There's a certain quality of Miyazaki's films that is very difficult to express in words. It goes without saying that they are visually stunning and have wonderful music, but there's something more to it than that. These movies can touch your heart in a way that few other things are capable of. And of all of Miyazaki's work (and of Studio Ghibli's as well), it is often the quiet ones that are most successful at this task.

TOTORO was one of the first anime I ever saw, and it certainly made an impression on me. In fact, I used to use this movie to show people that anime isn't all "half-naked girls with huge eyes and big guns" or "transforming robots." And usually, they were impressed by this quiet film that depicts a way of life that is quietly disappearing as the days go by.

Miyazaki has never been one to shy away from the theme of the environment and humanity's relation to it. In fact, it is a central theme in many of his films, from NAUSICAÄ to PRINCESS MONONOKE. But usually, it is the story of how mankind's relationship with the environment has had a detrimental effect on it.

Here, the situations are completely reversed, and the serenity of the Japanese countryside gives Satsuki and Mei, the two main characters in the story, a chance to rediscover the simple pleasures in life. As they follow a frog down the stream, or have a lunch of just-picked from the garden fresh cucumber, they find ways to occupy their days as their mother recuperates from illness in a hospital and their father works day and night to support his family.

Of course, the true magic in this film is found in the non-human characters. There are the susuwatari, the lovable dust-creatures with googly eyes. And of course, there's the cat-bus with automatic doors, fully upholstered seats and a customizable destination sign. And finally there are the Totoros—several of them in fact. And the amazing thing is that each of these characters conveys their thoughts and emotions without speaking.

So I like the movie... But how, you ask, is the DVD? Well, to be honest, it's fantastic. The details are beautiful, the colors are vibrant and the overall quality makes it look like it is a brand-new film. The sound is good as well, being a solid 2-channel stereo mix. And, like the other discs thus far in the Ghibli DVD line, it comes with both English audio and English subtitles for international viewers. The English track, however, is in mono.

There are English subtitles as well, but once again, they seem to be taken from the English script, rather than being an English translation of the Japanese script. So what that means is that there are places in the movie where no dialog is occurring (in Japanese) but there are subtitles. If nothing else, it's an interesting way to look at the changes they made to the film for its American release. Still, most people would have probably preferred more faithful subtitles.

There is also a second disc that contains the extra materials, and Ghibli DVDs remain at the top of the list of Japanese DVDs that provide great extras. Just as with KIKI, the second disc contains the full-length film to storyboard comparison. Switch from viewing the beautiful storyboards to the actual film by using the "angle" button. Also included are the textless opening and ending parts of the film, and an 18-minute featurette on the making of the film. Since it was made around the same time as GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES, the featurette also covers that film as well. It's a nice piece of background to have.

The most unusual extra on this DVD is a 20-minute piece on the newly-constructed Ghibli Museum, now open in Mitaka, Japan. We get a guided tour of the museum during its construction by none other than Miyazaki himself. Also shown is production art from various films, concept sketches of parts of the museum and how the construction actually progressed. Miyazaki fans will probably be very interested in this piece, as it's their first look at "Miyazakiland."

TOTORO stands as one of the best pieces of animation for a family audience. Anime fans often say "this is the sort of film that Disney should make." But if Disney were to make a film like this, it wouldn't be the same. There's something about the unique charm of the film that I think can be traced back to Miyazaki himself. At any rate, this disc is an amazing presentation of this movie. I'd recommend it to those who love Miyazaki films—and even those who don't!