This is the Original Japanese soundtrack for the movie Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro).

This movie is somewhat of a cult classic in Japan, and a favorite of children both in Japan and here in the U.S. This soundtrack matches its movie's happy-go-lucky mood perfectly. It is lighthearted, playful, and carefree. This truly is a soundtrack for the kids (sans annoying cheezy lyrics and animated dance sequences, that is). I felt that synth'd sounds were overused in some tracks, and in some cases they were downright annoying, but they do manage to provide the intended comedic effect. Tracks conveyed mostly light and blissful emotions. The feeling you get while listening to the soundtrack or watching the movie is euphoric surrealism. It's hard to describe, but quite remarkable that Hisaishi was able to convey a mood that goes so well with the movie.

Stroll is a romping energetic intro. The Villiage in May is a happy-go-lucky, swaying track that keeps your feet tapping. Mei and the Traveling Soot is a, err, strange track that was used to describe a mini (albeit comical) chase sequence. Mother is a very relaxing track with flowing vocals, but ends way too short. I felt this way about many tracks. Catbus is a great fun track to describe the Cat-bus. Track 18 is an instrumental version of the main theme. Finally, My Neighbor Totoro is the most recognized theme of Tonari no Totoro and the end theme to the movie.

Several complaints are that most of the tracks are just way too short due to restrictions placed on Hisaishi for composing a movie soundtrack. The CD clocks in at a mere 45:20. Another is the sometimes annoying overuse of synth'd sounds. However, the biggest reason NOT to buy this soundtrack is the fact that the two major songs, Stroll and My Neighbor Totoro, are in Japanese. One of the reasons that kids get Disney soundtracks is that they can sing-along with the CDs. That was why The Lion King Soundtrack was so successful. Did they listen to the instrumental tracks by Hans Zimmer or did they sing along with the vocal tracks? Unless your kids speak / sing Japanese fluently, this is certainly a MAJOR downside to purchasing this soundtrack. I can't find the English versions of the songs anywhere, either. If you know where you can get these, please contact me.

This factor alone is enough to detract all but the most die-hard fans of Totoro or Miyazaki. If you are going to purchase this soundtrack, you had better really like this movie (or have kids who know the Japanese lyrics). Thirty bucks is a pretty steep price for those of us who don't speak Japanese.

This CD can be found relatively easily at Anime Nation for $30.