--- title: "My Neighbor Totoro: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/my-neighbor-totoro/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/my-neighbor-totoro" critics_score: 87 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # My Neighbor Totoro (1988): what the critics said Critics' score 87 from 9 reviews: 8 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond warmly to My Neighbor Totoro, praising Miyazaki’s gentle treatment of childhood imagination, family affection and the natural world. The praise centres on the sisters’ behaviour, the forest spirits and the quiet, simply told encounters that allow wonder and anxiety to coexist. The hand-drawn design and carefully observed animation attract particular admiration, with several reviews finding emotional depth in a story that needs little plot and no elaborate conflict. The reservations concern sweetness and technique, though they come from a small minority within a broadly enthusiastic consensus. The New York Times finds the family portrayal idealised and the dialogue stiff, while still enjoying the magical sequences. The Los Angeles Times admires the warmth and direction but describes the animation as jerky and limited. There is a clear disagreement over sentimentality: where the dissent finds sugar, several other reviews explicitly praise Miyazaki for avoiding it. ## Radio Times — Calum Baker Rating 5/5. A small masterpiece and one of the best films about childhood, using a simple framework of sisters encountering forest spirits to explore weightier ideas with impeccable design, animation and a distinctive soothing tone. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-76mapf/my-neighbour-totoro/) ## Time Out — Trevor Johnston Rating 5/5. 21 May 2013. The film that first brought Miyazaki to international attention is an animated achievement without parallel, delicately capturing mystery, quietness and the anxieties and wonders of childhood without sentimentality. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/my-neighbour-totoro) ## Empire — Dan Jolin Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 May 2013. The critic calls it a tender, gorgeous masterpiece about two young sisters who move house and befriend a cuddly forest spirit and a catbus, smartly double-billed with Grave Of The Fireflies. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/neighbour-totoro-review/) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 August 2024. The critic calls the film a supernatural masterpiece and Miyazaki’s first among equals, praising its simple hand-drawn design, innocence that grows more beguiling on repeat viewings, and bright musical score. The review highlights the film’s unaffected frankness and the remarkable animated performance of young Mei as standout elements. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/aug/01/my-neighbour-totoro-review-miyazaki-studio-ghibli) ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 2013. The review highlights the charming children's adventure featuring the magical cat bus and two boisterous sisters who befriend Totoro, describing it as less complex or tense than Spirited Away but still exceptional. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/my-neighbour-totoro-film-review-8630814.html) ## Los Angeles Times — Charles Solomon Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 May 1993. The critic praises the gentle warmth, affectionate sisterly bond, and skillful direction in this charming fantasy, while noting the animation is jerky and limited. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-07-ca-32448-story.html) ## The New York Times — Stephen Holden Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 1993. The critic finds the film overly sweet and saccharine in its idealized family portrayal and stiff dialogue, but notes that its magical sequences are charming and visually handsome. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/14/movies/review-film-even-a-beast-is-sweet-as-can-be.html) ## Little White Lies — Beth Webb 15 April 2018. Miyazaki’s gentle giant celebrates childhood imagination and nature in a heartfelt, personal story that has become one of the most beloved animated films despite its modest origins. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/my-neighbour-totoro-hayao-miyazaki) ## Sight and Sound — Nick Bradshaw The film is a pastoral, pantheist chamber drama with simple storytelling unfolding in delightful sequences that capture childhood wonder at nature, life and imagination. [Read the review](https://bfi.org.uk/film/659f87a6-000d-59a5-b3ab-536f10de2c39/my-neighbour-totoro) ## Eye for Film — Anton Bitel Rating ★★★★★. 27 March 2006. The critic calls it a true family film that is magical and intimate, praising its beautifully observed details and avoidance of saccharine sentiment while capturing childhood idyll and loss. [Read the review](http://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/dvdreview/my-neighbour-totoro-dvd-review-by-anton-bitel) ## HeyUGuys — Jon Lyus Rating 5/5. 22 November 2012. The critic celebrates the film's enduring magic, heart, and imagination, noting its ability to captivate viewers of all ages repeatedly. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/my-neighbour-totoro-blu-ray-review/) ## Film Stories — Ryan Lambie 29 July 2024. The critic praises the film's purity as Miyazaki's masterpiece, highlighting its simple distillation of childhood wonder and nature without contrived plots or villains. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/my-neighbour-totoro-the-animated-classics-genius-lies-in-its-simplicity/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/my-neighbor-totoro.md