In our never-ending quest to introduce Jon to new things we occasionally try to get him to watch DVD cartoons with us. He’s been pretty resistant up till now, which is odd because at school his class has “video day” every Friday, where they watch a whole movie—and he seems to enjoy it! He even saw (and told us he liked) The Iron Giant, which we then had to beg him to watch with us a few weeks back, since neither Peter or I had seen it yet!
 Jon’s favourite scene in Totoro. |
This week we thought he might actually enjoy My Neighbor Totoro, so we borrowed his cousin Meghan’s DVD and played the titles and end credits songs for him (Jon loves movie credits because of the music). Sure enough he got hooked and started playing the beginning and ending incessantly: Totoro, totoro/Totoro, totoro… Oy, what an earworm!!
For those not acquainted with My Neighbor Totoro, it’s a Japanese animated classic by the same man who made the more recent and famous Spirited Away (which won the animation Oscar). It is quite different from a typical Disney movie; much of Totoro is quietly contemplative, there are no villains, and the kids are portrayed fairly realistically. Totoro is a forest spirit that only children can see (and unlike Disney movies, adults accept this without disbelief).
On Saturday we took the plunge and got him to watch the whole movie. We try to make movie-watching a special event: We move the couch close to the TV, get snacks and snuggle under blankets. He got a little antsy during the last third of the movie, but he certainly liked it.
Friends Andy and Christine had suggested Totoro for Jon several years ago; we checked it out at the time, but found it was way too visual. In fact it was only in the past month that we felt that his vision and cognition were up to the task. Totoro does not talk; he only roars (usually with delight, but still), which made us question whether Jon would understand or freak out. But Jon loved the roars, and he immediately loved the Catbus!
In fact, he loved the movie so much he demanded a Totoro poster in his bedroom and gets a little ticked off when we tell him we don’t have one yet. Anyone know where we could get a nice Totoro poster or calendar?!
No comment yet
aiabx says:
February 14, 2005 at 3:16 pm (UTC 0)
apologies… when we recommended the movie, we forget to take into account the earwormic nature of the theme song. Glad Jon liked it though!
-aiabx
Reid says:
February 18, 2005 at 12:33 pm (UTC 0)
Hey, I know for sure that Andy has a big Totoro poster in his main hallway, so he **MUST** know where to get them, even if the answer is “Japan”!
aiabx says:
February 19, 2005 at 6:28 pm (UTC 0)
Well, the answer to that is, you sit tight and wait for a gift. It’s cheap and efficient that way. I can ask Gill where she got it from, though.
-aiabx
Laura says:
February 20, 2005 at 7:37 pm (UTC 0)
This weekend Jon asked for another Miyazaki movie “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (he was reminded of this title by the ad on another Miyazaki movie Peter and I rented yesterday, “Porco Rosso”. Who says advertising doesn’t work?). So we rented “Kiki” and watched it this afternoon. Jon was exceedingly patient, but got really squirmy during the last third. I could see why: It was an okay movie, but lacked any of the transcendent moments that are in Miyazaki’s other movies (and it was a bit, well, “girly”). When Peter asked Jon whether he preferred “Kiki” or “Totoro”, Jon immediately replied “Totoro!”. Good call.
Jeff K says:
February 24, 2005 at 4:36 pm (UTC 0)
I typically buy posters like that in Pacific Mall or Market Village (Kennedy & Steeles). A new studio Ghibli anime was released earlier this week, “Return of the Cat”. It’s probably girly.
David "Girly? Girly?!?!" Barker says:
February 25, 2005 at 10:22 am (UTC 0)
Just saw “Return of the Cat” on DVD last night at Andy and Christine’s Thursday night dinner. All the blood and battle scenes were a litttle unsettling. More Kurosawa than Ghibli, actually more Peckinpah, but the love scenes rocked.
The Cat Monster and the Divided Ones were really well done, evil but sympathetic; when the Blind Fox slew them to save the orphans, well I cried like a little girl.
The film was a lot like Kiki, to tell the truth.
Peter says:
February 25, 2005 at 12:02 pm (UTC 0)
The night before we rented Kiki, Laura and I had rented Porco Rosso. That one was a tad odd–I assure you, nothing like Kiki–and we both found it quite intriguing. It certainly touches on some mature themes.
Miyazaki has said that he intended originally conceived it as a short for salarymen on commuter flights, and never intended it for children, and he doesn’t know why kids like it. I have no clue as to what it has that would appeal to a child, but I love it when you can’t pin kids down like that.
As for The Cat Returns, how does a non-Miyazaki-directed Ghibli film compare to a Miyazaki one? Besides a quart or two more blood, I mean?
Jeff K says:
February 25, 2005 at 7:27 pm (UTC 0)
They’re all different. Whisper of the Heart (very girly) has no blood at all, just, (awwwwwwe) teen love, violins and libraries.
Jeff K says:
February 27, 2005 at 9:49 am (UTC 0)
David, as for “The Cat Returns” your description has nothing to do with the movie. Was that a joke, or did my error in calling it “Return of the Cat” cause you to want to describe some other movie? Please explain, I don’t get it. Keep in mind anyone reading a movie review probably has *not* seen the movie. Did you see a Japanese version or the N.A. release? Your description sounds like a small piece of Nauscica mixed with a small bit of Porco Rosso, but there isn’t any “The Cat Returns” there at all.
David "Okay, Let's Start From Top" Barker says:
February 27, 2005 at 2:52 pm (UTC 0)
jok, joke.
I was making all that up by way of saying ‘It ain’t friggin’ girly!!’
Kiki isn’t girly. There are no bad guys and the main characters are pretty much all girls, but it ain’t girly. Neither is the Cat. Japanese schoolgirls in traditional short skirts and lotsa shrieking notwithstanding…
The Cat Returns is similar to Kiki in that while there are adversaries, they aren’t evil, just self-centred and self-absorbed.
I don’t think girly applies in any way to either movie, just because there are no battle scenes or gore. The presence of many girls doesn’t de facto make a movie girly.
Kiki’s a fave and now so is the Cat, so everybody just back off. Somebody out there’s gotta be with me on this. CQ, CQ…
[sound_of_janitor_sweeping_auditorium]
I’ll just let myself out then, shall I?
Jeff K says:
February 27, 2005 at 4:06 pm (UTC 0)
Okay, I’m with you. I loved Kiki, Whisper of the Heart & The Cat Returns, btw. …and so did my 2 little girls & my wife.
Luisa says:
March 1, 2005 at 3:06 pm (UTC 0)
So glad to hear that Jon loved Totoro. I just love that movie. I remember the very first time Ronnie watched it. He was quite small (less than 3, I think). I wondered whether Totoro’s first roar would freak him out — and I distinctly remember watching his face. At the roar, his mouth hung open, and didn’t shut for some time. He was completely engrossed, and simply loved it.
I haven’t seen The Cat Returns yet. Reid just bought it, and he and the boys have seen it. (I had to work last weekend, and missed it) Michael must have been impressed with it because he sat his friend Jordan down to watch it, and I heard them laughing throughout – obviously enjoying it. Reid seemed surprised that 2 15-year-old boys would get so much enjoyment from it. Can’t wait to see it myself.