My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

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

Director:

Hayao Miyazaki

Writer:

Hayao Miyazaki

Stars:

Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto

Top Rated Movies #132 | 5 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Noriko Hidaka	...	Satsuki (voice)
Chika Sakamoto	...	Mei (voice)
Shigesato Itoi	...	Tatsuo Kusakabe (voice)
Sumi Shimamoto	...	Yasuko Kusakabe (voice)
Tanie Kitabayashi	...	Granny (voice)
Hitoshi Takagi	...	Totoro (voice)
Yûko Maruyama	...	Kanta's Mother (voice)
Machiko Washio	...	Sensei (voice)
Reiko Suzuki	...	Rôba (voice)
Masashi Hirose	...	Kanta's Father (voice)
Toshiyuki Amagasa	...	Kanta (voice)
Shigeru Chiba	...	Kusakari-Otoko (voice)
Naoki Tatsuta	...	Cat Bus / Additional Voices (voice)
Tarako	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Tomohiro Nishimura	...	Postal Messanger (voice)

Storyline

Two young girls, 10-year-old Satsuki and her 4-year-old sister Mei, move into a house in the country with their father to be closer to their hospitalized mother. Satsuki and Mei discover that the nearby forest is inhabited by magical creatures called Totoros (pronounced toe-toe-ro). They soon befriend these Totoros, and have several magical adventures.

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Plot Keywords:

magical realism | sister sister relationship | country life | forest spirit | japanese animation | 

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Genres:

Animation | Family | Fantasy

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

16 April 1988 (Japan)

Also Known As:

My Neighbor Totoro

Box Office

Budget:

$3,700,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tokuma Japan Communications, Studio Ghibli, Nibariki

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (Stereo)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Hayao Miyazaki: [flying] The Totoros fly on the top with Satsuki and Mei during the tree scene.

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Goofs

When Mei and Satsuki are running back home from school because of the rain, Mei trips and gets mud on her skirt. After a few scenes, her skirt does not have any mud.

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Quotes

Satsuki: You're such a baby! Just grow up!

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Crazy Credits

The ending sequence has animation of Totoro and some of the characters from the film walking.

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Connections

Referenced in Spirited Away (2001)

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Soundtracks

Sampo
("Hey Let's Go")
Lyrics by Reiko Nakagawa
Composed by Joe Hisaishi

User Reviews

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.