Reviewing Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro is an exercise in futility. There’s no point. It’s a masterpiece of its medium. It’s simply one of the best animated films of all time.

It’s a beautifully crafted story with characters that transcend time. It’s a stunning work of animation that in no way looks like it was made 30 years ago. It’s Miyazaki at the pinnacle of his directorial career. And it has one of the best scores not just from the Studio Ghibli catalog but from any animated movie, ever.

If you ask me, it’s a perfect film. So there’s no point in my “reviewing” the film itself.

But.

GKIDS and Shout Factory recently released a special 30th anniversary collector’s edition of the film. So let’s take a look at that, shall we?

The Packaging

The first thing you’ll notice is the packaging. For purists and Type-A collectors of physical media, the slipcase will drive you nuts. It’s a 7″ square, which obviously doesn’t fit with the rest of your uniform Blu-ray snapcases. But my goodness, it’s pretty.

The slipcase is solid and features the iconic scene of Satsuki (minus Mei) and Totoro at the bus stop. Slide out the goodies inside, and you’ll find a “deluxe disc portfolio” that features the same art but with the Japanese title. Open it up, and thick “pages” protect both the Blu-ray disc of the movie and the CD soundtrack.

The Discs

Let’s get this out of the way. The Blu-ray disc is the same exact disc as the 2017 GKIDS release of the film, which is essentially the same thing as the 2013 Disney release.

But, OK, let’s say you don’t own any of the previous versions. The 1988 film features the specs you’d expect – 1080p widescreen (1.85:1) video and English & Japanese DTS-HD 2.0 audio – and it looks stunning. Obviously.

In addition to the film, the Blu-ray includes the following featurettes and bonus features:

• Behind the Microphone
• Creating My Neighbor Totoro
• Creating the Characters
• The Totoro Experience
• Producer’s Perspective: Creating Ghibli
• The Locations of My Neighbor Totoro
• Scoring Miyazaki
• feature-length storyboards
• textless credits
• original theatrical trailers

The soundtrack, though, is not included in the 2017 release. And, honestly, it’s where this release shines. It includes all 20 tracks that were on previous releases, but if you’re a fan of Ghibli soundtracks, you know how elusive they can sometimes prove to be.

Joe Hisaishi’s score is simply sublime. It captures the playfulness and charm of the film and is an essential element in why My Neighbor Totoro is so timeless and endearing. It might not be my favorite Hisaishi score to listen to in isolation (which is probably Castle in the Sky), but it so perfectly complements the film that it’s my favorite pairing of a Hisaishi score with a Miyazaki film. If that makes sense.

The soundtrack never really had a wide release here in the States, and even now it’s difficult to find an affordable version online. If you’re looking for a physical release, that is. It’s available on iTunes, but that would – you know – require you to actually use iTunes. Which is something I actively avoid.

The Booklet

Also included is a 40-page booklet featuring new essays by The New York Times‘ film critic A.O. Scott (“On My Neighbor Totoro“) and film writer Lauren Wilford (“Towards a True Children’s Cinema: On My Neighbor Totoro“), along with a piece by legendary film critic Roger Ebert (“Great Movies: My Neighbor Totoro“). Complementing these essays are stills from the film and statements from Hayao Miyazaki (from 1986) and Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki (from 2012).

All told, it provides an interesting look at the movie from a film geek’s perspective. But I wouldn’t necessarily call the booklet a strong selling point for this set. (A far more enjoyable deep dive into the film is the sumptuous art-of book from VIZ Media.)

So? Should I buy it?

Is the 30th anniversary collector’s edition worth it? If you’re a superfan, then you probably already own it. If you’re just looking for the movie, you can still pick up the regular edition of the film (with all the same special features) for about half the price. It’s hard to recommend this version for those just looking to grab a copy of the film.

But it’s the soundtrack that tips the scales in favor of this one. If you’re at all interested in the music (and want a physical copy of it), then I heartily recommend grabbing this beautiful set.

And if you don’t already own the film or the music? What the heck are you still reading this for? Go buy it and watch this masterpiece of perfection tonight!