Part of what makes My Neighbor Totoro so appealing is the dynamic between the two young sisters, Satsuki and Mei. 13 In earlier drafts, there was only one heroine The largest Totoro (" oh-totoro") is the most well-known, and usually the one that most people refer to when they talk about Totoro.
The first creature that Mei encounters is the smallest Totoro (" chibi-totoro"), which is white, and then later the blue, medium-sized Totoro (" chuu-totoro"). Others have noted that the picture book for My Neighbor Totoro includes a troll beneath a bridge, looking up at a running goat.Īccording to, the smaller spirits are also Totoros. In a touching moment, their mother is shown reading the book Three Mountain Goats, or Three Billy Goats Gruff, to them. Later, when her sister Satsuki learns more about the creature, she asks Mei if she is referring to the “ troll in our book.” Their book is not shown directly in the film, but you can see it during the closing credits. Some have noted that the name Totoro resembles the Japanese word for troll ( Torōru), and think that Mei came up with the name after mispronouncing the word. Overcome with curiosity, Mei calls the largest one of them all, “Totoro”. In the film, Mei follows a trail of acorns and discovers several mysterious spirits located in the forest. 14 The name Totoro relates to the Japanese word for “troll” In the novelization, it says that the house they move to was built by a man whose wife had tuberculosis. The hospital was known for treating tuberculosis, and that is the reason why the family is shown moving to the town in the beginning of the film. Although her illness remains undisclosed, many believe that she also has the same diagnosis as Miyazaki’s mother.Īnother source states that in the novelized version of Totoro, Satsuki and Mei’s mother was staying at Shichikokuyama Hospital. She spent the first few years mostly in the hospital, but was eventually able to be nursed from home.” In the film, Satsuki and Mei’s mother suffers from a similar illness, which leaves her hospitalized throughout the movie. According to the book Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation, “ Miyazaki's mother suffered from spinal tuberculosis and was bedridden from 1947 until 1955. When Miyazaki was a child, his mother was hospitalized for a severe case of spinal tuberculosis. For My Neighbor Totoro, director Hayao Miyazaki drew from personal experience. While we’d like to believe that the Catbus is real, it was actually other instances of the film that were inspired by actual events. 15 Some of the film was inspired by true events Here are 15 Things You Didn’t Know About My Neighbor Totoro. While we eagerly await the next Ghibli masterpiece, here's a little trivia about one of the most beloved animated Miyazaki films of all time. We recently reported that Miyazaki has officially come out of retirement, and intends on creating a new piece before 2020. The film starred Japanese voice actresses Norika Hidaka (Satsuki) and Chika Sakamoto (Mei).
On April 16th, Tonari no Totoro officially celebrated its 29th year anniversary since the film’s original debut in Japan. Featuring the dreamy art direction from Kazuo Oga and stirring music from composer Joe Hisaishi, the film has captivated the hearts of children and adults alike.
It tells the intriguing tale of young Mei and Satsuki, who encounter a mysterious spirit called Totoro. For some, few animated movies bring about such strong feelings of childhood nostalgia than My Neighbor Totoro. Since then, Miyazaki founded Studio Ghibli, and has been the creative mastermind behind a slew of Japanese animated classics. Director Hayao Miyazaki has come a long way since he took the helm of his first animated feature, Castle of Cagliostro in 1979.