But whoever said a film needs violence and thrills to have adventure? Miyazaki contends that the discovery of magic and imagination in everyday life presents its own adventure. Driven by its pleasant nature and deceptive simplicity, the story remains free of harrowing conflicts, fast-paced action, or moments of deafening suspense. Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro is among the most delightful of all films. This moment is not about danger, rather the sense of discovery as she pets its nose and quickly feels safe enough to curl up and take a nap on the Totoro’s furry paunch. Mei never thinks to be afraid of the bear-sized Totoro in the woods, and she does not need to. It yawns, and from the sound of its groan, she names it “Totoro,” a kind spirit that will only be seen if it wants to be. She climbs on the beast’s belly, scooting forward to regard its kind, sleepy face. She approaches its chubby, undefined, exposed arm and pokes it. There she sees a gargantuan ball of gray fur dozing in an alcove, its round form rising with every breath. After following two forest spirits down the proverbial rabbit hole, Mei, a four-year-old girl complete with pigtails and endless curiosity, comes upon a massive clearing at the base of a conifer tree.
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