2. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

My Neighbor Totoro basks in the purity of childhood wonder. Not much happens in this simple tale about sisters adjusting to their new rural home while their mother recovers in the hospital, but it has so much imagination and heart. The lovely and uncomplicated narrative lets you focus on the magical forest spirit Totoro, a gentle giant with a fluffy, gray body and tall ears.

My Neighbor Totoro is mostly composed of cute, breezy vignettes of Totoro and the sisters engaging in various activities: learning how to use an umbrella, making trees grow out of the ground with a dance, and flying through the air while hanging onto Totoro’s belly, overlooking the entire countryside. There are other enchanting creatures, too: dust bunnies, a giant cat bus with glowing eyes and mice for headlights, and tiny little Totoros that scurry through the forest. There’s a very emotional climax in which the 4-year-old Mei argues with her older sister Satsuki and gets lost, but for the most part My Neighbor Totoro is just a simple story about the magic of being a child.