"Tonari no Totoro" , or "My Neighbor Totoro" is my favorite movie of all time. It is a sweet story of two little girls who befriend a magical forest creature, Totoro, during a difficult time in their lives. There are actually three totoros in the film: the small (chibi) white totoro, the medium-sized (chu) totoro, and the large (O) totoro, but most people refer to the big one as "Totoro". Another notable character in "Totoro" is the Catbus- just think of what would happen if you crossed a bus with a kitten... fuzzy transportation! Totoro is available in the U.S. dubbed in English, but not subtitled. I prefer the Japanese voice acting, but the English dubbing is one of the best I have seen and I highly recommend it. The film was created by Japan's master animator and director, Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki has made many films, several of which are in my "must see" list, such as "Kiki's Delivery Service" , "Laputa, Castle in the Sky" , and "Princess Mononoke" . One quick note- "Totoro", "Kiki", and "Laputa" are all wonderful films that the whole family will enjoy. "Mononoke" is a film about an ancient war that may disturb smaller children, so adults should preview the film before showing it to their whole family.

I have a very strange sense of humor (as my friends and family will attest) and I love making fun of things that I cherish. Here are some very strange websites about Totoro that are frighteningly funny: