No, its totoro! A troll-spirit thingy. As Wikipedia says, right up there with Winnie-the-Pooh and Mickey Mouse. Definitely going to clear out my HelloKitty wardrobe now, and go totally totoro.

Some awkwardness, sure. Like the long moments when the boy-hero stands in the middle of the road and shouts exposition to other characters, but.. otherwise brilliant. The politics is intricate - so many sides. And who could forget that beautifully ponderous line from those apes: "We Will Eat The Human." And Billy Bob Thornton!

You're not in Hollywood anymore, dorothies.. that's what struck me first time seeing this. The sheer alienness - of the mythologies - what ARE all those critters - and the culture, and even the animators use of detail, so exquisite. Not to mention Miyazaki's genius for packing in story and unpacking character..