My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
I haven’t seen a lot of animation outside Disney and Pixar stuff, but this keeps popping on in recommendations all the time. I kinda expected a sweet little kids film and it actually is, but also so much more and really unlike anything else I have seen.
The story is what it is but what pulled me in was the incredible display of childhood glee, imagination, curiosity - and not the least their need for comfort. Totoro is basically a manifistation on how a teddy bear comforts you. It is impossible to not like the two sisters and Mei reminds me so much of my own youngest daughter.
Rating: 4