My Neighbor Totoro (1988) Tonari no Totoro (original title)

Director:

Hayao Miyazaki

Writer:

Hayao Miyazaki (written by)

Release Date:

16 April 1988 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Family | Fantasy

Plot:

When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wonderous forest spirits who live nearby.

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Spirit | Forest Spirit | Japan | Bath

Awards:

5 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Toshiyuki Amagasa	...	Kanta (voice)
Paul Butcher	...	Kanta (voice: English version)
Pat Carroll	...	Nanny (voice: English version)
Cheryl Chase	...	Mei (Troma version) (voice: English version)
Shigeru Chiba	...	Kusakari-Otoko (voice)
Lara Cody	...	Farm Girl (Troma version) (voice: English version)
Natalie Core	...	Nanny (Troma version) (voice: English version)
Tim Daly	...	Professor Kusakabe (voice: English version) (as Timothy Daly)
Dakota Fanning	...	Satsuki (2005 Disney version) (voice: English version)
Elle Fanning	...	Mei Kusakabe (2005 Disney version) (voice: English version)
Kenneth Hartman	...	Kanta (Troma version) (voice: English version)
Noriko Hidaka	...	Satsuki (voice)
Akiko Hiramatsu	...	(voice)
Masashi Hirose	...	Kanta no otôsan (voice)
Shigesato Itoi	...	Tatsuo Kusakabe (voice)
Alexandra Kenworthy	...	Mother (Troma version) (voice: English version)
Tanie Kitabayashi	...	Kanta no obâsan (voice)
Steve Kramer	...	Farmer (Troma version) (voice: English version)
Chie Kôjiro	...	(voice) (as Chie Koujiro)
Melanie MacQueen	...	Kanta's Mom (Troma version) (voice: English version)
Yûko Maruyama	...	Kanta no okâsan (voice)
Lisa Michelson	...	Satsuki (Troma version) (voice: English version)
Yûko Mizutani	...	(voice)
Daiki Nakamura	...	(voice)
Tomohiro Nishimura	...	(voice)
Katelin Petersen	...	Girl / Additional Voices (2005 Disney Version) (voice: English version)
Ashley Rose	...	Girl / additional Voices English Version (voice: English version) (as Ashley Rose Orr)
Yvonne Russo	...	Various Voices (voice: English version)
Evan Sabara	...	Boy / Additional Voices (2005 Disney Version) (voice: English version)
Chika Sakamoto	...	Mei (voice)
Lea Salonga	...	Mrs. Kusakabe (voice: English version)
Sumi Shimamoto	...	Yasuko Kusakabe (voice)
Brianne Siddall	...	Michiko (Troma version) (voice: English version)
Gregory Snegoff	...	Dad (Troma version) (voice: English version)
Reiko Suzuki	...	Rôba (voice)
Hitoshi Takagi	...	Totoro (voice)
Tarako	...	(voice)
Naoki Tatsuta	...	(voice)
Machiko Washio	...	Sensei (voice)
Frank Welker	...	Totoro (voice: English version)
Ikue Ôtani	...	(voice)

Directed by
Hayao Miyazaki

Writing credits
Hayao Miyazaki		(written by)

Produced by
Rick Dempsey	....	executive producer (US version)
Toru Hara	....	producer
Ned Lott	....	producer (2005 Disney Version)
Eiko Tanaka	....	line producer
Yasuyoshi Tokuma	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Joe Hisaishi		(as Jô Hisaishi)

Cinematography by
Mark Henley		(English version)

Film Editing by
Takeshi Seyama

Casting by
Ned Lott		(2005 version)

Art Direction by
Kazuo Oga

Production Management
David Candiff	....	post-production manager (2005 Disney Version)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tetsuya Endo	....	assistant director

Art Department
Hayao Miyazaki	....	storyboard artist
Nobuko Mizuta	....	color designer

Sound Department
Petra Bach	....	supervising adr editor (2005 Disney Version)
Randy Coppinger	....	adr recordist (2005 Disney Version)
Tom E. Dahl	....	sound re-recording mixer
Doc Kane	....	adr mixer (2005 Disney Version)
William Komar	....	adr recordist (2005 Disney Version)
Kazutoshi Satou	....	sound effects editor
Shigeharu Shiba	....	sound director

Special Effects by
Kaoru Tanifuji	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Hisao Shirai	....	production camera supervisor

Animation Department
Masaaki Endo	....	animator
Makiko Futaki	....	animator
Junko Ina	....	background artist
Yoshinori Kanada	....	animator
Hidetoshi Kaneko	....	background artist
Toshio Kawaguchi	....	animator
Shinji Kimura	....	background artist
Komasa	....	inbetween animator
Katsuya Kondô	....	animator
Tsuyoshi Matsumuro	....	background artist
Hajime Matsuoka	....	background artist
Yuko Matsuura	....	background artist
Toshio Nozaki	....	background artist
Kiyomi Ota	....	background artist
Nobuhiro Otsuka	....	background artist
Shinji Otsuka	....	animator
Yoshiharu Sato	....	supervising animator
Masako Shinohara	....	animator
Makoto Shiraishi	....	background artist
Kiyoko Sugawara	....	background artist
Yasuko Tachiki	....	animation checker
Hideko Tagawa	....	animator
Yôji Takeshige	....	background artist
Keiko Tamura	....	background artist
Makoto Tanaka	....	animator
Sadahiko Tanaka	....	background artist
Tsukasa Tannai	....	animator
Hitomi Tateno	....	animation checker
Akira Yamagawa	....	background artist
Hirômi Yamakawa	....	animator
Masaki Yoshizaki	....	background artist

Editorial Department
Hiroshi Adachi	....	assistant editor
Chris DeLaGuardia	....	color timer
Cory Hansen	....	post-production coordinator (2005 version)

Music Department
Kaiulani Kidani	....	music transfer
Eugene H. Saburi	....	music transfer

Other crew
Cindy Davis Hewitt	....	adaptation: English version
Rick Dempsey	....	dialogue director
Donald H. Hewitt	....	adaptation: English version
Ned Lott	....	additional voice director (2005 version)
Carl Macek	....	english producer
David Midthunder	....	voice
Kazuo Oga	....	executive background stylist
Hideo Ogata	....	planner
Tatsumi Yamashita	....	planner

Production Companies

• Tokuma Japan Communications Co. Ltd. (as Tokuma-Shoten)
• Studio Ghibli
• Nibariki

Distributors

• Toho Company (1988) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2001) (Japan) (DVD)
• 50th Street Films (1993) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Cinema Mondo (2006) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Gkids (2011) (USA) (theatrical)
• Triangelfilm (2007) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Troma Team Video (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• Aurum Producciones (2009) (Spain) (DVD)
• EDKO Film (1989) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2008) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• Gébéka Films (France)
• Intercontinental Video (2001) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• Lucky Red (2009) (Italy) (all media)
• Orlando Films (2008) (Israel) (all media)
• Pan Vision (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• RUSCICO (2008) (Russia) (all media)
• Studio Ghibli (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS) (dubbed)
• Walt Disney Pictures (2004) (USA) (all media) (dubbed)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1995-1996) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Anime Torotoro  animation assistance
• Atelier BWCA  background art
• Continental Far East  Dolby consultant
• Dragon Production  animation assistance
• Kobayashi Production  background art
• Omnibus Japan  post-production sound studio
• Studio Fantasia  animation assistance
• Studio Run Run  animation check
• Tokyo Laboratory Co. Ltd.  film processing
• Tokyo TV Center  sound recording studio

Also Known As:

"Tonari no Totoro" - Japan (original title)

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby (Stereo)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | France:U | Hong Kong:I | UK:U | USA:G | Singapore:G | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | South Korea:All | Germany:o.Al. | Denmark:A

Company:

Tokuma Japan Communications Co. Ltd.

Trivia:

Dakota Fanning was born six years after the film's original release, but joined the voice cast for the 2005 re-release (at which point she was nine).

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When Satsuki and Mei are waiting for the bus in the rain, the bus stop sign reads 'Maezawa-gyo' in some scenes while in other scenes the sign reads 'Shichikokuyama-gyo'.

Quotes:

Tatsuo Kusakabe:Trees and people used to be good friends. I saw that tree and decided to buy the house. Hope Mom likes it too. Okay, let's pay our respects then get home for lunch.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: Episode #38.7" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Tonari no Totoro

Wonderfully Magical!

Like all Miyazaki films, this one is absolutely sacred. Some parts are reminiscent of Laputa: Castle in the Sky and Spirited Away (and Alice in Wonderland by extension), but Totoro stands out as probably the most unique of them all.

The premise is nice and simple, which works brilliantly because the plot is established as a foundation without hindering the experience of the movie itself. The viewer is allowed unrestricted access and exploration of the messages offered by the film.

In addition, Totoro is not bound by any rules of traditional storytelling. Instead, it presents occurrences that touch on a fundamental human level that is so deep and profound that it will have you feeling a range of emotions. There are so many layers to this movie, each one meaningful and special. From community building to the love of a family to sibling relationships to facing the unknown; everyone can take away something personal from this movie.

Perhaps the most sacred aspect of the film, however, is that it reminds us that life is magical. Not all of us have a neighbor like Totoro, but we are all fortunate in different ways. Each of us has something to treasure, something that brings joy and comfort.

Totoro is special in that it frees the viewer to be a child again and to contemplate the world through a perspective that we have perhaps forgotten. Everything is new and interesting and beautiful, from a crumbling porch to an acorn seed. We live in a magical world, and it is definitely worth taking the time to appreciate this.