Over the last month or so, Madman Entertainment have been asking their fans to vote for their favourite anime releases from the company (Along with other releases which due to their diversity, most likely won’t make it into this top 20) and giving away on-the-spot prizes to those who provided interesting vote justifications. The intention of this is to generate what fans would consider the companies Top 20 series releases.
So far we have Elfen Lied in #20, Astro Boy in #19 and Ghost in the Shell at #18, three strong series that have all been beaten by #17, the beloved Studio Ghibli release of My Neighbor Totoro. While it is perhaps not my favorite Ghibli work, it is still an enjoyable film which is well deserving of a spot, but also an indicator that we should be seeing more Ghibli titles as we reach #1.
The following is the blurb Madman Entertainment provided for this title:
Capturing the joyful essence of childhood, Totoro is a loveable, furry, but inherently wild creature (check out those teeth!) that lives under the trees and brush. When two young sisters move to a new home in the country, we are equally amazed and delighted as they are to discover Totoro and their other strange neighbours.
The mascot of Studio Ghibli, Totoro embodies the magical essence of Hayao Miyazaki’s storytelling. A simple tale, the joyful wonder of the two girls makes it all the more touching. Their adventure with Totoro and the thrill of soaring across the countryside in the Cat-Bus, reaches out and captivates us, young and old. A truly timeless classic!
Madman Entertainment still has the DVD version of this series in stock, alongside many other Studio Ghibli DVD and Blu-ray releases which can be found on their official website or at your local distributor of anime.
