Japanese Children's Cartoon Lifts the Spirit

Although directed at children, this movie reminded me of the power of art to reassure, refresh and inspire. It was a reminder of what we are being denied.

Many things about this picture amazed me. I can’t remember when I have last seen innocence portrayed. These children are innocent, especially the youngest, Mei. The child’s wide-ranging emotional reactions deftly conveyed in her facial expressions reminded me that art makes us more human by revealing what is universally human. The feelings of a child resonated in me.

Rarely do I see recognizable human emotions portrayed in the movies–loss, yearning, hope, love. I’d list more but I have forgotten what they are. I have become jaded.

The girls’ father, Mr. Kusukabe, an archeology professor, is acting as a single father. Mrs. Kusukabe is in the hospital. I loved the way this father treated his children, with such patience and respect. I loved the world they inhabited, where he could bathe with his two girls without neighbors snooping and Family Services breaking down the door.

This world is innocent. The culture is intact. People know the difference between what is healthy and what is sick and evil. 

When Mei sets out alone to visit her mother, we don’t have to worry about her being abducted or sexually molested. When Satsuki goes to find her, everyone is courteous, concerned and helpful. Despite what Japan went through in the last war, the culture remained intact.

Satsuki calls upon the wood spirit Totoro for help. In turn, he enlists a giant cat (above) who doubles as a bus. I loved that these creatures were benign. There was no sense of menace.

Compare this with the trauma or filth found in many children’s movies. Take Bambi where the mother is killed by hunters or Finding Nemo  where his family is eaten by a shark. Madagascar is full of homosexual references.

If we want a healthy society, the mass media has to uphold healthy values. Call me Ayatollah, but I would ban porn, depravity and violence. Why is it that they can impose immorality on us, but we can’t impose morality on them?  

We have been brainwashed to reject the notion of Satan and Satanism, but our society is satanically possessed. You can see it in the obsession with sex and money and the acceptance of depravity, obscenity and violence. This is not accidental. It is the deliberate policy of the Illuminati, a satanic cult that controls the mass media and much more.

The oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico is symbolic of the toxic bilge they are pumping into our minds and souls. We can’t seem to stop this pipe either.

Even the Internet has become a source of irritation. I spend too much time reading doom and gloom, and not enough being inspired by the free music or beautiful pictures on Flickr.

A FM-radio jazz announcer used to sign off with the words: “Think nice thoughts.” That’s half the battle to saving our souls. It’s all in where we focus our attention. 

I was amazed by how much “My Neighbor Totoro” invigorated me. I felt cleansed and uplifted. It reminded me that my soul needs nourishment, not just mind and stomach.

The Trailer for “My Neighbor Totoro”