My Neighbor Totoro is a Japanese anime film that was produced by Studio Ghibli and Toru Hara. It was directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki, and distributed by Toho. It is also the subject of this wiki. It is 86 minutes long.
The film was released on April 16th, 1988 and tells the story of two young girls, Satsuki and Mei, and their interactions with various forest spirits, the main being the 'king of the forest spirits', Totoro. It is set in rural 1958 Japan. It does not have an antagonist and is aimed at younger children, but appeals to most audiences.
The film was made in several different versions and several different languages. The main versions are the original Japanese version, the English Streamline and the English Disney versions. These versions starred the voices of actors such as Dakota Fanning, Chika Sakamoto, and Cheryl Chase.
The music was by Joe Hisaishi and the cinematography was by Hisao Shirai. It was edited by Takeshi Seyama.
My Neighbor Totoro also has a sequel, Mei and the Kittenbus.
Plotline[]
The film begins in 1958 Japan with the Kusakabes, sans Yasuko, moving into their new house in the countryside. They're riding in a truck and Mei and Satsuki are waving to people. When they think they see a policeman they quickly hide, as it's presumed illegal to do so. They are moving to the new house because Yasuko, the mother, is ill with an unknown long-term illness, but what is thought to be tuberculosis; therefore, she is in a nearby hospital. Mei and Satsuki begin to search the house when they arrive, to find that it's full of Susuwatari. As they are settling in, they meet Granny for the first time. It becomes clear that she owned the house and she explains about the Susuwatari and what they are. She also says that they may call her their Granny.
Mei playing with her father
One day, while Satsuki is at School, Mei is left to play outside while her father works indoors. Whilst she is running around outside, she sees two white, rabbit-like ears in the grass. She follows them as they lead her underneath the house. Two totoros, blue and white, pop out and she follows them to a camphor tree. She falls when she tries to go down a tunnel in the trees and ends up befriending a larger version of the other two. When he yawns, she misinterprets it as him telling her his name is Totoro. Eventually she falls asleep on his belly, but when she wakes up, she is lying in a clearing. When she tries to show her family what had happened, she is unable to find the way to Totoro's tree. Her father encourages her by saying that Totoro is the 'keeper of the forest' and will only be found when he wants to be.
One night, the girls are waiting in the rain at the bus stop, for their father to turn up, as they want to give him
The bus stop scene
his umbrella. They begin to worry when he does not arrive and the rain still pours down. Satsuki has to lift Mei onto her back, as she begins to grow tired and eventually falls asleep. As she is sleeping, Totoro appears beside Satsuki, and she instantly knows who he is. He wears a leaf on his head for protection against the rain, so Satsuki gives him the umbrella she'd bought for her father, still carrying one herself. Rain falls down on Totoro as he holds the umbrella, and it shocks him when each drop hits the umbrella, which amuses Satsuki. As thanks, Totoro gives Satsuki a bundle of nuts and seeds, before Catbus, who was mistaken for
Catbus picks Totoro up
their father's bus, arrives and Totoro gets in, along with the umbrella. Shortly after, their father arrives. The girls plant the seeds that Totoro gave them at the bus stop, but they do not grow, no matter how often
Totoro, Satsuki and Mei growing the seeds
they water and watch them. One night, they wake up at midnight to find Totoro and the other two smaller ones dancing around the planted nuts and seeds. The girls run out to join in the dance, when the seeds begin to sprout. They grow larger and larger, and then combine to form one giant tree. Totoro then takes the mini totoros and the girls on a ride, using magical flying spinning top. By the morning, the tree has gone, but the seeds have started sprouting. The girls later find out that their planned visit to see their mother had to be postponed due to a setback in her treatment. Satsuki is upset, angry and concerned for her mother and she angrily shouts at Mei and storms off. Mei decides that she'll take some corn to the hospital for her mother, and begins to walk the three hour walk there.
Mei carrying corn
A while after Mei goes, they notice she has disappeared, and a frantic search ensues. As the neighbours search for her, Satsuki desperately runs to the camphor tree and asks Totoro for help. Totoro, delighted to be able to help, summons Catbus, who takes Satsuki to Mei. Catbus then transports the two to the countryside, where their mother is in hospital. The girls perch on a tree outside their mother's window, where she is talking to their father. They overhear that their mother is being kept in hospital due to a minor cold, and it otherwise doing well. The girls secretly leave some corn on the windowsill where their parents find it, and Catbus takes them home. When Catbus leaves, it disappears from sight.
In the end credits, Mei and Satsuki's mother is shown returning home where the girls play together with the other children, and Totoro and his friends are unseen observers.
Cast[]
| Character name | Japanese voice actor | English voice actor (Tokuma/Streamline/Fox/50th Street Films, 1989/1993) |
English voice actor (Disney, 2005) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satsuki Kusakabe | Noriko Hidaka | Lisa Michelson | Dakota Fanning |
| Mei Kusakabe | Chika Sakamoto | Cheryl Chase | Elle Fanning |
| Tatsuo Kusakabe | Shigesato Itoi | Greg Snegoff | Tim Daly |
| Yasuko Kusakabe | Sumi Shimamoto | Alexandra Kenworthy | Lea Salonga |
| Totoro | Hitoshi Takagi | Unknown | Frank Welker |
| Catbus | Naoko Tatsuka | Carl Macek | Frank Welker |
| Granny/Nanny | Tanie Kitabayashi | Natalie Core | Pat Carroll |
| Kanta Okagi | Toshiyuki Amagasa | Kenneth Hartman | Paul Butcher |
| Michiko | Chie Kojiro | Brianne Siddall | Ashley Rose Orr |
| Kanta's Mother | Yuko Maruyama | Melanie MacQueen | Kath Soucie |
| Kanta's Father | Masashi Hirose | Steve Kramer | David Midthunder |
| Otoko | Daiki Nakamura | Kerrigan Mahan | Matt Adler |
| Ryouko | Yuko Mizutani | Lara Cody | Bridget Hoffman |
- Additional Voices (Streamline): Greg Snegoff, Steve Kramer, Lara Cody
- Additional Voices (Disney): Newell Alexander, Kristin Klabunde, J.P. Manoux, Evan Sabara, Kath Soucie, Yvonne Russo, Russi Taylor, Toochis Morin, Peter Renaday, Robert Clotworthy, Kimberly Guererro, Zahn McClarnon, Katelin Petersen
Uncredited[]
- Tress MacNeille - Satsuki's Teacher (Disney dub)
- Kerrigan Mahan - Searcher 2 (Streamline dub)
- Edie Mirman - Teacher, Old Woman (Streamline dub)
- Doug Stone - Mailman, Searcher 1 (Streamline dub)