orionoconnell's review
3.0
A solid three stars because all in all, to me it was an average read.
This is a novel, not a manga.
I would recommend this to parents who are looking for a nice chapter book to read their elementary kids, or to elementary kids who are good readers and can handle a 200 page chapter book.
There are lovely pictures drawn by Miyazaki himself at average of once per chapter, and the chapters are decently long, but the font is also larger. There are, of course, references to Japanese culture even through the translation, so kids who grew up elsewhere might have questions regarding some of the cultural differences, but Satsuki and Mei are lovable characters, and it's a gentle enough read, although there is an undertone of grief throughout both the book and the movie.
My Neighbor Totoro was the first anime I'd ever seen at six years old, so when I saw that there was a novel, of course I had to pick it up.
Much of the story is the same, although as is always the case with books, you pick up on a little more than the movies are able to cram into an hour or two.
A lot has been added to the book, which is told from Satsuki's POV. There are snippets of story that the movie didn't touch on at all. For the most part, these additions were really welcome. The one thing I can say I lost translating movie-to-book is that the movie portrays their father as a busy but very kind man who does really well for the girls considering the circumstances. In the book, the dad is absent more than he is present, and he doesn't really give off father of the year vibes.
There are also changes, throughout in how some things happened, how they ended, and their consequences. A couple movie scenes are missing for the sake of the novel.
All in all, it's probably a fun adventure to take kids on, and it's recommended primarily for that age group or anyone who found love within the movie.
For any parents who might be contemplating this: please give the movie a go, too, if you or your kids enjoy this book- it's really lovely and it opened up the door to anime and Ghibli films for me which are beautiful and artistic with excellent stories.
This is a novel, not a manga.
I would recommend this to parents who are looking for a nice chapter book to read their elementary kids, or to elementary kids who are good readers and can handle a 200 page chapter book.
There are lovely pictures drawn by Miyazaki himself at average of once per chapter, and the chapters are decently long, but the font is also larger. There are, of course, references to Japanese culture even through the translation, so kids who grew up elsewhere might have questions regarding some of the cultural differences, but Satsuki and Mei are lovable characters, and it's a gentle enough read, although there is an undertone of grief throughout both the book and the movie.
My Neighbor Totoro was the first anime I'd ever seen at six years old, so when I saw that there was a novel, of course I had to pick it up.
Much of the story is the same, although as is always the case with books, you pick up on a little more than the movies are able to cram into an hour or two.
A lot has been added to the book, which is told from Satsuki's POV. There are snippets of story that the movie didn't touch on at all. For the most part, these additions were really welcome. The one thing I can say I lost translating movie-to-book is that the movie portrays their father as a busy but very kind man who does really well for the girls considering the circumstances. In the book, the dad is absent more than he is present, and he doesn't really give off father of the year vibes.
There are also changes, throughout in how some things happened, how they ended, and their consequences. A couple movie scenes are missing for the sake of the novel.
All in all, it's probably a fun adventure to take kids on, and it's recommended primarily for that age group or anyone who found love within the movie.
For any parents who might be contemplating this: please give the movie a go, too, if you or your kids enjoy this book- it's really lovely and it opened up the door to anime and Ghibli films for me which are beautiful and artistic with excellent stories.
pslili1998's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
geeniebean29's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
sanmeow's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.75
i love this story sooooo much, it's so cozy and comforting šæš absolutely loved this book, though i do think the movie is better just because watching it feels like a more immersive experience for me. it might be the music? either way, amazing.Ā
violetbooklover's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
hanlfogg's review
adventurous
funny
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
reniroo's review
5.0
the movie is better because of the music and animation but such a fun and wholesome book. maybe a great way for people not into anime to experience this beautiful story <3
elisaberry's review
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
aruss11's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
graceg7's review
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
2.5 stars
it was really cute. just vibes. i gotta say tho the āplotā from the blurb didnāt rly happen until the last chapter of the book but thatās not rly the writerās fault thatās how the movie was.Ā
lowkey read like the bible LMFAO. like just phrases of things that happened lol.Ā
great vibes tho. poor satsuki tho she carried the whole family on her back and got no credit
it was really cute. just vibes. i gotta say tho the āplotā from the blurb didnāt rly happen until the last chapter of the book but thatās not rly the writerās fault thatās how the movie was.Ā
lowkey read like the bible LMFAO. like just phrases of things that happened lol.Ā
great vibes tho. poor satsuki tho she carried the whole family on her back and got no credit